Only one week? Really??

This has been one lonnnnnnnnng week.  I'm sure glad it's over.

Four deaths touched my life this week.  Two beautiful people that I knew, Audra's mama and an old family friend, Ron Woodard.  Miss Brenda died Saturday and Ron died early Thursday morning.  Sad, sad days.

And then Wednesday night, two little girls, sisters, from here were killed in an automobile accident.  Both were Warner Robins American Little League softball players.  All Stars in everybody's book.   

I'm struggling lately to balance life, work and school and the further I get into a quarter (they will be semesters in August), the more draggy-butt I get.  I actually made the lowest grade ever Tuesday night.  An 86.  'Bout KILLED me.  Thankfully, I'd had a 105 and a 101 so those six extra points turned my 86 into a 92.  Whew!  There are two weeks left in this quarter and I cannot wait.  I'm so ready for a break.

I'm taking some vacation time at the end of the month to recharge and get ready for spring quarter.  My spring quarter will only be four weeks long this time.  The class I need is a short one.  Yay! 

We're planning a trip to IKEA in Atlanta that I'm really, really, OHMYGOD looking forward to, my job interview at the base is the 29th and I'm going to spend the rest of the week sleeping, spring cleaning, sleeping, yard cleaning, sleeping, reading (I'm still trying to finish this book!  Sorry, Joshilyn!!  It's great, really, and I LOVE IT!!), watching movies, sleeping, planting flowers and sleeping.

I tired.

I just got slobber on my keyboard.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. 

While the dew is still on the roses

My sister-in-law, Audra's, mama passed away suddenly Saturday morning.  Her memorial service was today and I went with Mama and we met Ami and Brian at the church and sat together.  It was a very beautiful service, with song and memories, laughter and tears.  Miss Brenda was a wonderful woman, wife, mother and grandma.  She loved her Jesus, first and foremost, her husband of 47 years, her three girls, her six grandchildren (and number seven's on the way!), her family, her friends and her flower beds.  I loved the vision the girls gave of their mama working in her garden barefooted.  A day can't get much better than that in my opinion.

Miss Brenda was such a dedicated and loving Nana to my niece and nephew, my babies, Jessica and Christopher.  I remember birthdays that looked like Christmas morning and Christmas mornings that looked like Santa's workshop had exploded in the living room.  She was head over heels in love with her grandchildren.

In her memorial, there was this poem that I want to share here.  It makes me very happy to know that Miss Brenda is spending her beloved spring with Jesus and that she gets to see and smell and touch and love the flowers that He grows in heaven.

If this were my last day I'm almost sure
I'd spend it working in my garden.
I would dig about my little plants
and try to make them happy
so they would endure long after me.
Then I would hide secure
where my green arbor shades me from the sky,
and watch how bird and bee and butterfly
came hovering to every flowery lure.
Then, as I rested, perhaps a friend or two,
lovers of flowers would come,
and we would walk
about my little garden paths and talk
of peaceful times when all the world seemed true.
This may be my last day, for all I know;
What a temptation just to spend it so!
                            Anne Higginson Spicer

Brenda Faye Lester

March 21, 1946 - March 5, 2011

For Daddy

I remember Daddy's Tony Orlando and Dawn 8-track from waaaaaaay back in the day and this song was on it.  It was actually the B-side of "Knock Three Times" on the 45 version. It was released in 1970 when I was three but we listened to it for many years, for most of my childhood.  This song, "Home" reminds me so much of my daddy now.  How he worked hard every day and came home to us every night. We listened to it in the car and at home and I loved the song back then and sometimes I still catch myself singing it.  Funny how things from when you're little stay with you. I found this on YouTube and had to post it. And how awesome is that crackly vinyl sound? It's been a long time since I heard that!

It just reminds me of a very happy time with my daddy and mama and brother when we were very young. All four of us.

Peace Frog take three

I replaced the Peace Frog sticker on the back glass of my car today.  Again.  For the second time in as many years.  The ice that we got last month destroyed Peace Frog #2 and the snow we got in February 2010 laid waste to King Peace Frog The First. 

I think next time we have ice/snow or any combo of either, I'll try to protect it with plastic, a blanket, an electric heater, a high power silicon transistor, something.

I love the Peace Frogs.  I love having one on my car.  They have such sweet personality and I think they reflect mine as well.  With this cRaZy weather we keep having, it's a good thing I can get 'em for $3 on eBay any time I need to.

Long live King Peace Frog The Third!

My birthday boy

Today is Larry's birthday!!

Happy Birthday, baby!!  Words really can't begin to express what you and your love mean to me.  It's been nearly 23 years since we started this life together and I am SO happy that YOU have been and still are my partner through it all, the good and the bad, the bliss and the heartache.

You are an amazing husband and friend, father and Paw Paw.  I cannot imagine my life without you.  Wouldn't even try. 

I love you the best. 

Better than all the rest.

Indian Summer (The Doors)

Brusha, brusha, brusha

I found these at Kroger! 

Recyclable toothbrushes!!

They're made from recycled yogurt cups, are BPA free and come in a Business Reply Mail pack so after three months of use, you can send them back and they'll be recycled AGAIN to make plastic lumber for picnic tables and park benches.  Nothing wasted, everything gained.  I love that!!

Here's the link.  Check 'em out!!  Mine were on sale for $2.50 but I think they're normally around $3 each.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

 It's 76 degrees here this afternoon!!

Woo hoooo!!!

I got out and took a long walk around my neighborhood.

My neighborhood has a walking track and folks

 from all over Warner Robins come here to walk every day!

This is what the sky looks like!!

This is what green grass looks like!! 

Dogs like to walk here, too.  :)

There's also a wooded hiking trail you can walk and explore!

And this is what a new $132 tire looks like!!

Okay, so Tuesday before class, I was driving through the parking lot between Walgreens and Food Lion to get home and I heard something that made me think my tire was flat.  I stopped, got out, looked, pressed on all four of them and everything and they all seemed to be fine.  I went to class and afterwards, when I got back in the car, my tire pressure light was on.  Uh oh.  I checked again and still had tight tires so I didn't think much of it.  That tire pressure light has been on a lot with the drastic change in temperatures we've had lately (thanks, global warming!!).  Wednesday morning, still lookin' good so I went to work.  I was leaving for lunch Wednesday and I noticed my back passenger tire was low.  I pressed on it a-gain (read that like my buddy Forrest Gump says it!) and it still felt tight so I thought I could make it the three and a half miles to Houston Lake to Express to get it plugged.  Wrong!!  As soon as I got onto Houston Lake, I heard a POW! and the tire started making this horrible flapping noise.  She was a goner.  I pulled into Express with my broke little wing and had to replace the tire.  I had run over a nail.  It could have been plugged Tuesday.  For twenty bucks. Yeah.