"Twas the Day Before the New School Year

Tomorrow begins a new school year. Can it be? I can hear the pump on the swimming pool, so I know it is still summer. Fortunately my media center has excellent air conditioning!!!! I remember my mother telling me once that each September she would get that "back to school" feeling, even decades after she or any of her children were off to a new school year. Being in education, I not only have that feel, but I am there. The summer has been so busy, and my last two days of "freedom" have not exactly turned out to be "free". I fixed lunch for the kids at church yesterday (they are having Lads to Leaders "Boot Camp"), and then I had some errands to run and some "orchestrating" to get two meals prepared and delivered to families with deaths. Thanks to everyone- especially Katie, Kim, and Emily. They have really helped during this time. I am proud of them.
This morning David hit a new low!!! Yeah, David. Then it dawned on him that he needed to try on his suits to see if he had one that he could wear for the funeral on tomorrow. Mercy----we moved almost all of his suits to the "too big" closet. This is not a good situation for a minister. He has 2 new sports coats, but they are still a little small, so his options were limited. He did come up with a dark suit that will work, but I had to put the hem back in the pants. He is fixing to hit the place I hit a few weeks ago- a closet full of too big clothes. Not a bad problem.
The scales are moving in the right direction for me, as well- albeit very slow. I hope once school resumes that the special events will not be as frequent. I do well on normal days, so I am praying for normal days.
Last night was so nice. We floated in the pool, watched planes fly over, and just chilled out. Those nights are few and far between.
Well, I must go. The laundry calls. My goal of having a spotless house when I returned to work has now vanished into the reality that it ain't going to happen. Oh well, maybe some day.
Love to all!!!

Just a Short Update

I haven't had time to do much posting this week. It has been busy. We left Thursday to go to Lake Guntersville State Park. Just let me say- if you are needing a one night get-away- that is the place to go. The scenery and views are just too wonderful. The lodge is beautiful and all of the rooms are newly re-modeled. It costs about $100.00 a night, and the views are as pretty as any in the Gatlinburg area. I had to work a lot while there, but we had fun being together as a faculty. David truly enjoyed sitting on the deck with his camera, binoculars, and a cup of coffee.
On Saturday morning we left at 7 and drove to Glencoe. David had to speak 3 times at their back to school rally. It was well organized and there were about 100 in attendance. Then after the rally we went to Daniel and Mandi's and met their dog, Tipin. She is so sweet and well behaved. She is a golden retriever. Mandi had somewhere to be, so we went with Daniel and ate. I had a wonderful smoked chicken salad with a dying fly in it! I had eaten about 1/2 when I discovered him fighting for his life. They kindly removed the charge from the ticket. This is the second time in 2 weeks that I have had a fly in my salad. Oh well, it was good for the diet!
This morning the phone rang early and it was Jeannette Cagle telling us that Michelle Blankenship had over-dosed and died sometime around 3:00 a.m. Michelle's family attends church at Sylvan Springs, and Michelle came during certain periods of time. She was at church on Wednesday night, I believe. Sadly, the lure of drug addiction won the battle. The family has never tried to hide the fact that Michelle had problems, and they really wanted to help her. The family is making arrangements today. We went and spent some time with Pat and Casey. Their hearts are broken. As sad as it is to see someone in their early 30's lose their life this way, I hope maybe her death will be a wake up call for others. If you keep playing with rattlesnakes, eventually you will get bit. Pray for the family, they are going to need a lot of support. Drug addiction has been the cause of many untimely deaths. and this is one.
In other news, I got my Weight Watchers vouchers. I think I am going to wait and go back on next Monday after school starts back. I am still on the program, but since the next few days are going to be so busy and since school starts back for me on Wednesday, I think I will wait. I have missed a couple of weeks waiting on the vouchers, but I have stayed with the program for the most part. We were over-fed on the retreat, so I have a day or two to make up, but I am working on that.
I hope you all have a great week. Remember, I love you!

How's It Working For You?

I love a Bargain, Part 2

I love Paul's sister's blog (Katie). She is a coupon queen. I used to do coupons, but I kind of gave that up for other bargain escapades. Now, I still like a grocery bargain and in that line I shop at the Bent and Dent, Aldi, anywhere I can get a great buy. I thought I would share some of my current "bargains". While some of these items are "winter", it will not be long. There are 16 pieces of clothing in the photo- all new with the tags. There are 2 light-weight jackets, 2 pair of athletic type pants, and 12 tops of varying styles. Any guesses on how much I spent on all 16 pieces? Well, I added it up and excluding tax I spent $11.25. Not bad, would you say????

I Love a Bargain

As most of you know- I love a bargain. Perhaps, too much. I love finding good buys. We have always had an over abundance of clothing, but we have never spent very much money on any of it. When all 3 of the kids were at home, I would shop off-season, the thrift store, yard sales, you name it. I still do. My grandkids have been the beneficiaries of many great bargains. I almost always have something for them, every time I see them. I like to think I am helping their parents out some, as their wonderful mommies have elected to fore-go careers and stay at home with them. That is not easy.

For my birthday- 30th anniversary- Christmas, etc. year before last, David bought me a new sewing machine that does embroidery. While I have not had enough time to just sit and play with it, I have managed to create a few things. I have monogrammed many shirts for David and Paul, and a few things for the kids. The other day I was at the thrift store and found this little dress for 75 cents. It was one of those marked $2.99 and it was 75% off (see photo to see what I did to make it belong to Hannah!). It is cordurory and come winter I think it will be cute with a white shirt under it. Each week they have items that are 50% off and 75% off. I shop by tag colors- this week was pink. I just go down the row and look for pink tags (75% off) and then look at the item and see if it will work for anyone I know. This week I bought me 2 items- a brand new shirt (tags still on ) for $1.25 and another shirt that appears to be brand new for $1.00. I also bought Mrs. Courington a brand new pair of pants (tags still on ) for $1.25. I love a bargain. Since I have discarded 90% of my clothing- I am going to have to hunt bargains. I am going to post a new photo made Sunday. Anyone notice any difference????

Love to all-

Susan

A Little of This and a Little of That

Well, tis Thursday night and this week is flying by. Kim and the kids have been by to visit for a little while, and Josh also stopped by. I love my kids- what would I do without them????? Addi and Levi are going to come and spend the night on Monday. I have to go to school on Wednesday to meet Dr. Snider to make a portfolio pick-up for the university. Then on Thursday we are going to Lake Guntersville for a faculty in-service. We will be there until Saturday. David is speaking at the Back to School Rally on Saturday at Glencoe, so we are going to leave from Guntersville and go to Glencoe. Then I will have a couple of days the next week and then----back to school on the 11th! Where has the summer gone??????

I did not get to go to Weight Watchers this week. I am changing to a voucher program and my insurance is going to pay about 1/2! I have to wait on the process, so it may be a couple of weeks before I get the vouchers. I am still with the program although I am certain that this week would only see a small loss.

I am going to post some other photos from my new camera, which I truly love. I am still a novice when it comes to all the gidgets and gadgets, but I am eventually going to get it together.

Hope you all have a good end of the week and a great weekend.

My Girls

We've been ripped off!

WW Dupdate- 1.6 lbs. bringing me to a grand total of 69.8 lbs. May I claim 70????
Today one of our neighbors told David that someone had stolen the radio out of her husband's car. The neighbor next door told us a few weeks ago that someone had stolen their radio and I believe the radio of someone else that was visiting. Today David went out to his truck, and guess what??? No radio. He had not been in the truck since we returned from camp, so we are not certain when it happened. You know, I really feel ripped off. Nobody belongs in our truck, save us. I guess we are going to have to be more diligent in locking our doors, but I hate that feeling.
In other news, not much happening here. My pool has taken a turn for the worse and I have been battling the cloudy water today. I hope I have it on the run. I am going to WW tonight. I am not expecting anything major, and given vacation, I hope to have held my own. On my scales I show a small loss, but that is okay. I am continuing on my program, give or take a few small slip-ups. I think, let me say I know, I have to get with the exercise program. I feel at a little of a plateau. Although the scales are not moving too fast, I am continually adding to the pile of clothing that is too large.
I worked 2 days this week as opposed to the entire week. We are going to pick up the other days at a workshop at Lake Guntersville. I have never been there to stay, so that should be fun.
Better run!

Sunday Musings

Well, my Verizon network forsook me at Ft. Morgan this past week, so I did not update. We were shocked that we had minimal cell and wireless service, but it wasn’t so bad. I had papers to grade this past week so it made doing that a bit harder. I spent 2 and ½ hours in the Wal-Mart parking lot one night in an effort to get caught up.
The week at the beach was really nice. It was a lot of fun having all of my kids and grandkids under one roof. Everyone made it well, including all of the wee ones. Levi and Hannah provided a lot of entertainment. On Friday night Hannah was sitting with me in a chair and Addi was seated on the end of the chair (chaise lounge type chair)- Katie had just bathed all the kids and Addi’s hair was wet. Hannah was drinking her juice and she stopped and patted Addi on the back of the head and so sweetly said- “Addi, I like your red hair.” She is such a big girl and such a great talker.
David, Josh, and Daniel went deep-sea fishing and caught a LOT of fish. We ate fish one night and it was great. We also brought some home.
David, Josh, Katie, Hannah, Addi, and myself made a trip to Pensacola on Friday to watch the Blue Angels. David and I have seen them once before, and it is just outstanding!!! If you get a chance, go see them.
We went to the nursing home this afternoon. MaMa is doing much better, thank goodness. They have her wearing a helmet to try to prevent her from hurting herself if she falls. We are so pleased that she has improved.
I am going to work this week- and then I will have a few weeks before school begins. Summer is so short. My UWA classes will finish the first week of August, but my new sessions will start just as these end. We are going to 8 week sessions as opposed to 10 weeks- meaning I will have 5 sessions per year instead of 4.

"Coloring Inside the Lines"

She sat at the table with the crayon clinched tightly between her fist. She colored the printed flower with great vigor. The flower was green, the stem was yellow, and the entire page was covered with red crayon and ballpoint pen marks. She did not stay “inside the lines”. She wanted to share her picture with us. She loudly asked us if we thought it was pretty? We bragged on her artistic talent. “Addi or Hannah?,” you might ask. No. This struggling artist was my mother-in-law who is not 3, but 79.
She told us that she thought if she would show them (referring to the hospital staff, I am certain) that she could “do something” then maybe she could leave. She was trying hard to “color inside the lines”. Sadly, mental illness has no lines. Break a leg- you can see the cast; cancer- you see the bald head or the ravages of chemotherapy; car accident- the bruises, stitches, and marks are visible; mental illness- surely you can “think yourself” out of this “imagined illness”. Not so. I remember in vivid detail an incident in my life where I did not “color inside the lines.” I was in second grade. Mrs. Jefferson was my teacher. I was, for the most part, the student that teachers loved to have. I always “colored inside the lines”. On this particular day, a day in October, we were coloring our color page from the Weekly Reader. The picture was of a scary cat sitting on a fence, with pumpkins all about. Remember, this was in a day and age when no one worried about the celebration of Halloween being offensive to anyone. There were directions as to what color everything should be. For some reason, on that particular October day, I did not want my pumpkins to be orange, and for the moon to be yellow, and for all of life to follow the directions at the bottom of the page. I wanted it all to be black. I can still remember the look of “disgust” on Mrs. Jefferson’s face. I thought her blue hair was going to turn red! I also remember that she wrote on my paper that I did not follow directions, and that I colored outside of the lines. I felt ashamed and humiliated, much as I think my dear, sweet, refined mother-in-law would, if her “thinking” were right. A broken arm heals, many people are cancer survivors, car accident victims often recover, but mental illness…our brains remain with us, and the wiring, which I feel arrives with us at birth, can seldom be “re-wired”. Treatments that once worked, or at least gave some temporary relief, can no longer be used because of age and health issues. The doctor openly admits that he does not know what to do. So, here we are at this point, praying for a reprieve, for a better day, for relief, just praying that someone can help, that someone can help her to get to the point where more of the colors are inside the lines. I am so thankful for our support system. For those who always ask, and for those who care. I am thankful for my husband and for my brother-in-law, who, like the doctors, don’t know what to do, but are willing to do whatever is needed. Remember Betty Courington in your prayers. There has never been a better Christian woman, and to have to see her as she is at the present is heartbreaking.

Thursday Tid-bits

Edit to this post- I lost 6.8 at tonight's weigh-in. Now remember, I have missed 3 weeks, but that still is pretty good considering that I have had 3 weeks of food, food, and more food! That makes my total 68.2!
I love summer. Today I slept until after 8! I used to be able to sleep until noon, but age has caught up with me. David and I had some errands to run, so he went with me. We had to get a new hose for the automatic pool cleaner, and we ran to Aldi. David has gone to the hospital to see his mother, and I am fixing to go to Weight Watchers. I have missed the last 3 weeks because of VBS, Destin, and Camp. I understand that the leader has given up this group, so I may switch to Monday's and go where she is, which is just in Hueytown. I will give an update later, but I am hoping that their scales and my scales are in unison. I made a big committment yesterday- I gave away clothes. I gave away a LOT of clothes. It is scary. Clothes are expensive- even when you buy them cheap, like I do. My closet is getting pretty narrowed down, compared to usual. That is okay. I keep saying it- I pray that this time is the charm. I pray that I can continue to lose and that I can keep it off. Everyone has been so complimentary and encouraging, but in reality, it is up to me. Well, I guess this is another weight blog!
I am missing Paul, Kim, Addi, Levi, and Lila. I am used to them being around. I have talked to them and they are having a great trip. They have had a busy summer and it is not over. I talked to Mandi last night. She is so sweet. She called just to call, and that was nice. Josh, Katie, and Hannah came over on Tuesday night. Hannah is great entertainment. Josh told us today that he ran over his toe with a big, heavy, metal, laundry thingy. He said his toe is purple. I wonder if it is broken? While we were in Destin I dropped the shampoo on my foot and it bruised really bad. I thought I might have broken something, but I don't guess I did.
What a boring blog post- but at least I am current!!!!

This and That

Hi All- it is Tuesday night in Maytown and all is well. I have just returned from taking Mary to the doctor. She had to have an endoscopy- they were checking her esophagus for damage. The doctor said she had very minimal damage, and that was good. They also discovered 4 small stomach ulcers, and put her on medicine. She will see the transplant doctor next week. The gastro doctor did not know what her transplant status was, but he hoped that they could get her moved up even higher on the list.
We had a great week at camp, but I am glad to be home. Working the kitchen is not easy, but it is rewarding.
My UWA classes are going well. 2 of my classes had assignments due yesterday, so I had a lot of grading to do. I still have a few "non-believers" who have yet to submit their assignments.
David has now lost almost 54 pounds, and I have lost almost 64. Together we have lost a person. Sad, isn't it? I am discarding clothes left and right. It's funny- for about the first 50 pounds I had some clothes that I could keep on wearing- then after the 50 pound mark, things began to get big. I have enjoyed shopping, but I am not going over-board because I hope what I have now will soon be too big.
I hope everyone is having a great week!

Tagged by Katie
The jest of it ~ This idea came from the book by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser called Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. The book is a compilation that is based on the story that Hemingway once bet ten dollars that he could sum up his entire life in just six words. His words? For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.Here are the rules:1. Write your own six word memoir.2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.4. Tag five more blogs with links.5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Make a difference, while you can.

Life here is so temporary. If we live to be 100, that will be short at best. So, we all need to make a difference while we can. Sometimes it is just the little things that matter. No kindness. no matter how small, usually goes unnoticed.
I tag-
Phyllis
Lynn
Pam
Emily
Mary
Have a great day and believe it or not, I am posting from ICYC- the greatest place on earth, where I hope I am making a difference!

In Memory of Mother

Velma Grubbs Melton

February 16, 1912- June 15, 1998

10 Years

You can only have one mother, patient, kind and true;

No other friend in all the world, Will be the same to you.

When other friends forsake you,To mother you will return,

For all her loving kindness, She asks nothing in return.

As we look upon her picture, Sweet memories we recall,

Of a face so full of sunshine, And a smile for one and all.

Sweet Jesus, take this message, To our dear mother up above;

Tell her how we miss her, And give her all our love.

Since I will be at camp on Sunday, I wanted to make this post while I had time. While I know that these are just words, I always find that by posting a poem it makes me think of Mother. Can it be that it has been 10 years since I last held her hand, had a conversation with her, shared family news, discussed what was happening in the world? I still miss my mother every day of my life. I remember that Mother expressed to me how she still missed her mother, and she had been dead for 3o years at that time. I know now how that feels. It is an emptiness and a longing. I am so thankful that I had a Mother who loved and cared for me. What a blessing. While 10 years at times seems so short, it seems it has been forever since I have heard Mother's voice. I can close my eyes and be right back at her bedside, watching her breathe her last breath, but when I try to hear her voice, it seems so distant. I often try to hear it in my mind, but it is hard. Ten years- so short and yet so long. Mother, I love you.

Sleeping Beauty

By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea!

Well, believe it or not, I had a post ready to go and hit a button and deleted the whole thing- so here I go again.
We are having a great time in Destin. My conference is good, and I am done by early afternoon. Tomorrow I will be done before noon. David is enjoying himself (see his blog), and is out deep-sea fishing at the moment. He is with some of my co-workers, and former co-workers. Hopefully they will be kind to him!
I have been shopping. I went to Burkes (it is Beale's here) and bought a pair of denim capris and a 65 cent pair of jeans. I then went to Ross and bought a new skirt, a top, and a pair of black capris. I am in pretty good shape now with a few new things that fit. I am going to put something in writing that is out of my character- I bought size 20's! I have not worn a 20 in forever. Now for my skinny readers, this sounds huge, I know, but to me, a recovering size 26-28, it seemed unreal! I can't believe I just put my clothes size in print!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I better hurry and post before I decide against it. Seriously, I have done fairly well this week. There have been food challenges, but I have managed. I have not been perfect, but I have not been bad. Food issues are so complex. I pray I can keep this weight off, this time. Been there, done that so many times. I have so much to live for, and while I still have good health I need to conquer this addiction. Next week, working in the kitchen at camp, will be a bigger obstacle. I seriously hope to maintain and not gain. Then I will have a few weeks before our family vacation to try to drop a few more pounds.
Well, enough of that. I have to go pick David up in a little while. I hope he has some fish!!

Happy Sunday Morning, to All!

Well, it is Sunday morning, and VBS 2008 is now history. I can't believe how weeks come and go. We had a good VBS although our attendance was down some from last year. We have been hit hard by moves in the past year. While we seem to be holding our own, we can't seem to get "ahead". We lose one family of 4 and we get one- that seems to be the story. Speaking of losing,this morning will be our first morning without Daryl, Becky, and Emily. I am not certain about Rachel- I think she is going to try to keep coming for a while at least- but it is a drive for her and she will be by herself, so I don't know if she will keep it up or not. She said she would see how it went. I am sad thinking about them being gone. They will, of course, continue to be a part of our lives, but reality is, it will not be the same. Daryl came by yesterday to bring my new glasses, and he was exhausted- moving is not easy.
This week will find us in sunny Destin, Florida for my annual Nuts and Bolts Symposium for Middle Level Education. This is the third year that I have attended and it is a great program. What is really great is that it is basically a morning program and you are done by early afternoon. Then the rest of the day is yours, and there is great shopping, eating, fishing, beach, etc! We have stayed in the same condo for the past 2 years and we will be in the same one this time. It is soooooo nice and it is beginning to feel real familiar. David gets to come along for the ride, and we have a great time. We are excited.
Yesterday was a banner day at my house- I saw the bottom of the laundry hamper. I mean the TOTAL bottom, with nothing in it. At one point everything in this house was clean. Sadly, at this point one day later, I could do another load!
Our camera came and we are in total love. I am going to post some photos later. I will try to post some from Destin.
Well, I need to move on. We are having some reshuffling on Sunday School classes and I may have to "pinch-hit" this morning. Daryl and Becky both taught on Sunday morning and we have had to find teachers to take their place. David is moving to the teenage class on Sunday morning- something he has missed terribly. He loves teaching the teens.
Have a great week- and pray for us as we travel. There are a lot of crazy drivers out there, talking on cell phones, and playing with their CD players, etc., so everyone be careful.

Having fun in the summer sun!

What a great day- I did not have to go anywhere! I spent about an hour floating in the pool and would have stayed longer had I not been bit on my hind side by some type of stinging insect. It may have been a wasp or a horsefly- it left a pretty bad mark, whatever it was. Anyway, that did not ruin my joy at having nothing pressing to do.
Sunday was a wonderful day. We were honored by the congregation for our 30 years at Sylvan Springs. Daniel and Mandi were here, so all of our kids were present. Paul, Daniel, and Josh all spoke. I think Paul and Daniel had their speeches written, so I may get them and post them. Josh spoke from "the cuff" and of course, there was not a dry eye. I found out on Saturday, in an effort to keep David out of the building. He had not a clue. We were presented a beautiful outdoor lamppost. I am excited about having it installed. Thanks to everyone-I know it was a lot of hard work.
We are in the midst of VBS. What fun. The kids are all having such a great time, and the adults are too.
David and I took MaMa to Jasper yesterday and had her an upper denture made and we all had our eyes checked and got new glasses ordered. David and I picked out some frames that we were told made us look "younger". That should be interesting!
Addi finished her ball season. We now look forward to soccer. I believe Levi might be playing, so that should be fun. In sad news, one of the ballpark children drowned this past Saturday at one of the end of the year team parties. He would have been starting first grade. We have known this family since Kim was Addi's age. The little boy's aunt and uncle were part of Addi's coaching staff this season, and Kim played ball with the aunt. The grandmother actually helped coach and All-Star team that Kim was on and David was the head coach. It has been a sad event.
My summer classes at UWA officially begin next Monday. I already have a full roster in 2 of the classes, and my internship class has 16 on roll. I imagine there will be a few more to register between now and Monday. Woo Hoo- nice check!!!
I better go- I am cooking supper- baked chicken, green beans, low-calorie squash dish, and WW cornbread. The joy of being home- a great meal.
Oh yes- I am excited!!!! We have ordered a new camera. We have had a couple of little digital cameras that I have tolerated, but I wanted a good camera. Some of the photos that people post on their blogs are so great and I wanted to "compete", so we bit the bullet and bought what we hope will fit the bill.
Have a great day!

Happy Anniversary

Today marks Kim and Paul's 10th anniversary. We love them so much and are proud of them and wish for them many more years to enjoy their family and one another. A good marriage is to be cherished. Paul has been a blessing to our family and I know that God in Heaven had a hand in their "finding" each other. Kim is one of the greatest joys of my life and she is a good wife and mother.
On another note- David is at UAB ER with Josh. He called a little before 4 this morning and said his back was killing him. He has not felt well this week having strept throat and some other pain that he thought might be a muscle pull or something. Anyway, David called me about 5 and said they thought he had a kidney stone or stones. They were doing an ultrasound/CAT scan. I have heard that kidney stones are painful, and many people compare the pain to childbirth. I guess only a woman who had given birth and had kidney stones could testify to that. Josh has never had any problem with stones, so I pray that this will be his one and only encounter. I hope to hear from them soon. Since it was the middle of the night, Katie stayed with Hannah. Hopefully once they see what is going on we will know which way to go.
I made it to WW last night and I had lost 2.8 making my total 61.4. I thought I would never hit that 60 mark. Despite parties and special occasions, I have managed to hold on. I know we have so many times when food is in abundance, so I just have to compensate during the "regular" times. My closet is getting pretty sparce, as I have had to discard at least 1/2 of my clothing. I have a Mother's Day gift card from Josh and Katie to Cato's and as soon as I have time I am going to go pick me out a new outfit. It is funny, but when I go look at clothes, I keep looking at the same size that I have been buying. It is hard to buy a smaller size for some reason. Thank goodness for jeans and t-shirts that take a while to get too big.
Last night we received a call from our sweet Brianna Montagano. She wanted to be baptized. Within about 30 minutes we managed to pull together a nice little group to witness this important and special moment. We love Bri and are so proud of her decision to put on Christ in baptism. She is a special girl.
I hope you all have a great day. Pray for Josh today.

Musings of a Proud Mom

Let me start by saying, I know I have been a blog slacker. It’s not that I haven’t had anything to say, it’s just that I have not had time to say it- and also, they have blocked our ability to post on Blogger from work. Imagine that!
Life has been busy. Kim and family spent a week during their bathroom remodel. The kids were good and I miss the big greeting I got every afternoon when I came home. Levi makes you feel like you have been away at war or something.
I am still plugging away at the weight thing. Last week saw a whopping one pound and I think this week has been about the same. I am going to miss WW tonight because Addi has a ballgame and I have some things I need to do. I will be back next week. I do think I have hit the 60 pound mark, but with Memorio Day (as Addi calls it) coming up, that might be a challenge.
The pool is open and I am working on getting the water clear. That is always a challenge because I like it to sparkle. Hopefully by Monday it will be blue and clear. It is on its way. We hope to get this year out of the pool and maybe upgrade a little and re-do our decks, etc. Everything costs so much.
On another proud Mother note- On Sunday Josh and Paul will be installed as deacons. I am so proud of both of them. They are good boys and I know they will do well in the position. Lord willing I know that one day they will both serve as elders. When my boys were little I used to think about wanting them to be leaders in the Lord’s church- and both have taken on roles and responsibilities in that field. I know that Paul’s parents are proud of him, as well. We will also have two new elders, Marty Glenn and Mark Wylie, and another new deacon in Brian Maddox. I am proud of all of them, as well. I have watched Mark and Brian grow up and it is a wonderful feeling to see them take on this position.
I hope all of you have a great week’s end and hold on- the long weekend is coming!

Mother's Day

Well, tomorrow is the day set aside to honor mothers. I feel honored every day, so I don't really need a special day. I have the best kids in the world and I am so thankful for all three of them. They are not perfect, but who is? They are pretty perfect to me, for certain. I can't imagine my life without my kids. I thank God for them every day of my life. I am proud of what they have become and when I look at the world around me, I know how blessed I am to have such good kids.
My kids have always given me sweet, beautiful cards and expressed their love in so many ways- but yesterday I had a little group of kids do something that brought me to tears. Our Hispanic population at school now stands at about 20. These kids are so sweet. They love the library, and there is hardly a day goes by that I do not see at least 15 of the 20. They love books. They are working so hard on their English, and I am working on my Spanish. We sometimes communicate with hand signals, but we manage to get by. Well, I had gone to the office and my clerk and my "Doctor" intern were in the library when the entire group came in looking for me. Dr. Martin told them I had stepped to the office, and she told me off they went to find me. Now we have a fairly small office, but somehow all 20 of those kids got into the office to present me with a candle and an artificial rose for Mother's day. That had to be the most beautiful "flower" I have ever received. Then they all, one by one, hugged me with such passion. I wept. I felt like more of a "teacher" on yesterday than in all my years. What a wonderful day.

A Whopping....

2 pounds. Slow and steady...boy that seems slow, but the total is now 57.8 pounds.

Sunday Afternoon Thoughts

I have been blogging on Thursdays to give a WW update, but did not get to go this week because I went to Quintown with David. He preached in their revival this past week and I went every night. I don't often get to go every night when he is preaching away, but I did this time. I will get back to WW this week (while I did not have an official weigh-in, I have lost several more pounds according to my scales). David hit the 45 pound mark this week- WOO HOO!!!! Continue to pray for us, and I am not saying that lightly. Losing weight is harder than gaining it, and keeping it off even harder. When I was a kid I used to think that when I got older that I would no longer like candy, cake, pie, all that sweet stuff- but guess what, that did not happen. I have a very strong desire to be around for many more years, and I know that losing weight might help to insure my years. Again, it might not. I really want to see my children grow old and my grandchildren grow up.
The past week was busy with the revival (David did a great job and the people were very kind, work, a little ballpark activity, and a day of shopping on yesterday. I am trying to do some laundry this afternoon, and a little dusting and vacuuming. The next few weeks look to be very busy, as well.
I am in the process of inventory at school- ugh!!! I can't get it done for the interruptions. I hope this week might be better, as I think several grades have field trips planned. I wish they would all go somewhere on the same day!!!!!
In other news, the cemetery that was vandalized this past week is the cemetery where my parents, grandparents (both sets), aunts, uncles, and cousins are buried. We went by to check that afternoon as David had to go to Quintown anyway. The row of markers behind my Daddy's parents graves had all been knocked over and broken. How sorry is that. The people they showed on TV that had been arrested gave the appearance of "inbreeding" if you get my drift. They looked pretty low-life. Anyway, we went back by on Thursday so that I could put flowers on Mother and Daddy's grave, and my grandparents (Daddy's parents-I always put something on their grave as Mother tried to do that because there is no other family left- my aunt and cousin still put something on Mother's parents grave), and they had the grounds looking really nice and most of the damage as repaired as possible. I know my flowers got rained on hard on Saturday, but it did not make sense to make another trip out there as we were already there on Thursday.
MaMa and PaPa Courington are doing pretty well. MaMa's feet have been swelling a lot and PaPa had an eye infection. At their age and health, it is one thing after another.
Mary had to go to the ER this morning. She came to church but she was so tormented by the itching that she had to go to the hospital. They gave her a shot and told her to see her doctor. Of course, her doctor has said until the transplant, he has done about all he can do. They may have to put her on a benadryl IV to help the itching. I know I have said this before, but unless you have ever had anything to make you itch (I have and had to be hospitalized), you can't really imagine the torment. Pray for Mary and pray that a liver will be found soon.
I hope everyone has a great week.

Thursday Night Update

2.8 pounds- slow but steady wins the race. Actually, it has not been all that slow, but on the weeks where I lose less than 2 pounds I feel kind of like I should have done more.
David had a check-up this week. He has lost 42 pounds and dropped his Cholesterol to 146. Not bad!!!

Just some thoughts

I don’t intend for this to become my “Diet Blog” but since dieting is first and foremost among my activities at the moment, I thought I would share this small list.
Things I have not had since December 29th-
• A Big Mac- and yes, I still have an occasional Big Mac attack. I guess some things never end.
• A real candy bar. I have had a couple of Hershey’s Kisses and on Easter I ate a Reese’s Peanut Butter egg, but no Snickers or Three Musketeers for me.
• A milk shake or malt- chocolate would be good!
• Heartburn. I have not taken one antacid tablet in almost 4 months.

Well, a loss is a loss

1.2 pounds- not exactly a record-breaking week, but it could be worse. I just felt like it was going to be a low week even though I had pretty much been on program.

WW Update

I lost 2.8 last week to bring my total to 52 pounds. The pile of under-grown clothes is growing, which is nice. David is fixing to hit the 40 pound mark, so he is doing good. I am going to try to get on the treadmill some this week. I have been lax with exercise in part because I have been loosing pretty good to this point, but I know I need to get walking.
Have a great week!!!

100th Post and Goodbye to a Dear Friend

I had thought I would make my 100th post after WW tomorrow night, in hopes of posting about the big "50" mark, but I could not let the passing of my dear firend, Betty Garrison go without a post. Betty passed away in the early morning hours. She had many health issues, especially heart-related problems. The past several months she has been in the nursing home, and at times seemed to be making some progress. Betty had more near-death episodes and comebacks than about anyone I have ever known.
When we moved to Maytown in 1978, Betty and Teamus Garrison endeared themselves to us. Betty and Teamus were so close that after Teamus died at a relatively young age, we wondered if Bet would be able to survive. Sadly her health became an issue almost about the time of Teamus's death, and she never really enjoyed very good health from soon after his passing. I well remember the second Christmas we were at Maytown. Kim was just over a year old, I was not working, and while we were certainly not going hungry, money was not in abundance. Betty gave me a set of Holly Hobbie Salt and Pepper Shakers. I thought- "How cute" and put them in the cabinet. A few weeks later I decided to get them out and use them. When I opened the package, out fell a $50.00 bill. Now remember, this was about 28 years ago and a $50.00 bill was a lot bigger than it is today. Needless to say, I immediately called Betty and apologized for not having thanked them earlier for this generous gift. I guess if I had not opened the shakers someone at a yard sale down the road might have got a $50.00 bill with the $2.00 salt and pepper shakers. I have many other physical memories- the rocking chair sent to the hospital when Kim was born, Kim's baby ring, the Bibles for the children, a crystal container, etc. but the best memories are of Betty. I never knew if I was going to be in the "dog house" because I had not visited in a while, or if she was going to let me know I was forgiven. That was Betty. I always felt that she treated me like one of her own because she would act mad at me if I did not come as I should. Sadly, I did not always go as I should. Sometimes the business of life gets in the way of doing what we need to do. All that aside, today I know that Betty is truly happy. She and Teamus are probably sitting under a tree singing praise to the Lord. If there is an old RV in Heaven, they might be traveling down the streets of gold. Whatever they are doing, I know she is where she wants to be, at home with her Lord and with the love of her life. Rest in Peace Betty, we will miss you and we long for the day when we will see you again.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame and Addi's Come-Apart

Last night started my favorite time of the year- ball season! Addi's team- the Firecrackers were defeated by a score of 7 to 5. I believe they are going to have a good team. The team they played is supposedly the team to beat. Save for a few "errors" the Firecrackers would have won the batting war and probably the game. Addi went 2 for 3, not bad for a first game, I would boast. She is so cute and funny. Just like last year, when she gets on first base she does the "Addi Dance" where she jumps up and down and laughs. Going to the ballpark last night was somewhat like a homecoming. We saw people that had kids that played with our kids, and now their grandkids are playing. As a matter of fact, there are 2 of the girls on Addi's team whose mothers played ball with Kim. One of the little girls looks just like her mother looked at her age, and of course Addi looks just like Kim (even playing 3rd base which was Kim's position at Addi's age), so it was like looking back in time last night. What fun!
The funny part of the night was once the game was over. We were walking toward the concession stand and Addi was in front of me. All of a sudden she started crying and she looked like she was in a panic. I thought she had lost sight of Kim, as we were in a pretty big crowd. I said, "Addi, we will find your mother." Addi turned around and still in a panic said- "I'm not hunting my momma, I'm hunting the snacks!" Well, apparently the snack bringer for the night overheard Addi and came apologizing for forgetting the team snacks. How funny.

Weight Watchers Update

3.6 pounds this week- for a total of 49.2. I really wanted that other .8 so I would hit the 50 pound mark. I have many more 50's to go, but it is a start. I have lost this same 50 pounds so many times and EVERY time I tell myself that I will not gain it back. Hopefully I am changing some habits that might help. David is doing great- I think he is close to the 40 pound mark.
Have a great weekend-
Susan

A Few Bullets

All is well in my world. These are just a few of the highlights of the past week or so.

- Another 4.2 lost last Thursday at WW. I hope to add to that this week, but it might not be but a little.
- Lads to Leaders was wonderful. My girls did great, and almost all of them placed in speech. The kids really did well in everything. Addi led her song, and she was adorable. She will be really good by the time she can compete.
- Today is Alex's birthday. He is 17. Hard to believe. He is a good boy.
- We celebrated Billy's 50th Birthday on Sunday night with a little gathering after church. I think, from his face, that he was surprised.
- All the grandkids seem to be well- TODAY. Addi, Levi, Hannah, and Lila have all had first one thing or another in the past few weeks.
- Hannah is talking big time. She is really a funny little girl and makes some wild faces. She also says something like "Where is he?" or "Where did it go?" and she throws her hands back to her side so cute.
- Lila is also talking, a lot. That might not be so good.
- Addi is going to do great in ball this year. She is fielding well, and hitting great. We are excited about her ball year.
- Levi is doing better at church. He made it through both services on Sunday, with a little entertainment from those around him. He volunteered "I love you, Granna" the other day, and I melted.
- MaMa and PaPa are doing pretty good. MaMa is still taking therapy, and seems to be improving. We are thankful for small signs of improvement.
- Daniel likes his new job, thus far. He and Mandi have a new dog and it has "separation anxiety", so they have it on medication. Quite funny, I think. She is a year old and never been away from her mother. I did not know dogs went through this type of mental stuff. I think she has torn up a door or something, so we will see how the new Grand Dog works out. Maybe she will adjust.

My love to you all!
Susan

HIGH SPEED, BABY!!!!

Well, despite everything that we tried, we have never been able to get DSL at 927 Hathcock Drive. So, in desperation, we decided to try Verizon High-Speed Wireless. WOW- it is WONDERFUL. I knew that come Fall my online teaching load was going to increase tremendously, so I dreaded the thought of having to get to work early, stay late, or go to the church building to handle the correspondence. While we are not thrilled to have to pay additional money, we are pleased, so far, with the results.
Tomorrow we leave for Nashville. We are almost packed. Addi has been with us today, and she is counting the hours. We pray that we have a safe trip and that our kids have a good time.
MaMa is still doing better, and that is wonderful. She is getting good therapy. We talked to the therapist on Monday and she said that she had actually got her onto her feet. She also implied that it was going to be a long road to see if they could get her mobile. Their goal is to get her where she can get to the bathroom. That, of course, will help the nurses. They were very puzzled about her hands, as we have been. I had not noticed, but her fingernails are bruised and black- she also has one nail that is completely gone. We don't know if this happened while she was thrashing about or what. She has had such a hard time. Kim and Paul took the kids on Sunday, and that was a dose of good medicine for her.
David and I went to Decatur to the Penney's Outlet yesterday. We had a good day and picked up a few good bargains. We stopped at the Cullman Wal-Mart coming home and they had some great buys. We bought men's dress pants for $3.00 a pair. David bought a few pair to work toward getting in and we bought Daniel 3 pairs.
I am at the 44 pound mark. Did any of you see the new show about thinking yourself thin? David has been making fun of me because I have tried to "incorporate" some of the ideas into my WW program. One of his main points is to eat slow and chew your food. He said you need to put the fork down between each bite. Now, I have always been a really fast eater. Too fast. I have slowed up the past few days, and I can tell a difference. I have read that it takes the stomach about 20 minutes to tell the brain it is full. The second show will be on Sunday night. Who knows- maybe this guy is onto something.
I better run. Have a great evening and I will post after Lads.

Sunday Morning

It has been over a week since I blogged, so I will write a brief post this morning.
This is Spring Break week! It is also Lads to Leaders week! Two great events. The only thing is, when I get back on Sunday I will be tired to face a new week that will involve test materials, etc. But, I will not let that thought keep me from having a good week.
Addi and Levi are seemingly over the flu, but now Hannah has a temp. We hope her problem might just be a cold or virus.
MaMa is doing some better. She is more responsive and is taking therapy. They still have her in the unit with PaPa, which kind of surprised us since she has so much medical stuff going on and since she is bed bound. I hope they keep her there as we like the nurses.
We had a "Transplant" shower for Mary last night. A few of us managed to pull together a party very quickly (Thanks Becky for the use of your home)and we "showered" Mary with pajamas, gowns, and panties. We actually kept it a surprise. We love Mary and we pray that the transplant comes soon. We didn't plan a real big event, but it was nice. We felt bad because Mary is not going to get to go to Nashville, so we tried to cheer her up. I think it worked!
I am still working on the weight stuff. This last week involved a lot of meals at the building, and they were all wonderful. I still managed a small loss on Thursday, but have added some to the loss since then. I have moved into a new range of numbers, meaning I loose one of my daily points. This week will also be a challenge with Lads, traveling, good food, etc. I also will not weigh this week as we will be gone, so that works into the mental part of eating. I am going to try to be good- so if you see me with something I don't need- shame me.
I cleaned out my closet yesterday. It was much needed. I had a bunch of old, ratty clothes that needed to be taken out. My closet was so full that the good stuff was getting wrinkled. I just did the racks, not the floor stuff or the shelves. I filled 3 LARGE trash bags (33 gallon size) and really could have added some to it. It looks better and now I can see my stuff.
I hope this is a great week in your world!

A Kinder, Gentler Post

Well, I've decided my blog posts must have become depressing as my comments have soared to a big, fat zero. I will try to "lighten" up.
Speaking of "lightning" up- I hit the 40 pound mark this week. I am cautiously optimistic. Truly, the "diet" or whatever you want to call it has not been bad. I still have my moments of weakness, but so far I have been able to, as Dr. King said,"Overcome". I jokingly told someone that I knew that Bible scholars have tried for centuries to figure out what Paul's thorn in the flesh was- I am thinking cellulite. What else besides added weight causes one to be so burdened? You guys know I am kidding- but cellulite is a flesh thing.
My blood pressure tonight was 105/55. It has always run low, but I think it has dropped with the weight loss. I think when it gets too low that you die, so I am going to have to monitor that. Again, just kidding.
The snow was very pretty this morning. Bandit played and romped like a kid on a ski slope. He was so funny. Fortunately, according to our area weather men, there were not any travel problems(except for the 20 some odd accidents and the one fatality in downtown B'ham). Seriously, the weekend guy made the statement that there had not been any road problems, and this statement came immediately after the news story about all of the skidding and so forth on the interstate. They showed footage from their weather cameras of some of the accidents and I don't think those drivers heard the news that the roads were clear and there were no travel problems. Give me a break weather people.
Well, tomorrow starts our spring revival. I look forward to a busy week, but a good week we hope.
My sweet Addi has the flu. If I could have it for her, I would. She is such a sweetheart. They started her on Tamiflu and Kim thinks she might already be perkier. I hope the rest of the family is spared the dreaded flu virus.
I hope you all have a great week.

Saturday Evening Post (Isn't that a magazine or something???)

Well, it looks like I have become a Saturday poster. Things here are up and down, for certain. PaPa is back at the nursing home after being at UAB for almost a week. He had some pulmonary issues, but seems to have improved. He was really sick for a couple of days. His issues seem to be increasing, but so far he has managed to bounce back. When he was admitted last Saturday, he was having a really hard time breathing. They brought him in through the ER, which everyone knows what the ER at UAB is like on a Saturday (not to mention the flu, etc.- there were 2 separate car accidents that killed two 16 year old boys- not a fun place to be in the waiting room) so it was a number of hours before they got him to a room. Once he was in and settled they let me and David in (Billy and Mary had been there, but they had already left) to see PaPa. I went to his bedside and called his name, and for a minute, just a minute, he knew me. Even David said- He knows you! It was brief, but his eyes were so blue and sweet, and I knew that beneath the Alzheimer’s there was still our PaPa.
MaMa has had a terrible week. They moved her back to the Psychiatric unit (which is like being transferred from one hospital to another), but we had our thoughts as to whether she was really well enough to be transferred (as did her Psychiatrist, it seems). Anyway- they moved her on Tuesday, I think it was, and then in the middle of the night on Thursday night they moved her back (did not even call us). She was having trouble breathing, and she is swollen terribly. Anyway, they are looking at possible heart issues at this point. She is much calmer, but pitiful. The psychiatrist called David yesterday and pretty much told him that he felt it was a medical issue at this point, and that he would recommend that there be a consideration of putting a DNR on her chart. That alone let me know that he felt that her problems were serious. He more or less said that at this point the physical therapist did not seem hopeful about her future mobility, and with her medical problems they were hesitant to sedate her for any future treatments. We are in the dark as to what is really going on with her physical condition. Her hands are almost in a fetal position, at this point. She is much clearer mentally, and she is no longer yelling and screaming. David said yesterday that he tried to get her to move her feet and hands and she could hardly budge them. Please pray for her. The decline has certainly been swift, to say the least. I would never have dreamed that PaPa would be in better condition physically than MaMa. Old age is not always graceful.
On a happier note- I have now lost 37 pounds and praying to reach the 40 pound mark this next week. David is also doing very well. We went to Lloyds tonight, and we split a meal. Funny thing- when we left we were both full despite it being half a meal. It was still a generous portion. Today I stacked up some jeans and shirts that were too big. Now don't get excited- these same clothes have been packed away before. I am going to try my hardest to make these changes life-long. I think Weight Watchers will help with that. I needed some accountability- when you go and weigh each week, you keep that goal in mind. I have also developed a love for the new microwave vegetables (I am not a big veggie lover, but I like most all of these), and I have really keyed-in on whole grain cereals in the morning. Just pray for me that I will be able to press forth. The stress and strain of the past few months are the types of situations that I think trigger my eating (then again, so does happiness- so go figure).

When Do You Feel Blessed?

This morning I put clean sheets on our bed (now I am not a "dirty" person, but changing sheets is not a weekly occurance I am afraid to admit), and I thought about how blessed I was to have a good bed. Many people sleep on dirt floors, but I have a new mattress that is a "back supporter", that is about 10 inches thick in cushion and padding, and that cost as much as some people, in some countries, make in their lifetime! Now don't get me wrong, my mattress did not cost thousands of dollars, but I have read that in some countries people might be fortunate to make the equivalent of $300.00 American dollars per year- so it would take them about 4 years to buy my mattress. Aren't we blessed? Have you thought about the things that make you feel most blessed? Here are a few of mine- feel free to list some of yours-
1. The blessing of knowing Jesus as my Savior and the opportunity to worship freely and unharmed
2. The blessing of a wonderful husband
3. The blessing of my children, and their mates
4. The blessing of 4 beautiful, healthy, smart, grandchildren
5. The blessing of my extended family and the fact that we can all be together in one location and no one is fussing or fighting or talking ill about one another
6. The blessing of going to a store and filling my buggy with food and anything else that I truly need
7. The blessing of employment- yes, we all tend to complain about our jobs at times, but what a blessing it is to have a source of honest income
8. The blessing of having had good parents who provided me an education so that I could make a living
9. The blessing of sight and sound. I am so thankful to be able to see my beautiful grandchildren and to hear their noisy chatter (well, it is actually above chatter level at this point!)
10. The blessing of health and life. I awoke this morning to no aches or pains, and what a blessing that is.
11. The blessing of each of you who read my silly old blog.
Remember- Count your many blessings name them one by one, and it will surprised you what the Lord has done.

A Special Day

Today would be Mother’s 96th birthday. It’s hard to believe that come June she will have been gone from us for 10 years. I was blessed to have a wonderful mother. I wonder if people ever quit missing their mothers. True, time heals, but at times I still want to call her to tell her something special, and then I remember that she is gone. Mother had a lot of pride in her family, and I think in my heart how I would love to share the past 10 years with her. So much has happened- weddings, babies, graduations, jobs.
So, on this February 16th, I remember a special woman. Happy Birthday, Mother.
On another note...MaMa is still very bad. We had hoped that maybe things would start to improve, but they haven't. They could not give her a treatment Friday because she was so aggitated. We understand they are moving her to another section of the hospital, possibly a medical unit, but we are not certain. Billy was there today and they told him they were moving her. We are not certain what is going on, but being the weekend I guess it will be Monday before we know what is up. We think they are trying to see if there is something medical going on. They did all kinds of tests in Jasper, and could not find anything medical. I think they are barking up the wrong tree, but perhaps they might unearth something. For some reason they say when a person hallucinates, that something medical is usually going on. One of the nurses told David that she had not been working all that long, but MaMa was in the worse shape of anyone she had ever seen on the unit. Billy said she was yelling that the house was on fire while he was there. I simply can't express how bad this all is and how sad it all is at the same time. I hope that something works, and soon.

A Day for Love!

Today is Valentine’s Day. I have found great amusement in my middle schoolers and their delight at bringing their so-called boyfriend or girlfriend a balloon, candy, or stuffed animal. Oh that love were as simple as a balloon or a red teddy bear.
I awoke to beautiful card and a new Bible. I had warned David that I did not want (let me re-phrase that…I did not NEED any candy), so he obliged me. I bought him an Allison Krause CD and one of the secretaries put it in a basket with some gum and a small bear and, get this, hand sanitizer (David uses A LOT of hand sanitizer). It turned out cute.
I can’t imagine my world without David. He is just the best. He loves me and I know it. We have such a great time together, even after 31 years. I love spending time with him.
So, Happy Valentine’s Day my love, and thanks for being my perfect Valentine!
For my children on this day, let me say- Your mother loves you beyond words. Kim, Josh, Daniel, you are my hearts. Also, Paul, Katie, and Mandi…how did I get so lucky. And then for the baby Valentines- Addi, Levi, Hannah, and Lila…I thought I had loved as deeply as I could love, and then you came along. I found a new “chamber” in my heart called the “Granna Chamber” and it is as big as the world full of love for the four of you. I pray that you will always know love and kindness in this world.

On another note…please continue to pray for my mother-in-law. She is having such a hard time. She was so bad that on Monday they could not give her a treatment. She did get a treatment on Wednesday, and the doctor is now giving her fluids because she is not eating or drinking. They cut her hair off to keep her from pulling anymore out. She does not even look like herself to me, she is so aged and pitiful. The doctor said it could take a number of treatments before she sees improvement, and in reality, it could be that she does not improve. We certainly hope not. Thankfully she was sleeping some yesterday, although fitfully. The nurses are having to sit over her to keep her from coming out of the chair. I just don’t know how long a body can physically endure the type of situation that she is currently in. On another note, PaPa seems to be doing fairly well, and for that we are thankful. He doesn’t know any thing or any one, but he seems content. Every so often he will say something that makes you wonder if he is having a lucid moment. He still smiles on occasion, and that is worth so much. We are thankful for Cherry Hill and for the wonderful care they give. Having a place for PaPa that seems to be as good as it can be has made it easier.

Happy Birthday, Mandi and other thoughts

Today is Mandi’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Mandi! Mandi is such a special member of our family and we truly owe her a debt of gratitude for marrying Daniel! (Just kidding!!!!) Seriously, Mandi has made herself a member of this tribe and we truly love her. She is sweet, funny, caring, beautiful, and smart. I hope your birthday is a great one.
Jasmine celebrated her 18th birthday on Thursday. We enjoyed eating with her at Olive Garden. She is a beautiful, sweet, young woman. How time flies.
I lost 2.4 pounds this week. Not bad for an emotional week. Bobby’s passing has been hard on us. His funeral was truly appropriate and I think David just did an outstanding job delivering the funeral message. Daryl led the singing, and he did so well. It was almost like I saw him let the emotion come as he sang the last word. Bobby and Charlene had talked a few weeks ago about dying, etc. and Bobby had told her that he wanted Daryl to led the singing and David to speak. I know that was an honor to both of them as they both loved Bob deeply. He will be missed. Daniel made the statement that Bobby was the first member of the couples that we have been close to through time to pass. Bobby was just 60 and at this point in my life that seems so young to die. Please remember Charlene and the girls, as they truly adored and loved Bob and his passing will certainly leave a huge void in their day to day lives.
On other notes, MaMa was transferred to UAB yesterday afternoon. We are hopeful that at least we will be able to have some communication with a doctor now. I would not recommend the psychiatric part of Brookwood Hospital in my top 100 list. It has NOT been a good experience. How can a doctor continual tell you he is too busy to call, etc. The nurse said he did not usually talk to family until discharge. We find it hard to believe that he could possible have another patient in the condition that MaMa is in, which seems would warrant talking to the family. We were also not all that pleased with the nursing care. Please remember MaMa in your prayers. She is going days without sleeping, she is so tormented, yelling, thrashing, pulling her hair, and just pitiful. She has thrashed about until her arms are solid black (I guess other parts may be as well but her arms show), and we just don’t know how someone can physically continue to go without sleep without their heart giving out. It is a sad condition for someone so special.
David is continuing to deal with Medicaid, trying to get his powers in order to sell the house, etc. He has had a lot on him in dealing with the business end of the nursing home. It seems that it is something every day. I truly don’t know how unorganized people handle this process. My dining room table, bar, desk, all look like they are covered with Medicaid and nursing home business. Please pray for David- handling business of this nature is not on his top 5 list and the end is not yet in sight. I guess we would all be just as well off to be paupers.
Love to all!

The Weekend

This morning as I was getting ready for church, I begin to think about the events of the weekend. David and I went to Albertville on Friday night to spend some time with Charlene and the girls. They were, of course, surrounded by their family and were having all of their physical needs met. The table was full of food, ladies were in the kitchen cleaning any dish that became empty, and others were making certain that everyone had something to drink. Charlene has a lot of strength, but she is still so hurt. She told us, “Angels visited our home last night”. I begin to think about that this morning and I thought what a sweet way to look at death. I also thought about the old saying, “Here today, gone tomorrow” and I thought about how untrue that statement really is- it is really- “Here today, gone today”. Bobby and Charlene had eaten supper, watched television- just normal things even though he was not doing well. And then, about midnight, Bobby fell to the floor. Charlene got to him, and he was still responsive. She dialed 911- they got the call at 12:01 a.m. and arrived at 12:12 a.m. By the time they arrived, Bobby was no longer responding- they worked on him for almost an hour before given up on reviving him. Charlene and the girls told us that Bobby had preached on Sunday and had taught his Bible Class on Wednesday night, although he certainly was not able to do so. They said it had taken him 20 minutes to get into the building on Wednesday night, as he could only walk 10 steps without stopping. He was having to use oxygen to help with the breathing. After Bible Class they said he got sick, and it took about 45 minutes for him to get to the car. He even admitted that he should not have tried to go to church. What dedication and determination. Bobby was waiting to see a specialist, but because of their health insurance he was waiting on referrals, etc. He could not even see who he needed to see as that doctor was not on their list of “approved” physicians. They had finally got him an appointment with a pulmonary specialist but he could not see him until the end of February. There is something wrong with that picture. Charlene said she would really like to call their insurance company (Aetna) and give them a piece of her mind, as she felt that if Bobby could have seen the proper doctors they might have been able to start some type of medication or treatment. Of course it might not have made any difference, but if he had been seen at least they would have felt that everything that could be done was being done. They had also been held up by a doctor that had not forwarded their information to the other doctor. Charlene said she had tried to move mountains to get everyone coordinated so that Bobby could be seen by the proper doctor. I can imagine her frustration, as I have witnessed what David has been through in the past few weeks with his mother and trying to get her the help she needs. So, while we can’t second guess what has already happened, it is hard to see people have to go through so much because of “red tape”.
We went to see MaMa yesterday. I had not been since I had been sick, so I had not seen her. I have never seen anything more pitiful in my life. David seemed to think she might have been just a little better (quieter), but it that was better, oh me. She is just pitiful, pitiful. I have seen her bad, but never this bad. She was strapped in a chair, all slumped down, and had to be just the saddest looking thing I have ever seen. I pray she will pull out of this. I think she has been so bad that she has bothered some of the patients. One of the old ladies told me- “She want be quiet- she just keeps saying everything”- like she was telling on MaMa (this is the old lady that MaMa said scratched her, and we believe she probably did). I guess the old lady thought I could make MaMa be quiet. Mental illness has to be one of the worst things to watch. We have analyzed and tried for years to make sense of it, and the reality is that if it were something that she could help or fix, that she would. She can’t- and this time we are just praying that the treatments work and that she is able to regain some degree of “normalcy”. Please pray for her.
We will not be attending the lectureship this year. Since the funeral will not be until Tuesday, and with MaMa not doing well, we decided to cancel our reservations. Perhaps next year will be better.
I love you all-
Susan

Sad News

This morning our phone rang at about 4:00 a.m. I assumed it was either the hospital or the nursing home as we have become accustomed to those middle of the night calls. I could tell, once David answered the call, that it was someone else. As I stirred into consciousness I recognized the sweet, little, shaking voice on the other end of the phone as Janell Satterfield. She was calling to tell us that our dear wonderful friend, and her father, Bobby Joe Norris, had died at about midnight. Bobby had been having some heart problems and Janell had called earlier in the week to tell us that he was having problems. Our hearts are heavy. Bobby and Charlene and their family have been dear friends of David and myself since before we married. Bobby preached at the Hatt Church of Christ, and he also worked for some years as the full-time caretaker/director at Indian Creek Youth Camp. During those years we developed a friendship that has withstood the test of time, distance, and being busy. Although we did not see one another often, we talked on occasion and for certain we knew we were there for one another. For the past years Bobby has preached for the Alder Springs Church of Christ near Albertville. Bobby, Charlene, Christine, Janell, Jeannette, and Rachel have all been part of our lives. We have shared laughter and tears and our times together were always special. Bobby and Charlene were a true couple, and their love for each other was so evident. They enjoyed their time together, and much as David and myself, if they had the opportunity to go and do something, they wanted to be with one another. Bobby was a great lover of the truth, and he had dedicated his life to preaching, often at little “country” congregations that barely paid enough for a family of six to survive. I guess when I think about Bobby, I can’t help but to think about his little “sayings”, such as “Ignorance gone to seed”. Our loss is Heaven’s gain, but right now our hearts are heavy. We have lost a dear friend. David will help conduct the funeral on Monday. Arrangements are being made today. Please remember the family, and us, in your prayers.

Random Babling

Well, I have almost made my first day back at work. I thought earlier that I wouldn’t. As soon as I get home- I am going to bed. My staff has been very supportive- and have pretty much left me alone. I have accomplished several “desk tasks” so I have not been totally unproductive. I will tell you- this WP stuff has been rough. I have 0 energy at the moment. I am, as my Mother used to say- “Weak as water!” I hope tomorrow will bring me a better day.
On a happier note- I know I have been out a week, but today I have had several people comment on my weight loss. Okay- 28 pounds is not that much on me, but I can tell a difference and apparently so can about 5 or 6 of my co-workers. When people comment, it does help to motivate you to stay the course.
I am moving on. I guess I will try to give the BOE another hour or so of work.

Mental Illness- What a Nightmare!

Well, I think I am better. Not well- but better. I am still just so tired. It seems like every little thing wears me out. I am going to try to work tomorrow as I plan to be off for the FHU Lectureship the following week. I hate being sick. I am so tired of TV, and our Internet is so slow that it is only frustrating.
The weekend has been rough. We knew MaMa was on a “high”, but boy is she. David, Billy, and Mary are with her in the ER at Brookwood, trying to get her admitted. From what Mary called and told me, I can imagine the ER will be glad to see her go to a room. She is loud, and wild, among other things. How sad mental illness can be. This is a good, Godly woman, who would for the world not want to be like she is at this moment. She is quiet and unassuming- just the opposite of the mental illness that overtakes her at times. She has never wanted to draw attention to herself, and now she is doing just that. One of the blessings of her disease is that when she does improve, she does not remember the things that she had done. The nursing home called last night and then again this morning- they were at a loss as to what to do. They are limited in being able to restrain someone, but that is what she really needed. David has been in a nightmare trying to get her a bed somewhere where they do the treatments that she needs. Apparently there is no short supply of people needing beds on psychiatric units. Then, Mary said if they got her a bed it would probably be where someone would have to stay with her. We might be able to arrange that for a day or two, but sadly we all have to work. I have just been too sick to sit with anyone. Hopefully we can get her back with her doctor at UAB and get something done (the unit at UAB is closed because of a virus, the unit at Princeton is full, and now the unit at Brookwood is full.) My poor husband has a lot on him at the moment. He is dealing with the legalities of having both parents in the nursing home, trying to get the paperwork needed to sell the family home, and dealing with Medicaid on a daily basis. I know a little of what he is going through, but not to the extent. We should have handled some of this years ago, but no one thinks that things like this will happen. Pray for us and especially pray for MaMa.

The Walking Pneumonia or the Boogie Woogie Flu

Well, as you can tell by the time on this post, my walking pneumonia has me walking. I am still pretty sick. I got up and googled the disease, and while most sites say many patients will not be bed-ridden, I have been pretty much off my feet since Tuesday. I have no energy (common symptom), and the cough worsens at night (the cough syrup helped but was making me a zombie). The one symptom that I do not have is loss of appetite. Why do I never seem to have that problem?
I did not make it to WW last night, but I did my own weigh-in based on what I weighed when I came home last Thursday night, and I have lost 7 pounds this week. That puts my total at about 25. Let’s not get excited yet- although I am back in pants that I could not wear. David is doing well on his plan and I can already tell a great difference in his appearance. Kim said that Sally, Robin, and Brianna were at WW last night to join. It is helpful to have the troops all working on the “project”.
I am going to have to miss the survivor weekend, and I hate that. I have missed very few things during the years, but I know that I am in no shape to head to camp. I just pray that I get to go back to work on Monday as I have used 4 sick days this week, and I don’t want to use any more.
Keep me in your prayers. I know this is not something that serious, but I am really hoping to see the sun come out soon! I am not used to having anything that lasts more than a day or two, so I am an impatient patient. I just hope to get some energy back, as I am tired of dragging. Google said it might be a week from the start of antibiotics- I hope not, although I am on day 4.
I hope all my church family enjoys the weekend. Survive for me- I will return next year the Good Lord willing!!!

Tag

I was tagged by Kim :
The Rules: Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
-OR-
Share the 5 top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list.
-OR-
Share 5 things you never pictured being in your future when your were 25 years old.

I guess I will do random and/or weird, or maybe a combo:

1-
Random #1- I have never had a manicure or a pedicure (that might count as 2)
2-
Random # 2- I have never had a permanent
3-
Top 5 want to see- Greece- the Equator channel on HD has had the most wonderful documentary on areas of Greece that are not touristy- they are unreal!
4-
Top 5 never pictured- That I would have the family that I have today.
5-
Top 5 never pictured- That as a preacher’s family, we would be at the same congregation for (in July) 30 years! What a testimony to loving people and a husband who is extraordinary!

As a side note- I finally gave in and went to the doctor yesterday. As I have stated on the blog several times, I have had a bad cough since the week of Thanksgiving. I just have not been able to shake it. I would have better days, and then some days that were really bad. As most of you might remember, MaMa had walking pneumonia right before she went into the hospital at Thanksgiving- well, guess what I have- yep- Walking Pneumonia. It hit me Monday night in the Galleria big time. I had been okay most of the day, and I started coughing and honestly felt as if though I was going to hit the floor. I hope that I have not infected others, but as the doc said someone gave it to us. They do a blood test for WP and he said I had a good old case. I got a shot and medicine. I also got some cough syrup that would put an elephant to sleep, I believe. I am already better, and if I continue to improve, I plan to go back to work on Friday.
Also, I don’t know if I will get to go to WW tomorrow night, but I am going to try. I have lost about 23 pounds since I started my latest venture. I will be honest, if you have the fortitude to follow WW, you will not go hungry. You also get flex or as I say “cheat” points that come in handy for eating out, etc. So you can really have a splurge or two a week and if you follow the plan, you will still loose weight. Really, it is just sensible eating, but I am so not sensible about food! I have also discovered some neat little Swiss Rolls made by Mrs. Freshley (I believe that is the name- they are were the Little Debbie cakes are at Walmart but they are just $1.00 a box!) that have 200 calories for the 2 rolls and after you eat them you have your sweet tooth and chocolate tooth in check. Try them- they are really good. Let me know what you think if you do try them.

Prayers Needed

As an update to the post below- I got up and listened to the program this morning. Bubba and Speedy conducted the program. Bubba explained what happened-
Sherri was home with the boys (she had not gone to Tennessee with Rick). She put the boys in front of the TV to watch a movie, checked the doors, and went to take a shower. When she got out she realized that Bronner was missing and found an open door. She immediately went to the pool and apparently found him and got him out. She called the next door neighbor who is a doctor. The neighbor began to try CPR and worked on him until the emergency personnel arrived. They tried everything, but he apparently was already dead when Sherri got him out of the pool. They did not say if the pool was covered. This will be a hard thing for this family to deal with. The funeral is tomorrow and Rick is scheduled to speak. While I would never consider going, they have encouraged the listeners to attend.

I am feeling kind of sad today. When I got to church Josh asked me if I had heard that Rick Burgess’s youngest son had died. I was speechless. For those that do not know, Rick is part of the morning radio duo, Rick and Bubba. I have been a devoted listener for many years, even before they were so popular. Their local radio program is now syndicated nationwide, and they are heard in many states. Rick has 5 children, a daughter and 4 sons. The youngest, Cornbread, as Rick referred to him, was Bronner, age 2. Apparently Bronner drowned in the family swimming pool last night a little after 7. To my understanding, Rick and Sherri were in Gatlinburg (Rick was speaking at a religious conference for young people, I believe) and I was told that one of the grandmothers had the younger children at their own home. I feel so for this family, for Rick and Sherri, and for that grandmother. I can’t imagine the guilt that you would feel, even though this was a tragic accident. Young children can vanish in the flash of an eye, or the amount of time an adult could take a trip to the bathroom. While I don’t know these people, I very much feel that I do. What a tragedy. My heart aches for their loss. Remember them in your prayers- they will need them. Josh said he heard Rick talk to a caller this week that had lost a child and Rick stated that he knew that must be the hardest thing in the world to go through and he prayed he would never know that pain. There are no guarantees in this life. None of us come with a warranty, not even the young. Tragedies such as this should make us all want to give our children and grandchildren an extra hug.
Also, please remember Betty Garrison and David's mother, Betty, in your prayers. Betty Garrison has had a bad week and is still at Princeton. Betty Courington was not doing well today when we were there to visit. Her emotional state seems very unstable.

Snow and Weight Watchers

Well, while I did not wake up to a winter wonderland, it was fun to watch it snow for a short while this morning. Bandit, our beautiful, sweet, lovable, furry, border collie, was covered in snow, and perhaps the cutest thing I saw. I know Addi and Levi had fun and I have not received a Hannah report. Josh is in the woods hunting, so I hope this is his lucky day, as I need to re-stock the freezer!
I started Weight Watchers on Thursday. I think I will enjoy this group as they seem pretty low key. Funny thing, I went to WW over 20 years ago over in Fairfield, and the lady running the “weigh-in” was the same little old lady. I thought she was old then, but I guess that lets you know something about the way we look at age, because she was probably about the age I am now.
It seems kind of sad to pay a company to “motivate” you to eat right. You know, I have a great life. I have a wonderful God, a wonderful church, and a wonderful church family. I have a wonderful husband, the best kids, kid-in-laws (and their parents), and grandkids in the world. I love my sister, my brother, and their families. I love all of David’s family, and consider them my own. I have a great job, a wonderful principal that I work under (who loves to feed me, but is luckily on WW herself), co-workers that are like family, and I work with the greatest kids in the world. I have a second job that is amazing and has afforded me the opportunity to meet so many people and establish friendships through my position. And yet, despite all of this, the one thing I can’t seem to control is my weight. I had a happy childhood (for all the psyco-analysts out there), and suffered no abuse. I was accepted in school and seldom suffered much teasing. I do not eat a pound of bacon at a time- I do not raid the refrigerator at night (I seldom eat ANYTHING after the evening meal)- if I ate a half gallon of ice cream I would be sick, and yet this weight thing has been my lifelong battle. Now granted, I am not an exercise buff, and when I do eat I know I eat the wrong things and too much of it, but I am surrounded by skinny people who do the same thing. I have no health problems, my BP usually runs about 100/55 (yes, you read that right) and my cholesterol is 100 (yes, you read that right as well). So, why can’t I conquer this weight problem? I have lost a little over 20 pounds in the past month, and I feel really good. Why can’t the “good” feeling continue to rise over the “I want to eat” feeling?
Well, enough self-pity. I am off to walk on the treadmill. We dusted it off a few days ago and David has been walking (he is also back on the “program”). So, please pray for us as we once again try to take off the pounds and keep them off.

This and That

Well, we are a week into 2008 and it has been busy at the Courington’s house. We keep thinking we will have a let-up, but that has not been the case. I have tickets to the Pompeii exhibit (Thanks, Lisa!) and I can’t even find a date for us to go. I had thought we would go on MLK day, but they are not open on Monday.
David went hunting with Josh yesterday (according to David, the big one got away despite 2 fired shots), and I had to go get the food for today’s Bible Bowl. I also enjoyed the time out by checking out after Christmas bargains. Target has really had some great deals. We went to the Target on 280 Friday night and between Marty and Susan and us, we filled the back of the van. They had almost all of their Christmas toys on for 75% off the mark-down price. If I had been smart, I would have shopped for next year, but I only picked up a few odds and ends. They also had a dozen wash cloths marked down to 74 cents! I stocked up for me and the girls. I truly love bargains.
I haven’t blogged about my latest weight loss efforts, but I might as well. I decided prior to the holidays that I was not going to gain weight this Christmas, and I succeeded. I have actually lost about 18 pounds in the past few weeks. I had lost and was doing so well prior to the time that PaPa went to the nursing home and MaMa came to live with us. It seems like our world kind of took an upside down turn during those months, and it was very hard to concentrate on dieting. I gained back all but about 10 of the 50 I had lost. I planned to start WW last Thursday, but due to the weather I did not go (found out they met anyway). I am going to start this week. I need some accountability. I might get Paul to put me a weight loss ticker on my blog- you know, one of those that shows how many pounds you have lost- not how much you weigh!!!!!!!!!!! We have been enjoying watching some of the new weight loss programs like Biggest Looser, and the National Weight Loss Challenge. Thanks to our new DVR we can record and watch when we can. Also, thank to the new 47 inch High Def TV I can see how truly yuk fat looks on hd! Cellulite shows up very well when it is life-size!!!
I hope you all have a great week!

Happy New Year!

Well, I have been blessed to see the beginning of another new year. I pray that 2008 will be a great year. Every year is filled with ups and downs, we just pray that the “ups” outweigh the “downs”! We brought in the New Year at Kim and Paul’s house with the young adult class from church. They had plenty of food and fun and fellowship and we enjoyed being with them.
2007 was a busy year. We saw the arrival of Baby Lila (the best baby in the world) in October, so that was one of the definite highlights. Hannah celebrated her first birthday in August, and hit the floor running! Addi and Levi are growing and going. They are all smart and beautiful, and as David jokingly says, “Not an idiot in the bunch.” Being a grandparent has to be one of the greatest things in the world.
We pray that this year will see Mary get the “call” for her liver transplant. She is #6 on the list, and we learned from Lisa that #7 received his transplant during the holidays and is doing well. This is not a list that one wants to be on, but liver transplants have come a long way. People generally do very well. Mary’s particular disease has only had an effect on the liver, so her general health is good, which means she will have an advantage over someone that has other health problems. I anticipate that she will be the Queen of Liver Transplants!
We are looking forward to a busy winter and spring, and last night when we got in bed David began to run down a list of all the things on our docket, making me tired to think about it in one lump! We will handle it as it comes.
We are praying for each of you in this year of 2008. We cherish our family and friends and we feel of all men most blessed. Life is good.