I started this about 1000 words ago, and somehow lost what I'd written. Don't know what happened, but it disappeared. Anyway, I was telling how Doug went with me to a yard sale and I think I embarrassed him cause I told a guy that I didn't pay a dollar for yardsale paperbacks. And, it had already been read! Also about the good buys you can find at church sales if you get there early enough. I found 2 skirts for my friend, shirts and shorts for Coby and quilted purses and Gurley candles; all for a quarter each.

Sat. evening Bobby and Teresa invited me to their house for Mother's Day supper and Sunday I went to Linda's house for dinner that Leanna cooked all by her self. Both meals were delicious. And I even got doggy bags!

This was a Mother's Day for flowers. Emily brought me a pot of daisies that can be planted outside or repotted. Tami sent a humongous pot of mixed flowers.....petunias, begonias, verbena, geraniums and that lil green plant I wrote about earlier. I'm gonna put everything but the verbena in boxes and/or pots and plant the verbena outside. But I'm gonna enjoy it for a few days before I plant and repot. I might have to buy some more pots. I have to check and see what I have. Tami said she'd take the viney thing. She could put it on the bank behind her house and it would take over by next year. It's pretty, just really fast moving. Keister and Abby came by with a beautiful hibiscus and a pot to replant that in. I went ahead and repotted cause it was cloudy and I figured it would be a good day to do it.

Last year in the late spring or early summer, Fara sent me a topsy turvey tomato planter. Well, Bobby gave me three tomato plants Sat. and I remembered that I had that thing, so I got it and read the instructions. It sounded pretty simple so I got my dirt and put the 'mater plant in the fabric sleeve and anchored it with the soft plastic thingy and hung the planter up on a plant holder I had on my deck so I could fill it with dirt. I'm dipping the dirt out of the bag with a jar and all of a sudden the plant holder came out of the post and made a terrific noise falling. The tomato didn't break, tho, so I finished putting the dirt and fertilizer in it and got the big hook that you were supposed to hang it on and Chris, the guy next door, came over with his drill and put the hook in for me and hung the planter up under the deck. It's really neat looking and I can water it from the deck. I hope it won't attract the attention of kids who pass thru my yard sometimes. I'll let you know later how it does. And, speaking of tomatoes, I ordered a tomato tree that's supposed to get 8 feet tall and produce 2 pound tomatoes until frost. That ought to be some good eatin'.

Yesterday about 4:20, Susan called me from downtown and asked if I knew what was burning. Seems the Union St. bridge was closed and there was a lot of black smoke billowing.

At about the same time, the radio had a special announcement that the old long mill buildings were burning. They also announced that the bridge was closed to traffic and warned everybody to stay away from that area.

I went out to my deck and the sky was dark with smoke and it was really rolling up as far as I could see. I heard sirens that went on and on and a few minutes later they had pictures on the local TV station.

The buildings that were burning were the ones that were being demolished that the Historical Society were trying to save. The judge just last week turned down a plea that the buildings be saved. Said that he was afraid some kids would go into the buildings and get hurt.

The fire went on and on; they evacuated Short St., Farrar St. and Highland Ct. and closed off Henry Rd. and even with the rain we had last night, firemen stayed on all night putting out random fires that sprung up. The last I heard today was that both buildings had finally collapsed.

What I'm still wondering is if the mill building that we could see from Aunt Frances' house that had the date 1897 on the side is still there. I asked Doug today, but he couldn't remember. So I guess I'm gonna have to go down to the end of the street to see.

My deck garden is doing fine! I have strawberries in one earth box and beautiful lettuce in the other. I'm gonna pick enough lettuce to make me a salad tomorrow. My chives are blooming. They never have in the two years I've had them, but I figure that in order to reseed, they have to bloom sometime. And the dill is coming up! I also have a beautiful azalea in a pot on the deck that is in full bloom.

In the yard the hosta is thriving and Mr.Lincoln produced his first bloom this week. George is full of buds and Tami is trying to make buds.(These are all roses)

A couple of years ago, Teresa gave me a lil bunch of some kind of viney looking stuff and I stuck it beside the house where I have four o'clocks and petunias. This year it's so thick that it's taken over the whole side and moved out into the yard. I can't even find a four o'clock it's so thick. I think I'm gonna pull up about 9/10s of it so the other things will have a chance. My day lilies are coming up, but slowly. I don't really know when or how they are supposed to appear and to bloom, but they are trying. I've got a couple of empty planters out back and I hope to go to the Community Market this weekend and buy something to fill them. Oh, I also have a couple of empty ones out front, too. Maybe the plant lady will be there and I can get something pretty.

I don't know where to start! Doug has been in the musical Cabaret for the past two weekends. Sat. Tami and Hayley came up from Sanford to go to see it with Linda and her two girls. I was asked to go, but had already planned to go on Sunday with Cindy and my friend Margaret.

Well, they came back Sat. night bubbling over with excitement because Doug was so good in his role as emcee. They couldn't believe how good he could sing and dance! Tami had seen him in a comedy back in Feb., but she hadn't seen him in a musical. I had, so I sorta knew he would steal the show.

Sunday Cindy came up from Durham and in addition to us and Margaret, Emily and another friend from church went and we were lucky enough to get seats up close to the stage and we could see everything really good. He had so many costume changes I don't know how he did it. But he did, and it was a good show. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and so did the rest of our "theater party".

Cindy spent the night Sunday night and Doug and Emily came by and we ate popcorn and watched TV together. Hadn't done that in a long time. It was so nice.

Monday morning I was fixing breakfast for Coby and Cindy asked if I'd ever made a boiled omelet. I hadn't, so she told me how and I made her one and it turned out so nice that I made one for me. Here's how: heat a pan of water to a full, rolling boil. Beat your eggs in a bowl and add whatever you want....cheese, ham, mushrooms, etc. then pour the mixture into a zip lock baggie. Put in pot and boil for 10 minutes and then carefully (so you don't burn yourself), open baggie and empty onto plate. It slides out into a perfect omelet. And tastes good, too. It's really neat.

Well, maybe I didn't have as much as I thought. But it was so good to have Cindy here for part of the weekend. And to have Tami and Hayley here for a few hours along with Kerri after she got off work. It was a good weekend!

Rebecca and Tommy usually come on Friday evening after school and we get up and try to leave the house by 9:30AM for our trip to Charlottesville. However, the principal word is try. Only once until yesterday have we ever left the drive way by 9:30 and that time we had to make two trips back because the kids forgot something vital to the trip. CDs and gameboy!

This time Ginny brought them about 9:20 Sat. morning, already dressed, fed and with their trip essentials in bags ready to put in the car. We only had to wait for Rebecca to pee. So, we actually left at 9:30.

When we pulled out from under the carport, the first drops of rain hit us. From then on until we got just outside of Colleen, VA, the rain fell. And fell. And fell. It was pretty heavy at times and it also thundered and lightninged. But once it stopped, it cleared off and we had sunshine, blue skies and warm weather.

We got to the check-in desk at 12:20. Of course, there was a long line of folks waiting to get in and half of them weren't in the computer and there was only one lone female guard working and she had to check names in numerous big, green books and then had to give the visitors forms to fill out so they could be put into the computer. We finally got to the visiting area at 12:50 and Sharon was already there waiting for us.

We had carried $30 worth of change and Tommy and I went to the snack room to get Sharon some food that she doesn't ordinarily get. Tommy didn't feel good and that's why I went to help him. Usually he eats a bunch of junk, too, but all he got this time was a Mt. Dew. After we filled Sharon up, it was time for picture taking. She had bought tickets to get pictures taken and they took four without me and then insisted that I get in the last one. It was really terrible. I don't like to pose and I hate being taken unaware. It was a really bad picture. Not of them, just me.

We got to visit for 1 1/2 hours and then when we left, I let Rebecca drive from "the big house" to the second traffic light before Charlottesville.It's a nice two lane road, fairly straight and no other traffic. She's had her learner's permit since Dec. and she does real good. However, I took over when we started to get to the populated area. When we got to Charlottesville, we went to MacDonalds and met Sharon's friend Rose and she bought us lunch and had brought gifts for all of us. She was Sharon's roommate for a while, but got out the end of Feb. She was in there for threatening to kill her sister's husband who was beating up on her sister. She was real nice and the kids enjoyed talking to her. She even brought Tommy some old coins cause he and Chad are really into coin collecting these days.

After we got back on the road, we made pretty good time. Didn't see any hidden cops or state troopers and no accidents. Did see a lot of dead turkeys on the side of the road. It's turkey mating season until mid May and I think they all go to the road to "do it".

When we got back to town I had to stop at the grocery store cause Tommy wanted to cook supper for us, so we bought beef strips and he made beef stir fry. It was pretty tasty, too. We had to pick up Chad after the store stop and they played outside on the skate boards until dark. Then today they played on the skateboards and with humongous airplanes Ron bought for them. Tommy had to leave at 2 today because he had a Boy Scout meeting and just now when I went outside to wash bird poop and a million dead bugs off my car, Chad had taken all these parts of bikes he and Tommy had in the basement and had made a bike! It actually runs, but it had a loud squeak, but Chad said he could fix that. These boys are always building or taking apart something. Their project for when Tommy comes back in two weeks is to build a skateboard ramp. And Chris, the guy next door said he had some paint he'd give them. Unfortunately, the paint is PINK!

I haven't written in a while because I haven't had anything to write about. Still don't!

I think the cough from my flu is finally gone. And about time. I'm still catching up on my sleep from last weekend and wishing I had somebody to go to yardsales with. There are several inside and one advertised books and I really need some. I read the whole winter on books I bought last summer, but I'm down to my last one. Maybe I'll go by myself. It's not fun alone, but I'm desperate!

Now that it's April I was hoping for nice pretty days, but so far all we've had are dreary, rainy ones. One day this week it was kinda nice and I took a bunch of stuff to the dumpster and picked up trash that blows from No. Main down to my back yard. The city put up two nice wire baskets for trash on poles....one in front of my alley and the other on the other side of the street so folks that buy food and stuff at Quik Chek and eat it before they get home, will have a place to put their wrappers, bags and bones. But they ignore the trash containers and throw the stuff down and it all blows down on both sides of my house. The guys at the funeral home picks up the mess on the parking lot side, but I have to pick up all that ends up in my yard. With all the wind some of the bags end up hanging way up in the trees.

Wed. was Rachel's 16th B'day and her other grandparents invited me to the Japanese restaurant to help celebrate. Bobby and Teresa picked me up and Rachel's boyfriend's mother dropped them off. (They had been to the skate park).The food was so good. I wish I had some now. I brought a doggy box home and Emily ate it. It's so much fun to watch the guy cook it right where you're sitting. Also, he was a funny guy!

We had a storm tonight with thunder, lightning and heavy, blowing rain. I hope that means that Sat. will be sunny and pretty!What it probably means is that it will still be wet and miserable.

Last Sunday night when I got home from church, I felt a little scratchy in my throat, but figured it was just from talking too much. On Monday when Coby came he had a fever and a snotty nose and by the time I put him down for his nap I was ready to go down too.

As the day progressed, so did my symptons. But Coby was back on Tuesday and feeling worse, so his mom picked him up at 3 and took him to the doctor. She called and told me that he had the flu and that the doctor said I probably had it too. She stayed home with him Wednesday and his dad kept him Thursday. Good thing! I don't think I could have picked him up on either of those days. I had aches, pains, wheezing, coughing, no appetite, and a really runny nose. Douglas brought me two different kinds of Thera Flu that helped, but one of them was really awful tasting.

Sat. morning I showered and dressed and went to the postoffice and the store, but it was all I could do to get the bags of groceries up the steps to the kitchen. Needless to say, I rested the rest of the day.I did go to church this morning, but don't think I'm going tonight.

While I was so sick the only thing that sounded good on Thursday was hotdogs with onions. Susan brought me two and I ate every bite. Then Thursday evening and again on Friday, Danny sent me homemade stew. That was good, too. Today, tho, I decided I'd cook so I made turkey and dressing and potato salad. The p. salad is really good. Lots of onion in it! I even tried a potato salad foldover. Cindy knows about this! Yummy!!!!!!!!

This morning I had to go to Sears. Usually when I go out, it's later in the day and all the streets are filled with kids on bikes, scooters or skateboards. Today it was fairly early and as I went down Baugh St. all I could see were the empty houses that used to house the Pickrels, the Oakes, the Burnettes, Gardners, and yes, the Whitts.

Actually, the only one that was really empty was our old house. I slowed down and looked and it was so sad. The door hanging whopp sided on it's hinges and windows broken out, the roof sagging, trash every where. I could imagine how it used to be. The lawn nicely mowed and the edges trimmed, the bushes trimmed. Some kids sitting on the wall talking and waiting for somebody else to show up. Preferably in a car or pick up truck. Made me feel like I was getting old!

Then when I got down to Claiborne and Bellevue, I could see Geraldine's old house looking nothing how it used to look and Mrs. Shelton's house with it's formerly pristine yard and porch and that was a big mess, teeming with lil kids and animals.

When I got to Highland Court and Riverside Dr. I could see our old house where I was born and lived until I was twenty. It looked so clean and neat, the yard looked good and the siding was clean. I don't know if the renters keep it that nice or the owner, but it still looked good. Made me homesick, tho.

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote anything. We've had 70 degree days and 5 inches of snow......all in the same week.

Last Wed. night when I came out of church it was sleeting. When I got home Susan called. She was in Greensboro with Kerri and Chad and it was pouring down snow. By then, nothing was falling here. A little later the phone rang again and it was Brittany and she was so excited."G'ma, I was in a bookstore and I made some magic and it snowed. A lot of big flakes." I told her to make some more magic and make it snow here and she said she would if she could remember the magic. A little later I looked out and the snow was pouring down and blowing around looking like a blizzard. I watched it until about midnight and then I went to bed. The next morning schools were called off and some businesses were closed and some on delays. It was a beautiful Valentines day.

Sunday Cindy and Charlie drove up and stayed a while. We ate dinner and then Cindy, Douglas and I went to K Mart and to Marshalls. Cindy bought me a candle holder made out of rock salt. It's kinda orangy in color and when you put a tea light candle in it, it really glows and shimmers. It is a companion to a battery operated Glade candle that Fara sent me. That one glows and puffs out clean linen flavored air freshener. It's really nice to lie on the sofa and watch them do their lil shimmer and glow stuff.

Today was a holiday for a lot of people, but I had my baby boy because his mom and dad wanted to go to High Point and look for some bedroom furniture. They found some they liked and they said it was very reasonable compared to the stores here, BUT, it would cost $600 to get it delivered to their house. I think that sorta negates the savings.

Well, that's about it, except I forgot to say that Doug has a part time job at Buffalo Wild Wings and gets really good tips. He got $135 in tips Sat.and about $40 today. I told Tiffany I was gonna quit babysitting her baby and get me a job waitressing at Buffalo Wild Wings. Wish I was young enough......the tips are better than my pay and the hours aren't near as many!

I was talking with my friend Margaret the other day and we got on the subject of "the good ole days".

When I was a kid we played outside until dark and as long as we stayed within hollering distance of home, nobody checked on us or worried about us.

When I got older, my friends and I would walk to the North theater any evening to see the late movie and walk back home without being afraid of anything.The evenings we didn't go to the movies, we would go to Pettys Sweet Shop which was on Church Street. We would hang out there with our friends and when they closed, we would walk home. All the way to Highland Court. Still not afraid.

My friend Joyce and I would walk to the public library which was on the corner of Main and Holbrooke at that time. A long walk.......down the highway, across the bridge, all the way up Main St. thru town and then all the way up Main past all the big fancy houses until we got to the library. Then we would check out all the books we could carry and head back home.

Now days, the kids are driven every where or drive themselves. I would worry myself silly if any of them said they were walking to town or to the movie or even the library. And I don't even like for them to be dropped off at the mall. Too much meanness now. I feel bad sometimes when I think that kids today don't have the freedom we did way back when.

Today was a very good day. Got up early and showered and all that stuff that makes you smell good and hopefully look better.Got an early start and went to get gas, Old Dutch for their specials, bank, and Dollar General and Food Lion for their specials.

When I got home the girls were still sleeping so I made biscuits and cooked sausage. At noon Tommy got here and five minutes later Chad arrived.There was an old bike that had been laying in my yard for over a week and the boys took it to the basement and took it apart.They kept the parts they wanted and threw the rest out.

This afternoon Tami and Richard Vincent came (Kaitlyn had come last night) because they wanted to see Doug in his play "Bedside Manners". Linda and her two girls and my friend Margaret made up the rest of our "theatre party". It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. I laughed til I had tears running down my face. And probably bruises from Margaret elbowing me everytime something funny happened. I really think Doug was the star of the show. Tami went to the lady's room during intermission and she said all the ladies were talking about how good Doug was. He was and it was. In April he's gonna be in Cabaret. That ought to be equally good.

When we got home Kerri and Brittany were here and they and Tami opened their Christmas presents from each other. They all got good stuff. Brittany got one of those hover round helicopters that Cindy and I looked for Christmas Eve. Actually it was for Brittany and her dad. I still want one. Also, Kerri got Tami a battery operated candle that I really covet, altho the good book says not to covet what others have. She got Susan one for Christmas and it so pretty. Looks and smells like a real candle, but never burns up.

After everybody left, I straightened up a little and remembered that I hadn't had food since the sausage biscuit, so I made a turkey and salad sandwich. It was good!!!!!!!!!!!!! So now, I'm ready for bed. Tommy is spending the night with Chad and Emily left here with Carmela, my adopted philipino granddaughter. Good Night

On the 12th Tommy and I decided to go see his mom. Rebecca decided that she would stay home this time and take care of her cramps. With just one kid to get going, we actually left at 9:30 AM. After a stop at Citgo for gas and the bank, we were officially on the road.

There was practically no traffic on the road and we were in and out of Lynchburg at 11AM. We hit Charlottesville at noon and stopped for a bathroom break. Right across the street was a blimp way up in the air that said Ron Paul Revolution. Tommy had his camera and took several pics of it. My question: what is the guy from Texas who is making a run for president doing with a blimp in Virginia?

Fluvanna is in Troy, VA which is about 10 miles from Charlottesville and we got there before 12:30 and was actually in the visitor's area with Sharon by 12:40! Tommy got her food which she can't normally get.....popcorn, monster hamburger, chips and candy and Mt. Dew. We had a good, long visit, about 2 hours and then when we got back to Charlottesville, we stopped at Goodwill and Tommy bought a rocket that was supposed to go up 600 feet. Then we stopped at the MacDonalds next door and got the dollar food. Then we hit the road for home.

Unfortunately, there was a lot of traffic heading back, but we made pretty good time. We had to make one pit stop at what Tommy called a "redneck" store cause he suddenly got the urge.

After we got back to Danville, we stopped at Old Dutch to pick up some food for Sunday and then went on home.

All in all, we had a very good day. Sharon looked good and the pics of her and Tommy turned out real good.

I had a most pleasant phone call this evening after church. Tiffany called to tell me that she didn't have to work Monday and so I wouldn't have Coby. I had sorta thought that CIT would be closed because generally when the banks are closed, they are too. So, now I can sleep late and maybe even get the rest of my Christmas decorations put away. Actually, just my village which isn't all that Christmasy looking.

Yesterday the weather folks were calling for snow, maybe about 3 inches, and it actually did start. It was pretty and blowing, but after a few minutes it stopped and that was the end of our BIG snow storm. However, the temperature dropped down to about 10 degrees and then today the wind was blowing. Brr, it's cold here today and now "they" are calling for sleet or freezing rain on Tuesday.

Doug is in a play at the North this coming up weekend. It's called "Bedside Manners" and I've been helping him with his lines. It's a funny play and I can't wait to go see it.

I don't usually watch VH1 on TV, but I heard an interview with a woman from Danville who auditioned and out of the 25,000 who auditioned was one of 20 picked to try to be a love match with the lead singer of Poison. I think his name is Brett Michaels or something like that. Anyway, the one from here is named Peyton and so far, after 2 weeks, hasn't been eliminated. But those girls/women, are for the most part, so trashy looking and talking. All of them except one has humongous, surgically enhanced boobs and some have had their lips plumped up and nose jobs. I think they're making fools of themselves, but I guess some people will do anything for their moment of fame. I watch it for the laughs, cause it's really funny how they snipe at each other every chance they get.

I hope all yall had a good Christmas and that you'll have a happy new year. Stay sweet!

Since last May, I haven't been able to write in this journal. I'd been writing in one at ol1936/dairyland.com, but Cindy said she couldn't open it to read my entries. And Fara told me that I hadn't been writing in it either although I had. Maybe she couldn't get to it either.

Anyway, I'm gonna try this one again and see what happens.

I had a long weekend. No baby or Brittany on Friday, so I got to sleep late.

After I got up and had a leisurely cup of coffee and read the paper, I took a shower and dressed. Then I fixed bacon and tomato sandwiches for breakfast, washed up the dishes, did some laundry and straightened up a little.

I decided I'd go to the grocery store and pick up all the specials and run by the bank and sign some papers for the Wesleyan Women. Then I came home and kinda messed around the rest of the day. Actually, I finished one book and read another one. Then, my friend Margaret and I went to the North Theater to see the play, "Driving Miss Daisy". It was really good. I didn't have to pay because Douglas was stage manager and got a free ticket that he gave to me.

Sat. morning I got up bright and early and went to yard sales with Richard and Tommy. Got some good buys, too. A brand new pair of Sketchers for $2, a beautiful yellow blouse to go with my yardsale blazer from a couple of weeks ago, a wonderful pair of light weight dress pants (both of these items were $1 each) 16 books (25 cents) and a new Nordic ware bacon cooker for 50 cents. Also some odds and ends, but these were my best things.

Today I went to church and during the sermon, the preacher said that " church ought to be a place of comfort and a place to hear the word of God, not a place that tries to put you down or make you feel out of place". There was a little boy about 2 1/2 sitting a couple of rows ahead of me and he was listening intently (or appearing to) and when the preacher said that (above) I heard a little tiny "Amen" come out of his mouth. It was so sweet.

Voices of those I love are sweet to hear, of pleasing pattern and of soft design.

Because the words they say are for my ear, messages spoken from their hearts to mine.

Voices of those I love make melody-dear tunes, dear music, of the friendly word!

Sweeter and more beautiful to me than the summer singing of the mocking bird. Voices of those I love are warm as sun; and stream like sunshine straight into my heart.

They may to others seem but drab and dun-colored; to me by loves art. Perhaps the soul speaks to the ear. And mind to mind and heart to heart are drawn.

For in my inmost self I still can hear voices I love--long vanished and long gone.

I miss everyone so much, I would love a letter.

Sharon Robertson #281356

F.C.C.W.

P.O. Box 1000

Troy, VA 22974

I heard this twice today. Once a mention on Paul Harvey; just enough to make me want to hear more. Then Rush Limbaugh went into more detail.

Seems the rich and famous in Japan; movie stars, stage stars, just wealthy folks,etc., love white French poodles. And they are hard to come by and expensive. Like $3,200 each without papers.

Well, all of a sudden there were many offered for only $1,600 and many were sold. The way it sounded, by the same person or persons.

Then the stories started coming out about the poodles. One movie star went on a talk show and brought her poodle with her and after talking about it to the host, brought it out on stage. One rich lady took hers to the vet to see why it wouldn't bark or eat the dog food she'd bought for it. One person took hers to the doggy beauty shop to get it's nails trimmed and painted. And one rich guy took his poodle to the vet because he thought it was really sick because it ate the fabric off his sofa and started in on the carpet.

Well, guess what? The vet said it wouldn't bark or eat dog food because: ??? And the doggy beauty shop person got her clippers and polish and then refused to do the beauty treatment because;?? And the vet just down right had hysterics when the guy brought his fabric and carpet eating poodle in.

Guess What?? The poodles they had all gotten at such a discount were baby lambs!! Little white sheep!!! How dumb can you get?? Didn't they notice the Baaing?? Anyway, at least 2,000 were sold as poodles by some enterprising entrepreneur. Good trick!!

In all the years I've been reading Charley Reese, I've probably agreed with what he wrote three times. This is one of the times.

I predict that applications for admission to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, are going to increase considerably as a result of the television coverage of the shootings by a deranged student.

Paradoxically, the coverage of the tradegy revealed a university and a community at their very best. Administrators, faculty, students, police and medical people responded competently and heroically. The spirit shown by the students is outstanding. The more I watched the more I thought how great it would be to be part of the "Hokie Nation." If I were college age, I'd think seriously about attending that school.

Students and faculty facing the murderous gunman, though naturally frightened, acted heroically. One professor held the door against the gunman while his students escaped. Shots fired through the door killed him.

In two other classrooms, students themselves barred the door and kept the gunman out. In one of those cases, the students holding the door had already been shot.

Equally as impressive was that not one of the numerous interviews with students revealed any sniveling or self pity. The students uniformly showed compassion for their fellow students and faculty members. If they wept, it was for others.

They not only maintained their dignity in the face of the tragic murders of 32 people, but also in the face of an army of international media that descended on them.

And their overwhelming support and obvious affection for Virginis Tech is something I've never seen before.

These weren't sport fans; these were students who loved their school and what so many of them described as the Hokie spirit.

Virginia Tech has a beautiful campus, and the small town of Blacksburg is itself both beautiful and friendly.

The violence began at 7:15 a.m. on April 16. After a two hour gap during which the gunman was apparently holed up in his dormitory room, it resumed but was over by 10:15 a.m. when he committed suicide as police were closing in on him.

I don't know of a better recommendation for an administration. These folks were able to handle the mass murder and the influx of the media people, and arrange a convocation with the governor and the president in attendance the very next day. The logistics of such an event are staggering. At the same time, the student government arranged a candlelight vigil that was attended by thousands of students, faculty and townspeople. That reflects not only administrative competence but a spirit of community that all of us can envy.

The staffs of local hospitals, overwhelmed with volunteers, did a superb job of handling the wounded and won high praise from parents for their compassion and competence.

As for danger to students, we have to face the fact that insanity happens. Despite a lot of psychobabble about "warning signs," predicting human behavior is virtually impossible. Laws make it extremely difficult to commit someone involuntarily to a mental institution. Treatment for psychiatric disorders is itself problematic.

Much was made of the graphic violence in this boy's writings, but they were no more graphic and bizarre than the violence put on the screen by Quentin Tarantino and his ilk.

What happened at Virginia Tech could happen on any university campus or at any other place.It is rare, but it happens.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Virginia Tech to any of my loved ones. After all, if tradegy must occur, better that it occurs at a place where there is such a tremendous spirit of camaraderie and compassion to overcome its effects.

Unexpectedly, while watching mass murder occur, the Hokies made me proud to be an American. They showed themselves to be the kind of people you'd want around you in a bad situation.

Can't sleep so I thought I'd catch up a little. Of course, the reason why I can't sleep is because I fell asleep in my comfy recliner and slept from 9:30 til 12:45. I did see the Idol results, tho. Can't figure out why Gina got booted off and Hayley didn't.

I think babysitting at my age is starting to get to me. Now in the evenings when I sit down to watch TV, seems like my eyes just want to close. Maybe it's because I'm getting up a lot earlier and being on the move from 7:30 til 5:30. However, Coby is a pretty good boy, but he's getting so heavy that he might be toting me around soon!

My friend Tommy had two grandbabies born today. Both boys, born to two different daughters-in-law. One in Roanoke Community Hospital in the elevator, no less! How's that for a dramatic entrance into the world? Hope that doesn't interfere with yardsales Sat.

We've had such beautiful weather and now "they" say it's gonna get cold again and be cold for Easter. I could do without that. I have an azalea beside the house and one in a pot on the deck that are full of buds fixing to pop open and my strawberries in the earth boxes are blooming. A lil squirrel has been busy. I saw two strange looking shoots in one earth box and tried to pull up one of them and I found it was a black walnut that had sprouted and was well on the way to being a tree. I moved one of them, but left the other for now. Any body want a black walnut tree to put in their yard?

I read Lisa's blog about her cooking chicken enchildas (I think) and wanted to tell you about something I fixed. I saw a can of Margaret Holmes squash casserole at the grocery store and bought it. I'd never seen it before, but I got it; opened it and dumped it into a square dish and put the crushed up Ritz crackers with butter on top and it was pretty good. Next time, tho, I'm gonna add some sharp cheddar to the squash part. Maybe a tad of sour cream. You know, like you do broccoli casserole.

Well, seems I didn't have much to catch up on after all. Think I'll go to bed because 6:45 comes early. Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter in case I don't get back before then.

Yesterday, Friday, my friend Ava came by here and asked if Susan or I would go with her to Roman Eagle Nursing Home where she had been taking a CNA class so she could practice some of her stuff before she takes her state boards next week.

Well, Susan wouldn't go, so I did. She did volunteer to watch Coby while I went.

We got there and I had to lay in a hospital bed and she did some kind of arm and leg exercises on me.(I was an old lady not able to move)Then she put a belt like contraption around my body to help get me up so she could put me in a wheel chair. Then I had to lay back down and she took my pulse, did respirations and took my temperature. I also had to roll over, with her help, and she put me on the bed pan.(I kept my jeans on).

She was supposed to weigh me and clean my pretend dentures, but got side tracked by the teacher who was trying to sell her some Mary Kay perfume. After she checked my blood pressure, I got out of the bed and she put the one armed dummy back and made the bed around the "patient". Quite a fun filled hour!

Today was YARDSALE day. Tommy and Richard picked me up at 6:45 and we went to quite a few. Got some good stuff. I ended up with 2 big, really nice book shelves. Light colored wood, very heavy and new looking. Also, about 10 new books, a lighthouse welcome sign, 2 blazers for spring, various and sundry items for the kids and a girl baby doll, all wrinkled and anatomically correct. I can't wait to hear what Brittany says when she takes it's diaper off.

Cindy came this afternoon to go to the rugger roast and since we want to go see Doug's play tomorrow afternoon, I cooked tonight so we'll have time to eat before we go. I made macaroni salad and broccoli casserole except for the topping (I'll do that right before I cook it), and cooked the wings enough so all I have to do is add the hot sauce and stick them in the oven. I might cook some corn, but then again, I might not.

Today after church I got a phone call. My friend Faye had died at church. Seems she had gone to the rest room and when she didn't return, someone went looking for her and found her on the floor. An ambulance was called, but she was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

I wonder if she had a premonition? Talking to people close to her I found that she had called a friend and together they had written her obituary. It was found on her table when her daughter went to her apartment this morning after church. Also, her usual Sunday morning routine was a quick talk to Richard before church. This morning it lasted longer than usual. Also, she usually went to church then went by the nursing home to see her sister. This morning she went to see her sister before church. She called me last night for a chat while she was running her bath water. She said she felt fine when I asked her. Said her leg got tired faster now that she was getting old. She told me to tell a friend at our church that she said "hey".

I think I've known Faye about all my life. I remember when I was just a lil kid before I started to school, she would come with her mother to visit the lady who lived across the street from us. She'd had polio long before a vaccine was even a gleam in Salk's eye and she wore a brace on her leg. Her mom would pull her over to Pickett St. in a red wagon. At that time she lived on Farrar St. and the highway hadn't been built yet, so in order to get from Farrar to Pickett you had to go over the whee bump and up Henry to Pickett.(Now Highland Ct.)

Once she came over with her mom and her friend's daughter and I were playing in a pile of sand and Faye's mom told her not to get in it because it would get in her brace and irritate her leg. Needless to say, as soon as her mom got out of sight, Faye was in the sand pile pouring sand all over herself.I really envied her her brace. I thought it was really a good accessory to have.

Faye was a beautiful child and young woman. She had thick dark hair and beautiful skin and eyes that were always laughing. Add to that a beautiful singing voice and a wonderful personality and you had Faye.

I know that she will be greatly missed here by her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. But just remember, now she has that perfect leg with no aches and pains and I can just see her skipping down that street of gold beside the crystal sea.

Goodbye, dear friend. Talk to you later.

Well, where do I start? Seems like it's been so long. I was getting some stuff up for the yard sale our church is having this Sat. and found a pair of opera glasses with a neck cord. Since Brittany loves the good ones that belonged to Boots, I gave her the ones I found. She was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at me thru them, first the big end, then the little end. Then she turned them back around to the correct way, and said "I really like looking at you thru this end, G'ma. I can see all your wrinkles real good."

Baby Coby is thriving! He's got 2 teeth since I started babysitting him and has probably gained 7 or 8 pounds. He looks like a lil boy now instead of a baby. He can sit up and can get up on his knees and go backwards. He can also quack! He looks so surprised when he does it. Like, WHAT is that?

Tomorrow at church we're having a pancake breakfast and a yardsale. I guess I need to get to bed cause I have to get up early and get there by 7AM. It's supposed to start at 8, so we have an hour to get cooking.

Today in 4th grade, all the kids had to write a poem. Here's Chad's poem: After I play all afternoon,

I like to look at the moon.

Some craters look like alligators

. The moon is like a big glowing cheese

I hope a mouse doesn't eat it, please

The moon shines bright like a traffic light,

It gleams and glows at night.

Seems like since I started babysitting a six month old, I haven't had as much time as I did when I had a 3, 4, and 5 year old. Wonder why?

Last Sat. was fairly warm and there were 4 or 5 yardsales, so we went. I really like going with Tommy S. cause everytime I pick up something I think I want to buy, if he's found something, he'll just take mine and pay for it too. We found some pretty good things Sat. I got little Tommy 2 pairs of nice jeans for 50 cents each. Then big Tommy bought lil Tommy and Chad 3 games you plug into the TV to play and Brittany a three wheel scooter so she'd have one at home and one at my house.

After yardsales, I ran to the grocery store and then in the afternoon, Tami and Kaitlyn came up and we finally got to exchange Christmas presents. We went to Kerri's for a while and then I came on back home so Tami could have some private time with her daughter.

Emily spent the night with Rebecca and they went to church. Not Sunday School, church. Which leads me to the story I'm going to relate.

There's a man in our merged church who has been a widower for about 4 years. I think he's asked every single, divorced or widowed lady in church to go with him to the mountains. So far, no takers! Anyway, I think I wrote about him hugging me at our class Christmas breakfast and I definitely didn't like it. Too close for comfort!! Anyway, Sunday morning I was standing at my pew waiting to help Mildred Moorefield up (it takes me and her daughter to get her up off the pew) and Rebecca walked up. Morris (the above mentioned man) was standing there having shook Mildred's hand and Rebecca leaned over and said something in Morris's ear. On the way to the parking lot I asked her what she'd said and she said, very casually, "Oh, I just told Morris that you really wanted him to hug you". Well, I gave her "down in the country" for that.

I noticed he kept on looking at me Sunday night and grinning, but I didn't really pay that much attention to him. Then early Monday morning the phone rang and it was Morris. He just wanted to ask me if what Rebecca had told him was true. I told him absolutely not! That I didn't like to be hugged and I wasn't a hugger. Actually, I really do like hugs and hugging, just not him. His body gets waaay to close to mine when he hugs and once was enough!

Yesterday morning I sorta slept late...8AM and so missed the call from Tommy and Richard about going to the only yardsale. But when I checked the caller ID and called him back, I was invited to go out grocery shopping and to Wal Mart.

Before we went to WalMart we went to DAV and I found two nice skirts and a pair of dress pants that actually fit and Tommy bought them for me. Then we went to West Main Goodwill and Tommy found him some jeans and bought me a beautiful blue fleece jacket. It's fun going shopping with him!!!

Going down the road Tommy looked at a red pick up truck that passed us and said, "Look, there goes a boy truck". Wondering what he meant, I looked and hanging on the trailer hitch was a pair of balls, nuts, scrotum or whatever you want to call a man's private parts. Bigger than life size, but truly identifiable.

We sorta pulled up along side so we could see the driver and it was an OLD man, just laughing like he'd made the biggest joke ever. Kinda sick!!!

Saturday evening I did something I'd never done before. My friend Margaret and I and a few more folks from church went to the barn and dinner theater in Greensboro. We had reservations which were made early in January because the play being performed, "Smoke on the Mountain", is so popular.

We left the church at 5PM because the doors open at 6 and the food starts being served shortly thereafter. There was a huge line and once we got inside, there was a slight wait. But thanks to Elgin, our tables were reserved and we were seated pretty fast.

Once we were seated and our drinks brought to the table we were free to go thru the buffet line. WOW! Such a lot of and large variety of food. They had prime rib which really was beautiful, baked halibut, and baked ham for the meats. In addition there was chicken casserole and seafood salad and every veggie you could name from fried okra to corn on the cob. Also a big salad bar, a dessert bar and wonderful bread. Only thing. In places like this you never get a plate big enough. They really ought to have divided trays like they do at school! Then you could get enough in one trip to do you.

After the eating was over, about 7:30, the servers removed all the food and the thingys that kept it hot and the stage came down from the ceiling. Then the play started. It was hilarious.

A southern gospel group called the Sanders family was going to sing at a Baptist church in Mt. Pleasant, NC where gherkin pickles are made. I can't tell you about it, you just have to see it to appreciate it. It was so true to life and the daughter who came out and announced that, "I don't sang, I sign" stole the show. I just wish that all of you could see it and if you ever get the chance, don't hesitate to go. You'll be glad you did!

I'm up late because I was so tired and sleepy when I sat down to watch Desperate Housewives, that I went to sleep after the first lil segment and slept in the recliner until 12:45.

I guess the reason I collapsed was lack of sleep on Friday and Sat. nights. Tommy and Rebecca were here this weekend and Emily and Chad spent the night, so they were up very late Friday night. I think I got to bed at 5AM Sat. morning. It was a little better Sat. night, but not much.

In addition to Tommy and Rebecca, I was very pleasantly surprised Friday morning by a knock at my door and there stood Cindy and her beagle, Charlie. She had decided on the spur of the moment to come for a visit. Charlie is such a nice house guest. All you have to do for him is take him out for a walk every now and then, and with all the kids here, he didn't lack for walking partners. I even took him out once Sat. morning while every one else slept. He staked out a place under the kitchen table and when he wasn't sneaking the cat's food, that's where he was.

I cooked dinner and thought I'd have a bunch of hungry people, but Cindy ate a late breakfast/brunch and decided to leave before dinner and Tommy and Chad ate a late breakfast, but did eat the veggies and Tommy tried the roast pork. Rebecca and Emily ate at BoJangles, but went running on the trail so they were sorta hungry. Emily's friend, Carmela came with them and she ate a little.

I've been thinking about it all evening and think I'll quit cooking dinner on Sunday and just go out to eat with my friend Margaret after church. She invites me every Sunday, but I've never been cause I'm always cooking. Only thing about not cooking is that you don't have leftovers for Monday.Oh, well, maybe I'll just do soup and/or sandwiches from now on. I'm tired of cooking anyway!

Next Sat. evening I'm going to Greensboro to the dinner barn theater to see Smoke on the Mountain. A group of us from church are going and it ought to be fun. Everybody says that play is really good. I've never been before, but there's LOTS of places and things I've never done before. Maybe I'll start being a gadabout!

I haven't written in so long, I think I've forgotten how. Where to start?

Last week I got a phone call from Todd, Anna's dad. (I babysat Anna for 5 years) He asked if I might be interested in babysitting the baby of a girl who worked with him. I told him I might, so he gave her my number and she called, we talked, and then she came by and brought the baby to meet me.

So, last Monday was the first day that I baby sat little Coby. He's five months old and looks a little like Rachel did when she was his age. I think it's his eye brows and the shape of his face and the way he laughs. Brittany is crazy about him. All day Monday whenever anybody would come in she would explain to them that G'ma was watching a baby..."a real baby and he's a boy"! She helps with him a lot and says she wants a baby brother.

He's a pretty good boy. Once he got used to my house he started taking his naps regularly. He loves his bottle and empties it every time. He doesn't miss a drop!

All day Wed. the weather people kept telling us that we would have snow and ice on Thursday. Well, I got up Thursday and nothing was happening, so we waited and waited. Brittany had brought her snow boots and gloves and hat and scarf and was anxious to go out to play in the snow. Finally, about 10AM it started snowing a little and about an hour later it started sticking a little. Next thing we know, it had quit. So Brittany put her clothes and boots on and went out on the deck where a little snow had piled up on the chairs. She played until she got cold and then came in and we dried her clothes. Today we went on the deck to feed the birds and Chris, next door, had his dog out and Brittany opened the toy grill and got her snow ball out and threw it at Chris.

Well, don't know any thing, so I'll stop and if I find any good buys at the two yardsales tomorrow, I'll let you know.

Tommy and Rebecca were here this past weekend and stayed until Monday because of Martin Luther King day.

Last time Tommy was here he bought a BB pistol and Chad already had a BB gun so I took them to Linda's to shoot. When we got home we just left them locked in the trunk of my car.

They decided they wanted to shoot some on Monday, so I made a target in the basement and they went to the car to get the guns. Evidently they forgot the ammo on the first trip so they had to get my keys and go back to the car for a second time.

Later that afternoon, I asked where they had put my car keys. I was told they were in the basement on the counter next to the radio. Not there!

For the rest of the afternoon we searched for the elusive car keys. When Ginny got here about 4:30 to pick them up, we still hadn't found my keys.

When Kerri came to get Brittany I asked her if her Chad had a key to my car. He did and she brought it the next morning. In the meantime, I had gone back over the entire house and basement and even searched the yard where I had sat while Brittany played.

Anyway, as soon as I put my clothes on Tuesday morning, I went out to my car, opened the trunk, and there lying on some clothes was my car key. I was so glad to find them! I don't like to lose something.

I was supposed to take Tommy and Rebecca back to Stoneville on Monday, but it was raining so hard and there was a flood watch, so I called Ginny and asked if I could bring them back today.

This morning I thought the roads were ok, so we left about 1PM. About halfway there, just about where the 9 mile sign to Eden is, there was a blockade and a sign saying road closed. However, the truck in front of me went around the barricade, so I did, too. When we got to the bridge, the truck stopped and the driver got out and looked at all the water covering the bridge and I just sat and waited. A monster truck came up and the driver said something to him and the big truck went on thru the water.Then the pick up sorta eased thru and then I did. The rest of the way the road was fine.

Coming back I followed a car from Danville until we got to the sign at the sharp turn on 700 that said 'Road Closed'. That car slowed and turned off, but I went on and when I got to the bridge, the water was mostly gone off the bridge.A little way down the road, a car going toward Eden stopped and motioned for me to stop and he asked how the bridge was. I told him that it was better than 2 hours earlier, so he went on.

Brittany and I got home about 4 and she had to eat again and then we played checkers and watched TV until her mom came. After we got all the way to Riverside Drive, she said "G'ma, all that water almost made me a little nervous, but it was OK."

I really needed to close out 2006, but was just too sleepy last night, So now I'll just catch up, maybe.

I had my annual Christmas breakfast for my Sunday School class on the 23rd. Needless to say, that involved cleaning, decorating the house and a lot of cooking. As usual, when I try to cook using the coffee maker, the crock pot and my toaster oven; the breaker trips and I end up having to reset that over and over because I couldn't figure out what was doing it. Usually I can't use the hot shot and any other appliance, but I wasn't using that or the microwave. Don't know what's up with my wiring. Anyway, everything finally got ready and it was all eaten, so I guess it was OK. But, on Sunday when Cindy came she looked up at the light fixture in the dining room and remarked that she liked my decorations. I had done everything but dust the cobwebs off that.

Christmas Eve I went to church and then came home and started my cooking for The Day. Cindy helped me finish my gift wrapping sorta early (for me) and so I had a slow peaceful evening.

Next day I got everything ready because usually somebody shows up before it's all ready, but this time the oyster stew, potato soup and vegetable soup was all ready, the meat tray and bread was ready, drinks in place and nobody had showed up. So I ate some stew and finally the Adams family showed and after that the rest kinda trickled in and everybody ate. Tommy and Rebecca got here and opened their gifts and Sarah and Chad came down and the kids played the rest of the evening.

Tommy and Chad have alternated spending nights here and at Chad's house and on Tuesday, Rebecca's friend Jessica came up and stayed until Friday evening. All in all, a fun time!

Today we went to church and then back again tonight and after services we went to a church friend's house for a little party. Good food!! Tonight Tommy was at Chad's, so Rebecca and I had our own lil New Year's party. Sparkling grape juice and chips! And watched the ball drop.

Now it's raining cats and dogs and is supposed to all day Monday. I'm supposed to take the kids back, but think I'll call Ginny and put it off until Tuesday cause they don't have to go back to school until Thursday and I REALLY don't like driving the Berry Hill road in all that rain. Especially since a lot of the low lying parts flood in heavy rain.

So, to you all: I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I wish for each of you a most joyous and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, where to start? I went to Bobby's house last Sat. night, the 9th, for a Christmas get together.Everything was decorated so beautifully, inside and out. The table was full of food and the kitchen also had hot food. Everything was delicious, but the cutest thing was a cheese ball made to look like a snowman. He had round crackers stacked on his head to look like a top hat, pretzel arms and the tip end of a carrot for a nose. Much too cute to eat!

Bobby and Teresa have a lil black poodle named.....guess what? Blackie!! He was in and out prancing around on his hind feet begging for scraps. Finally, Bobby picked up a piece of cracker and said, "Play the piano, Blackie". The doggy hopped up on the piano bench, but immediately hopped back down. Bobby showed him the cracker and told him to play the piano again. This time Blackie hopped up on the bench and hit the keys 3 or 4 times with his paw and then hopped down and looked expectantly at Bobby as if to say, "There, I've done my part. Where's the cracker"? He was so cute!!!!!!

Last Friday night, Richard had his Christmas gathering. He has about 20 trees up in his house, including one in the bathroom decorated with old clip on earrings. Some rooms had more than one tree, but all were beautiful. He, too, had quite a spread. All kinds of food, cake and candy.

Saturday night was the church Christmas dinner at the fellowship hall of the church. Margaret and I along with a few others are the fellowship committee, so we decided to go early and take some decorations. When we got there the door was locked and we had to call the preacher and he in turn called a man who lives near the church and he came over to let us in. Good thing, too. The tables hadn't been put up so we drug them out and set them up and decorated them to look Christmasy. Got through just in time for the first arrivals.

The preacher had announced every time it was mentioned that the church would supply the meat and drinks and we all had to bring covered dishes. Well, when he came in, I didn't see any drinks so I asked him about them and he said."I said the church would provide them. I didn't say I was going to get them. Same for the meat. A nice man in our church did go get drinks, but we had a vegetable Christmas dinner. Oh, well. Everybody had fun anyway.

Sunday evening the three northside presbyterian churches had a Christmas cantata and Margaret and I went to that. The church looked so pretty and the singing was great. Then they invited us to the reception following the singing and we got to eat again. Now I know why people put on extra pounds at Christmas time. That food is just too inviting!

Today I had a visit from Fara, my niece, and her friend, Mrs. Mother. Actually, her name is Bea and she is a fascinating lady. Her parents immigrated from Germany in '38 when she was a young child and she grew up in New York City.I would like to spend at least a whole day listening to her talk about growing up in New York.

Fara had asked last week if Tuesday would be a good day to visit and go out to lunch, and it was, so we did. We went to eat at Burners which is sorta like a small town version of Cracker Barrel. It's a fairly new restaurant here and I'd never been before(I don't go out to eat often), but the food, especially the cornbread, was good. Also, it wasn't crowded so no long wait for a table.

After we got back to my house I made coffee, which was soooooooooo bitter. The packet said one pack makes 8 to 10 cups. Well, I used a little over 1/2 a pack and put in 9 cups of water, but it was still bitter. Next time I'll use 1/4 of a pack with 10 cups water and it ought to be perfect.

When they got here and I was introduced to Bea, Fara started bringing in stuff. Mostly food kind of stuff. The kind from Ukrops....already cooked. Just ready for reheating in the microwave. Most of the containers fed four and she got doubles of some that were "hits" last time. I didn't really get a good look at them until after they left this afternoon and when I did, I decided that somebody was gonna have to help me eat some of it. So, I invited Richard and his friend Tommy. I also fixed plates for Kerri and Chad. It was so good and we did a pretty good job of finishing off most of it. I still have some left I didn't reheat. That's for Wed. and Thursday.>

In addition to that food, she brought flavored peanut butter from The Peasnut Company which is out of this world. Also jars of snacky stuff and a planter of beautiful yellow and purple pansies. Speaking of which, I've never had pansies in my life. I had some violas which look like a tiny pansy, but these are my first pansies. I hope I don't kill them with kindness as I'm prone to do with some flowers.

I'm hoping that when they come back, and they're supposed to when the days are longer, that everybody who missed seeing them will be able to. Richard and Kerri were particularly sorry they didn't get to see Fara, so I hope next time they can stay longer. Keister did come over and they reminisced about the day Elvis died and going to Roses in Portsmouth to buy his latest album "Moody Blue".

Haven't written in a while, so I'll try to catch up. Thanksgiving was a memorable day........Cindy and Charlie came up, Ashley and her friend Kristin and Kristin's dog, Nismo were also here. Rebecca and Tommy had come on Monday before T. day. Richard and Tommy S. came by and Bobby, Teresa and Rachel came to eat. Oh, Tommy's son Joey and his wife and little boy also came by. All in all, a good crowd.

Our annual Christmas bazaar at the Community Market was the Sat. before Thanksgiving. Our church always has a table and we sell stuff......mostly food. Since we merged it seems as if we would have more participants and more stuff, but that didn't happen. The same five did most of the cooking and provided the stuff to be sold. I spent the Friday before cooking....fried pies, cake, truffles, chicken salad, pimiento cheese, biscuits, and potato soup. Margaret did the same, only ham and sausage biscuits, regular pies, cake,and vegetable soup. A couple of other ladies brought candied apples, loaves of bread and oatmeal cookies. We sold everything long before closing time and could have sold a lot more. All in all, a good day.

I had some apples left, so today I decided to make some more pies for the funeral home since I didn't have time to make their pies before. I made about 36/37 in all and Ryland at the funeral home bought most of them. Bobby assured me tonight that if I wanted to make some money for Christmas that Tim, the hair person would sell all I could make in his shop. Unfortunately, or fortunately (depending on how you look at it)I'm all out of apples and sweet potatoes.

The other day I picked up Sarah at school because Susan was in class and she was in the backseat with Brittany. She was telling me that black girls were racist, too and explained that in gym she accidently brushed against the water fountain, although she didn't actually touch the part the water comes out. The black girl said she'd never drink out of that fountain again. Before I could say anything, Brittany said,"Sawah, why didn't you kick her in de balls?" Sarah calmly replied, "Brittany, girls don't have balls."

One other thing.......what's with the price of gas these days? Last Monday it was $1.99 a gallon, Wed, it was $2.14. And it's still going up. I don't think it's any thing to do with international stuff. I just think the gas companies are racking up.

Today was the annual Christmas Bazaar at the Community Market. Seems it gets earlier every year. When it first started a few years ago, it was actually in December and table rental was $15. Now it's before Thanksgiving and table rental is $35.

Our Wesleyan Women always rent a table and we cook stuff and try to make money to support our mission projects, which now include, in addition to foreign missions; Salvation Army, Lifesaving crew, Doves, Homeless shelter, and Little Life.

We were doing this before we merged and you would think that since we merged, we would have more participants. Sad to say, except for a couple of ladies, the former Emmanuel ladies still do all the work.

Today started out pretty cool, so we thought we'd do well with soup to go with our other stuff. I made potato soup and Margaret made vegetable soup. We also had fried pies, cakes, pies, truffles, candy apples, bread, ham, sausage and cheese biscuits. We also had sausage gravy and biscuits. I'm glad to report that every bit of food was sold and if we'd had more soup, fried pies and ham biscuits, we could have sold a lot more. But it's really hard to cook and cook and then get it all to the market along with crock pots to keep stuff hot.

It was supposed to start at 8AM and we got there to set up at 7:30. All the regulars were already there and ready to go. I sold the cake I made before I even got the table ready for the food. Richard and Tommy came by here and helped me load the car and then went to the market and helped to unload me and then when Margaret came they helped her unload.

One funny thing, this nice looking young man came by and looked at the sausage gravy and biscuits and really wanted some. He told me that his wife had him on a strict diet and if he ate one bowl, he'd want some more. I assured him that I wouldn't sell him but one bowl. He thought it over and said he'd come back later and have some potato soup. However, when he came back all the soup was gone. Later at the grocery store I saw him again and he recognized me and I helped him pick out some rolls for his wife. He was having a problem finding what his wife called "finger rolls". I showed him the tiny rolls that would work, so he was happy.

Well, I'm going to play bookworm or spores for a few minutes and then go to bed. Good Night...........

Kelly, Sharon's friend from way back....about 6th grade...called the other day and wanted to know when I was taking the kids to see their mom. I told her Sunday, the 12th and she wanted to know if she could go and if so, she'd drive. I said OK, but I would help pay for the gas.

She called me late Sat. evening and said that Alex, her husband, wanted to go too. But, she said she didn't really want him to go so she'd try to talk him out of it. No such luck. When she got here Sunday morning, he was driving.

However, once the kids got acquainted with him, they really had a good time and enjoyed his corny jokes. And, he also liked to stop in every town to try their drink machines and buy lottery tickets. He won on about every scratch ticket he bought. And on the way home when we stopped to eat, he gave them the remains of his bag of quarters to put in those machines they have everywhere. You know, the kinds that have balls and other junk stuff.

Sharon looked real pretty. Her hair has really grown from the short layered "do" she had in the spring. Now it's touching her shoulders. She had bought picture tickets, so they had two pics made. One with her, Kelly, Rebecca and Tommy and one with her, Kelly and Alex. I stayed at the table to watch our drinks. I really don't like getting my picture made....there or anywhere else.

The other times we went on Sunday, there wasn't much traffic on the road, but yesterday there was a lot. And it rained all the way up and about halfway back. One funny thing. When we got there, Alex was gonna stay in the car and wait and I told him he could go in, too. So he filled out his paper and somewhere on there, it asks if you've ever been arrested and why. So, he says yes and explains that when he was 16 or 17, he and a bunch of other boys were throwing rocks at a passing train and got caught. They were all arrested and had to pay fines and Alex said, "And my rock didn't even hit the train!" Anyway, the governor pardoned the whole bunch of them in '81, so it's not on his record anymore. The nice man who took care of us last time let him go on in; taking his word that he had been pardoned.

We stopped in Altavista at a KFC to eat supper cause while we bought food for Sharon...hot, spicy chicken sandwich, pork skins, Milky Way bars, we only had a drink, so we were hungry after an hour on the road. They have machines and a microwave in a lil room off the visiting area and they have all kinds of goodies that the inmates don't get except at visiting time. So we try to take enough change...silver only...no bills or pennies, so we can feed her all the "good" stuff she doesn't normally have. Tommy is real good at picking out food and nuking it for his mama.

Well, that's the trip; we had fun!

Kerri said that last night Chad was out helping a friend put a railing on his porch and she and Brittany were at home watching TV in the bedroom. Kerri had to go to another room for a minute and while she was there the phone rang and it was Chad. He asked who was on messing with his police radio/scanner. She said nobody was, but he insisted that someone was because the police station had called his cell phone and asked if everything was alright. She tried to tell him again that nobody was on it when all of a sudden he said listen and this little voice came thru "Tell that policeman that I want to talk to my daddy." Seems like Brittany was learning how to be a dispatcher.

Today Brittany and I went to the grocery store because I was running low on milk and actually, I just wanted to get out of the house for a while. Coming back from the store, she asked me if I was too old to work. I told her I was probably too old to get a job out in public, but babysitting her was a job. Then she wanted to know if I'd ever worked and I told her that I had worked at Belks, Advance Auto, Hylton Hall and at Schoolfield school. I told her that I stopped working at school to babysit Rachel and then I had babysat Corey Scruggs, Sarah Bradford, Alexandra Marlowe, Anna, her and Savannah. And now she was the only one left. Then she said "Well, I'm glad my mommy is not too old to work like you. I'm glad she's new." I guess that makes sense to a four year old. Old, new, as in old toy, new toy.

Brittany is a great conversationalist and can talk on many subjects. For instance, she said to me while we were putting clothes in the dryer, "My daddy does a good dry wall." I asked her what exactly was "dry wall" and she looked at me in an exasperated fashion and said, "Well, G'ma, there's dry wall and then there's wet wall. My daddy knows all about it."

Rachel came by after school and Brittany was so glad to see her. Now she had somebody to play with. In no time at all she had Rachel laying on the lil sofa in the den working on her........oxygen, shots, blood pressure, bandaids, the whole doctor bit. And Rachel gracefully suffered thru it all. Rachel is not very tall, so I guess Brittany thought she'd found a contemporary. For a 14 year old, Rachel was very gracious and patient with her. The other girls won't play with her. They're "too old."

Well, after a couple of rainy, dreary days "they" say it's gonna clear up and also warm up. It was so cold Sat. morning that we had to wear lots of layers to yard sales. It almost felt like winter.

I guess I like yardsales so much because I can take a few quarters and buy a few things and I'm as happy as if I'd gone shopping at the mall and spent a lot of money.

Sat. I was looking for a scooter for Brittany because she loves to ride the big boy's scooters. I was looking for a 3 wheeled one and we found one at the first sale we went to which happened to be a church sale. Tommy S. spied it first and by the time he got to it, a fat lady grabbed it up and hung on to it the whole time we were there. Then we saw 2 more, but the lady wanted $5 each for them and that was too much. Finally at another yardsale, a lil boy had one for sale and he was asking a dollar. I think I had 3 quarters left and Richard gave me another one so I bought it.

On the way to the north side, Tommy had to make a detour by a bicycle place because he'd decided that Brittany needed new grips on the handle bars. He took the scooter in and found some that fit, got the boy to replace the old ones to the tune of $7.95. I told him he could have bought the $5 scooter and saved money, but he said Brittany would like the "real" scooter better. She did. She rides through the house as fast as she can. If the rain ever stops, I'm gonna take her out back and let her ride. Maybe Wed. I hope.

Today was kinda an alone day. Brittany came about nine and Kerri went to work and Susan left for school. I straightened up and Brittany ate, I got some winter clothes out to wash, Brittany ate again.

I was told by my great granddaughter that she had watched a "really good, scary show" on TV last night and would I find her one to watch at my house. Well, we went through all the dvds and vcr movies, but I couldn't really find an adult one that she could watch that she would understand, so I put in The Flintstones, "A Haunted House is not a Home" and she watched that.

Then she was hungry again, so she ate again. By then I was thinking about what to cook for supper cause I was getting hungry. So I grated some potatoes and made my own confetti with peppers, onions, wieners and cheese. Then I cooked my mountain cabbage and made some slaw to go along with it and made some Green Pepper Hash. I know, it sounds like a weird combination, but it was good.

I saw some cars across the street at the church and thought Tommy and Richard might be over there and left a message on Tommy's phone to come get their truffles. A few minutes later they called and came by and stayed for about an hour and Richard and I discussed the Craig coat of arms that we had gotten from Gloria via an e-mail the other day. That lead to a discussion about Daddy's uncles and that lead to Banny Hall(our maternal G'ma)whom Richard didn't get to know, but had heard about all his life. Anyway, we had a nice visit and after they left I ate the miniature eclairs they had brought me. Well, only three of them.

Then I watched Gray's Anatomy and part of 6 Degrees before I took a lil snooze on the sofa. Now, it's bedtime and I'm wide awake!

Linda had sent me some truffles that the girls had made using a recipe in a monthly book that Kraft Foods puts out.They were really good and only use 3 ingredients: oreo cookies, cream cheese and chocolate for dipping.

I had bought the makings a couple of weeks ago, but had put off making them. Today I asked Brittany if she wanted to help me make candy and of course she did. I did the mixing and formed most of the balls, but I saved enough of the mixture for her to make six balls. (After she washed her hands)! After I dipped a few I let her sprinkle the extra crumbs on them. She was busy as could be when her Gigi came by to get her. But she told me to save one for her mama, one for her daddy, one for her Gigi and one or two for her. So I did.

I took Emily, Rachel and Sarah one each and a couple to Bobby and Teresa and took some to Margaret, my friend from church. I ate one just now and they taste OK, but not as good as the ones Linda brought me. Wonder why?

Well, I'm sitting here watching the playoffs. Of course, my team finished right at the bottom of their division, so I had to pick a team to root for.

I've never liked the Yankees, so anybody who plays them is the team I'm for. This time the Detroit Tigers beat them in their playoffs, so I'm pulling for them. Right now they're ahead of Oakland 5 to 0, but Oakland has 2 men on. Go, Tigers, Go! Good, the Detroit pitcher struck out the batter for the 3rd out, so it's still 5 to 0.

Speaking of TV, my favorite show, House, won't be on again until the World Series is over. Unless, of course, they decide to air a re-run like they did last week. Boston Legal, my 3rd favorite will be on at 10 tonight and my second favorite, Gray's Anatomy will be on Thursday. I would like to see all of Bones sometimes, but that comes on before I get home from church on Wed. night, so all I ever get to see is the end of it.

Sunday I cooked some chicken and took the water and made some dumplings. Sarah and Chad ate dinner with me and to my surprise, they both loved dumplings. I counted as I cut them and I cut out 48 and then rolled the dough and cut that with a knife so I wouldn't have any left over scraps of dough. Imagine my surprise when I got ready to eat some after church Sunday, and there was nothing left but a few scraps! I saved the broth and made some more Monday evening and gave Kerri a few and I ate all I wanted, so I probably won't make any more until I get the craving again.

Saturday I went to yard sales with Richard and Tommy as wet and breezy as it was. Of course, we went to a lot of church sales which were inside, so the weather didn't matter too much. At one church sale I found the cutest lil puppy that you could record and play back messages. I asked the girl how much and it was only a quarter. I looked some more and found another one, only a different color so I bought that one too. In the car I got Richard to record a message on each. One said "Leave me alone, Brittany" and the other said something similar. When Brittany came Monday morning and I showed them to her, she was captivated by them and when I pushed the play button, she really was tickled. After she played with them for a while, I showed her how to record and play back and she spent the rest of the day playing with them. She named one Toby cause she said it looked like their Toby. I let her take it home with her and Kerri said she played with it all the way home. She brought it back today and played with it all day again.

One day week before last, Tommy came by and had a lottery book that was supposed to help you pick "the Numbers" for you to play. He got a pad of paper and asked me all these questions and figured out my winning numbers and told me to play them on the following Friday and I would win. That is, according to the book. I don't really play, so I was telling Linda about the numbers and she said she would play them for me. Well, I really need the money, so I was willing. However, I didn't win any thing! Not nothing!! No how!!!

Some years back, Fara introduced me to a writer named Rosamunde Pilcher. Last week at church the pastor's wife told me she had some books in her car for me (I read and give her books and she reads and gives me books). When I looked through them, there were 3 by Pilcher. I had read one...it was the one Fara had sent me...but the other two, I hadn't read. One was Winter Solstice and the other is Coming Home. This lady writes really good books and I can't wait to start them. However, it will probably be after the weekend, because Tommy and Rebecca will be here and you don't do a lot of reading with the house full of teens and lil boys.

Well, I think I'm about out of stuff. Can't think of anything the least bit interesting, so Good Night.....parting is such sweet sorrow!

Finally, Friday evening. I didn't have Brittany today altho Kerri came by and brought her for a while. Actually, she was off today and was gonna babysit her step sister's lil girl today and they decided that Brandi would drop Belle off here. I must be centrally located or something.

After I ate Tommy called and wanted to know if I wanted to go to yardsales in the morning. Of course I do and he promised to bring me homemade soup for lunch tomorrow.

I checked to see if I had any personal e-mails. You know, answers to letters and such. I sent Cindy a really good recipe for truffles and am waiting to see if she's tried them yet. I was talking to Sharon today and was telling her about them and she said she can make them because she can get all the ingredients needed. Actually, only three. Oreo cookies, cream cheese and chocolate for dipping. And they are good. I bought the ingredients, but haven't made them yet, but Linda did and brought me some.

After a nice few weeks, we had a doozy of a storm last night about bedtime and then it came back again about 2AM. I've never seen it rain so hard for so long in a long time. It was so heavy you couldn't see across the street to the church. And it's rained on and off all day today. And gotten much cooler. I hope the rain will stop by morning.

I'm in the mood to cook something; I just don't know what. I'm sorta thinking on the lines of chicken and dumplings. Today would have been a good day for them. I didn't have chicken so I baked steak with potatoes and carrots. It was pretty good and there was a little left. Maybe I'll get some chicken tomorrow and make dumplings for Sunday.

Tommy was here this weekend and Chad came down after school and they hung out all the evening riding scooters and eating and later watching TV. Then he and Rachel spent the night.

Sat. morning I got up at my usual time and read the paper, straightened up a little, got dressed and when they got up, I fixed them breakfast. I had to go to the grocery store, so they decided to go with me. I went to the new Piggly Wiggly which is in Nor Dan shopping center where Winn Dixie used to be.

Piggly Wiggly opened the end of August, but had their "Grand Opening" the latter part of this week. We had gone in and was walking around when we heard this funny sound behind us; sorta plat, plat, plat. I heard Tommy say, "Oh, my God". I asked him if he was praying, (he knows I don't like him saying that) and he said "Don't look, but there's a big pig following us"! I did look and it was the store mascot.....a big, pink pig and he/she came up and shook our hands. Tommy and Chad very gingerly offered their hands for a shake and made it short and quick. But, the pig did go and get them both helium balloons. He then sorta followed us around the store, Good thing I only had 5 or 6 items to pick up. He was kinda creepy.

Well, we tried to get an early start, but things just kept getting in the way. We finally left here at 10AM, stopped to get gas ($2.18 gal.) and got on the road.

Seems like everybody here in our part of the state was on the road to Charlottesville to see the football game and we sorta picked an SUV with their UVA flags flying and followed them. I picked a good one because we got there at 12:30!

Then all the fun started! Sharon had sent me a new form to fill out for the kids and I had to have a copy of the court order giving me joint custody, and then had to have it notarized. Only thing she didn't tell me was that I had to mail it back to the head honcho and then she would OK it, or not, and send me back a form saying everything was OK for me to bring the kids. And I have only been taking them to see their mom for 7 years.

We got there, got in line, and the man working the computer checked my ID, checked the papers and then asked if I had been there since July 1. I hadn't, so he said I wasn't in the system and since I didn't have the warden's permission, I could visit, but the kids couldn't. I told him nicely that I'd driven a long way to see my daughter and the kids really wanted to see their mom, but he again said that his hands were tied.

I guess Rebecca and I looked really sad because he called me back over there and gave me another paper to fill out and told me to write out every thing and not to leave anything blank or abbreviated. Then he said "Well, your papers are in order and you do have legal custody so I'm bypassing the warden and entering you into the system. Next time you come you won't have any problem". I would have hugged that lil man's neck if I could have reached him.

When we finally got patted down and rode the van around to the gym where the visits are held, Sharon was there waiting for us and we had a good visit. Not as long because we wasted about 45 minutes trying to get in.

It didn't take too long to get home either even tho we had to stop for Tommy to use the bathroom and we stopped at an apple orchard and bought a few apples.

One thing about the visit. I've noticed the last few times we went, there have been Mexicans there to visit. Today there was a pretty teenaged girl visitor that I kept looking at because she reminded me of somebody. Finally, I smiled when I was looking her way and she smiled back and she looked just like Kaitlyn. Except she was several shades darker(even with Kaitlyn's tan). So, I asked Rebecca who the girl reminded her of and without hesitation she said, "Kaitlyn"! She was a pretty girl.

I wrote about the rose moss earlier. How one last year turned into a pot full of different colors this year.Well, now, I have another question. How come when they bloom the second time, they're double?

I've been watching them and one time they'll be single blooms and then next time they are so double they look fake. Are rose moss weird or something?

I've been popping the seed pods and sprinkling them in the pot, so next year I ought to have a really big pot of them. Wanna bet they'll all be the same color?

Last Thursday Brittany was playing with Tiger, the cat. Now, Tiger is not a playful cat cause he's 63 in cat years, but he is very patient. He'll put up with being wrapped up, put on the examining table and being doctored on, lugged around draped around her neck like a mangy old fox fur. In short, he's very PATIENT!

Thursday he was under the table in the kitchen and she went under there, too and suddenly he yowled. I said,"Brittany, don't pull Tiger's tail". She didn't say anything, but a few minutes later, he yowled again. I said, "Brittany, if you pull his tail again, I'm gonna pull yours and you won't like it." Then, the cat yowled again and she scrambled further under the table, but I pulled her out and gathered up a lil piece of her fat butt cheek and sorta twisted it. She looked so surprised and then she started crying. I asked why she was crying so loud when Tiger didn't when she pulled his tail. This is what I heard amid sobs, "Well, G'ma you'd cry too if somebody pulled your damn tail."

So, then I had to pull her out again and spank her for cussing!! You can't win with that one!

Last Thursday when Brittany and I came back from the store there was a turtle trying its best to get across that wooden barrier to get in my back door.

I flipped the turtle sand box over and put a little water in it and a big rock in the center and put the turtle in it because I didn't want it to get run over in the parking lot cause that lil booger was fast. At first I thought it belonged to my neighbor next door, but when he looked at it he said that he'd given his away to somebody in the country.

I put some lettuce in there with it along with some big flake fish food. When Tommy came this weekend, he said to feed it some meat, so we put ham in there with the lettuce and the carrots.

I was telling Sharon about it and she said her neighbor's son used to feed his rotten tomatoes. So, Brittany and I went over to my neighbor's garden and stole a semi rotten tomato and tore it up into pieces and that turtle really jumped on it. Ate it all up in a matter of minutes. I didn't know a turtle's mouth was as big as it is.

I told Brittany she could take it home with her, so when her mom came we found a box for it and they left here with it in the trunk of the car in a Harry & David pear box.

I hope they find a creek or some place near water to put it cause he/she was a cute lil thing and it probably needs to be free. But Brittany told Sarah she was gonna make turtle soup out of it!

I really shouldn't, but I always wait til the last minute to renew my license. Actually, I didn't really have the time until today, unless I wanted to take a girl child with me, and I don't know how that would have worked out.

Anyway, I had to go to the dentist this morning and when I took a shortcut to get back to Memorial Drive, I decided I'd stop and see how busy they were since it was the next to last day of the month. To my surprise, I went in, took a number and before I could get seated they called my number!

I went to the designated window and guess what? I got a guy who was training. He did pretty good for a while, then he got stuck and couldn't find anybody who wasn't busy to help him figure out what to do next. After a wait of about 10 minutes, some girl finally took pity on him and told him which keys to punch. After that, it went pretty fast and then he told me to go over and sit and wait for the lady to take my picture.

This evening after Kerri got here, I was showing her my new license and she looked at it and said, "This ain't you, G'ma. It's Geraldine!" Then I took a second look, and guess what? It DOES look like Geraldine!

I live my life as a parent knowing in the center of each maternal cell that I cannot protect my children from anything. Regardless of the graphic and sometimes gory visions I can conjure up in my mind, I know I can do only so much, as much as I want to guarantee both of them life without pain or even a mild inconvenience, I know I am ultimately powerless.

I can only tell them how much I love them.

Today was my birthday. The big 7 0, although I really liked what Kaitlyn told her friend Shannon last week when Shannon asked how old I would be. Kaitlyn told her with a straight face and utterly serious that G'ma would be 49. Shannon asked if I'd had Tami when I was 2 or 3 then and Kaitlyn said, "Mama's 48, but when G'ma turned 49 she said she wasn't having anymore birthdays, so every year she's 49."

It started last night with a trip to Greensboro to get a new "do", which I love.(Also, a little color)which I also love. Then Kerri and Brittany showed up early with a gift and then Bobby came by with another bag and box. A little after 1PM, there was a loud knock at my door and when I opened it, Richard and Tommy broke into a very loud rendition of Happy Birthday which all the passers by enjoyed. A little later Keister came by with a gift and then April brought me flowers and a funny card and a gift card from Barnes & Noble.(Well, it's been ordered, will be here in a few days).

So, now I have a new phone, a new curling iron, candles, body lotion,flowers,a new flag holder for my flag pole, lots of pretty cards, many of which contained that pretty green stuff, in addition to all the gifts I got at my surprise party Sunday at church.

All in all, it's been a pretty good birthday. Thank you to everyone who helped to make it so special. I love you all!

Tonight at church after choir practice the pastor's wife asked if I would go down to the fellowship hall to check some Campbell soup labels that someone had given her that she thought were cut wrong. I told her that we didn't need the whole label, just the upc code, so I didn't really need to look at them. But she insisted, so I went down there with her and when I went in the door, they flipped the lights on and hollered "Happy Birthday"!

Everybody who was at church was there and I really felt embarrassed being the center of attention. Virgie had made the most beautiful B'day cake (her cakes are much prettier than the ones from the bakery and taste so good) and somebody had made lil "pigs in a blanket", chips, nuts, drinks and icecream. A regular party!!

There were also gifts: A new crock pot, a lighthouse lamp, a lighthouse clock,a beautiful candle that smells so good and a funny book, a framed set of lighthouse pictures that were made by the couple who gave them to me, a journal and address book set, beautiful computer generated cards that were so sweet and money and a check! And my B'day isn't even until Wednesday!!

Oh, to be sure everyone knew exactly how old I'm gonna be, there was a huge poster on a stand that read: Happy 70th, Maxine!

I was reading Cindy's latest journal entry and it brought back memories of the summer right before Keister was born.

My cousin and her family were here from Ohio and we were having a cook out at my Mom and Dad's house. Lois wasn't much of a drinker, but my aunts both liked beer and they had some and offered Lois a bottle. She drank it and then had another. We were sitting in the kitchen waiting for my mom to make the burgers so we could take them out and all of a sudden Lois leaned back in her chair and held her foot up and wiggled it, and with seeming amazement said, "Look, Goodie (me), see what it can do!" Not quite following her line of reasoning, I asked "What?" She said, "It moves with the music!" BUT......she was the only one hearing the music!

While we were out in the back yard cooking, my Aunt Lillie, who was sitting at the edge of the yard in one of those old fashioned metal porch chairs, started singing "We'll Have These Moments to Remember" and all of a sudden the chair tipped over and she was down the embankment with her beer in her face.

She really did have those moments to remember because she was reminded of that lil incident every time the family gathered after that.

April told me a couple of weeks ago that there was an opening for pre school aide at Sacred Heart School where she works. She then brought me an application which I filled out and she took it back to the school.

Last Tuesday I was called for an interview which I thought went very well. The principal was very nice and we got along very well. We seemed to have the same type of humour. Ask April about that!!

The principal told me she had one more person to interview last Friday and then she would let me know something. I got a very nice letter today saying that she had offered the job to another candidate, but she would keep my application in case something else came open.

I was really hoping I would get the job because Anna is going to school this year, I don't have Savannah anymore and most weeks I don't have Brittany for the full five days because Kerri usually has her day off during the week. And I had been using that extra money to pay my phone bill and my Adelphia bill and buy groceries.

I really don't want any more babies because they are usually 8 to 10 hours a day. The job at school would only have been 4 hours a day. Then I would have had time for other stuff, like cleaning house!

Oh well, maybe I can be like some of my relatives and start buying stuff at yardsales and re-selling it on the Trading Post or The Piedmont Shopper. Actually, I couldn't do that. I only buy stuff that I need and books to read. Oh, well.........

I know certain people don't like to read about my babies, but, on the other hand, some do. So, here goes.

I hadn't had Anna and Brittany together for several weeks as April has been out of school. Last week I had both of them, for Monday only, and they were so glad to see each other. They played really good together and shared both their toys and their drinks and snacks.

After a while, it got quiet and they weren't playing in the den anymore, so I went to the living room where I could faintly hear their chatter. I stopped at the door and watched for a minute. Anna was laying on the sofa with her shirt up and Brittany had Emily's ipod charger, which has a flat connector. This was hooked to an old computer keyboard somehow, and Brittany was busy clicking the keys with one hand and rubbing the flat part over Anna's tummy with her other hand.

I asked,"What are you doing?". Brittany answered, "Sonogram". Me..."Is she gonna have a baby?" Brittany...."Twins, both girls!" And they kept on like this was an everyday occurence.

Both of these girls have vivid imaginations. After the sonogram, I looked and Anna had the twin doll babies up her shirt.

Me thinks one or the other or both sets of parents ought to have a baby brother or sister for these lil girls.

Last year on my deck I had a hanging pot. It sat thru the spring and finally one little moss rose/rose moss poked thru and finally bloomed. It was a deep pink and it bloomed and bloomed and bloomed. Always pink. When the seed pods appeared, I'd let them ripen and then I'd pour the seeds out in the same pot.

This spring a lil rose moss poked thru; then another and another. Finally I had a pot full. The plants started getting buds and finally one bloomed. It was the same pink color from last year. Then another bloomed........yellow! Then another......white! Then another.......coral color! Then another bloomed.....a different shade of pink! What I want to know is: Why did I get all these colors from one lil pink rose moss?

If you have an answer, please let me know!

Rebecca came last Wed. Tommy was still at the beach, so I haven't seen him since the first of July. Then on Friday of last week Hayley and her friend Mike came up to go to a concert at Plan B that night.

I had met Mike last Monday when they rode up for a quick visit. He's the guy in her prom picture only now with a hair cut. Really cute, really nice acting and well behaved AND a good eater! They ended up staying until Sunday evening and he said he really liked it here, that he might just stay. I think what he liked was my front yard and all the traffic. I think he lives in the country! This is why I need a big house. So I can have bedrooms for my company when it comes. He got the front bedroom; Hayley got the den (where it's cool) and the rest of us had our usual rooms. Works out pretty well!!

Saturday I went to the Food Lion in Market Square. I didn't get but a few things (I had done my main shopping at Old Dutch)and so I went through the express line.

Right in front of me was a guy and his little boy. The guy had on cut off jeans, work boots, a muscle tee shirt and a greasy hat with greasy looking hair hanging out from under it. He had ugly tattooes on his arms, back, shoulders, and legs. All in all, he was a scraggly looking person.

The little girl checking us out was young, pretty and very polite. She said to him, "Good afternoon, sir. How are you today?" He said, "I'm fine, but you look lonesome." Her- "Pardon me?" He said again, "I said you look lonesome and I can do something about it if you'll give me your number and talk to me." She said, "I'm sorry you have that impression. I'm not lonesome, I'm busy working." He said, "But I know that after you get off, you'll be lonesome and I can fix that." In the meantime, she was busily scanning and bagging his stuff and when she finished, she told him the total. He says again, "You really look lonesome and I can help." Finally in a very exasperated tone she said, but very politely, "Sir, I work, go to school, live with my parents and have a boyfriend. I'm not lonesome!" He finally decided to give up and he and his little boy (who kept on calling him Dad) left.

After he got out of earshot, I said to the girl, "He must think he's God's gift to women". She laughed and agreed. After she totaled my stuff and I paid her, she told me to have a nice afternoon. I told her to do the same, but whatever else, "Please don't be lonesome!" She smiled and said, "Never!!"

Big, black, cawing. I've seen him/her in the magnolia trees next door to me. I've seen it in the parking lot next door to me and also in the parking lot at church.

Is it the same bird? Probably not, but to the uninitiated eye, they all look the same. Big, so black they glisten, same caw-caw noise and that bird strut they do.

Today I went to the post office and guess what I saw right beside the curb? A humongous shiny, black crow eating road kill like it was a gourmet dinner! Yuck!!!

I hadn't written since Tommy and Rebecca went back to Ginnys and then on to camp. Not because I don't have anything to write, but because when I finally got to the computer I was too tired.

Tommy and Rebecca were here for over three weeks and when they left they were headed to camp in the mountains for three weeks and when they get back this Sunday, they'll be at Ginnys for a day and a half and then will be back here until just about time for school to start.

But, back to my doings. July 8th was our Wesleyan Women conference in Roanoke, VA. My friend Margaret was to pick me up at 10 to 6 to meet the others at the church at 6AM, because the conference started at 8AM and it's about an hour and a half drive up there. I set my alarm to go off at 5AM. I took my shower and washed my hair Friday night and pressed a couple of outfits so I'd have a choice. Well, my alarm went off just when it was supposed to and I reached over and turned it off and went back to sleep. Something woke me at 25 minutes to 6 and I had 15 minutes to have my coffee, get dressed and get my stuff I was taking together. I made it.......no time to spare, tho. I got everything together and looked out the door and Margaret was pulling up. Whew!!!!!!!!

Then on July 15th, our WW group had a yardsale and hotdog lunch/supper in the fellowship hall at the church. Margaret, Ava and I went Friday evening to get the stuff laid out and priced. Nobody else showed up to help, not even the pastor!

Sat. morning we all got there at 7AM and the crowd was there before us! We didn't get much participation from the former Gethsemane church except for one couple who always help out with everything. I'm thinking that I, as director, won't be suggesting any more fundraisers. Everybody is always in favor of doing them, but the same 4 ladies and the husband of one ,do all the work. Anyway, that's another story.

I have been pretty much broke this summer. I only have Brittany to babysit, and I don't have her for the whole week. Anna's mom teaches and she's out for the summer. I won't have Anna when school starts because she'll be in kindergarten. I haven't had Savannah in two weeks.Don't know who is watching her.I had watched her and fed her ever since she was 5 weeks old. Her mom just quit bringing her....no explanation or advance notice or anything. I'm looking to make some money, if any one has any suggestions.

I do have a beautiful, new bathroom sink to sell. It's freestanding with silver legs and trim. But it's BIG........48"long by 24"wide. Also, a nice kitchen cart that could be used as an island. Wanna buy something????????

After being here 3 weeks and 3 days, Rebecca and Tommy left today. It was so quiet and lonesome even with a baby here that I actually cleaned Tommy's room and put all his stuff that had accumulated on the dining room table back where it belonged and took the skate boards to the basement until next time. I also went through Rebecca's room and gathered a pile of dirty laundry and a pile of Emily's clothes that she had left down here one night when she spent the night. Also, changed the beds and would have washed sheets, but ran out of washing liquid after just one load of towels. So, now I have almost clean rooms, but a hamper full of dirty clothes!

Wednesday I didn't have any lil girls to babysit, so Tommy and I spent the day together. We went to the library, but they were having some sort of reading program for Headstart and the place was full and fairly noisy. We did look upstairs(children) and downstairs (adult), but we didn't get any books. We decided that when he came back the end of July for a couple of weeks that we'd try again on a day other than Wednesday.

After that, we went to the Science Museum where we spent a couple of happy hours. They have finally just about finished their move so after going through the new building,which has a bunch of new and interesting things to do, including the room where you can capture your shadow on the wall for a few seconds, we crossed the street and went to where the whole thing used to be. The old railroad station was the original museum, but now it houses the stuff from the museum that was on the DCC campus. It also has a great collection of rocks, fossils and Indian artifacts. It even has fossilized poop from a dinosaur!

Then we went to the butterfly house and saw, in addition to the many butterflies, a mouse, a frog and a skink.

After a quick stop at the house for a sandwich and a bathroom stop, we went to the mall where he had an appointment to get his hair cut. We had received word from his aunt Ginny that he's BETTER have a crew cut before she came to get him today. We'd talked about it for two weeks and just never got around to it, but we did finally and it looked so nice. After having a head full of hair that was so long it was beginning to curl up on the ends, he looked like a different boy with a short "do". I think he liked it after he got used to it. I bought him some wax so he could spike it if he wanted to, and it looks cute when he does.

Rebecca wasn't being left out; we'd gone shopping together a couple of times and to different places and she'd gone skating and to the movies and out to eat with either Emily or Rachel and last week when Kaitlyn was here, she hung out with her, so I think she was kinda glad to have the computer, the TV and the kitchen to herself for a while.

After 2 days at Ginnys in Stoneville, they'll be going to camp at Brevard, NC for three weeks and when camp is over they'll be at Ginnys for about 3 days and then back here July 25 until August 6 and then when they go back I think their school starts that week. Anyway, Ginny is having a kid free summer!!

We had a good three weeks and if I'd been a little more solvent, it would have been even better. Seems like I spent more time at the grocery store than I usually do all summer. Them kids can eat! And drink!! And mess up clothes!!! And they aren't picky, either. If it's not moving, they'll eat it. Would you believe at least 10 cartons of icecream, 4 boxes of popsicles, one large box of Blue Bunny icecream snacks, a box of Snicker icecream bars and whatever was already in the freezer when they got here. Of course, the lil girls helped with the popsicles and the vanilla icecream. I bought numerous cartons of soft drinks and made a lot of Koolaide. I got up this morning and made more koolaide before I realized they wouldn't be here to drink it up. It's sitting there in it's entirety in the fridge. Maybe Chad and Sarah will come by and drink some.

You know, I get a lot more visits from the oher grandkids when Rebecca and Tommy are here. Tommy and Chad love to hang out together and they'll spend a couple of days here playing on the skateboard and scooter in the parking lot, Chad will spend the night and after they get tired of being here, they'll go to Chad's house for a while. Chris, the guy next door with the humongous dog, has taken them and the dog down to the Riverwalk Trail and by the skatepark. Of course, it's not ever open when they go. Seems it's only open a couple or three times a week.

Rachel actually came over and spent the night one Sat. night when Rebecca was here and went to church with us and Emily was down a few times and Kaitlyn spent a week here, so I only heard "I'm bored" once and that was when Chad had gone home, Chris wasn't home with his dog, and I was busy with the lil girls. All in all, it was a good visit and I already miss them so much!

Today, Sunday, we went to see Sharon. I had told one and all that we were leaving at 9:30AM so we could be there by 12:30. Actually, if we left by 10:00AM, we would be ahead of the game. We got in the car at 5 to 10, but Tommy had forgot his game for his Gameboy so he had to run back in and get it. Then we started off up the street and Rebecca discovered she had left her sunglasses, so around the block and back here so she could run in and get them. THEN, we finally left.

We made good time going up and only had to make one bathroom stop. We actually got there a little after 12:30 and were in to see her by 1:00PM and got to stay for 2 whole hours. Coming back, we stopped at Colleen where the icecream cone is built through the lil building and then we stopped at the service station cause Tommy had to use the bathroom.

I had filled my gas tank Sat. morning and had gone to the mall, grocery store, bank and Linda's, but it was still at full when we left here. When we got back, it was still over a half tank left. That's GOOD gas mileage!!This was the first long trip I had made on my car and it was really nice. Only thing, every now and then I'd look at the speedometer and it would have crept up to 80mph. I had to really watch that.

When we got home at 6, I was amazed at the mess in my house. The sink was full of glasses (12), cups and sticky saucers. I had left Kaitlyn and Emily here, thinking they would be going to Emily's house as soon as they got dressed. Evidently, they didn't. I think they got on my computer for a while (I found evidence in my room) and then ate everything they could find that wasn't nailed down. And then they went shopping. Kaitlyn dropped Emily off at her house and then came here and went to bed. She is supposed to leave in the morning cause she has a hair appointment, but she told me not to wake her up. She said if she didn't get up in time to make it home, that she'd re-schedule for Tuesday.

Well, it was a good trip. Sharon looked really good and had a beautiful hair cut. We all had our pictures made......Tommy and Rebecca each separately and Sharon and I together. That one was one I'd destroy if it was up to me! I told the girl taking the pics that after she took mine she wouldn't have to make any more cause her camera would be broke! Oh, well.........

I know, some of you don't like to read about the little girls I babysit. Well, this one is different.

Cindy came to visit on Memorial Day and brought her dog Charlie and asked if he could stay with me this weekend while she went to DC to a concert. I agreed; how much trouble could a DOG be? Well, to my surprise.....not much trouble at all.

When she brought him Friday, Anna and Savannah were still here and instead of hiding from them, he actually interacted with them. I think he likes little people who aren't much taller than he. Cindy says he doesn't like the stairs at her apartment, but he actually followed them upstairs when they followed me.

She brought a supply of dog food and doggie treats, but he munched on Tiger's food. I also noticed that the cat didn't yowl hardly any when the dog was here. Only when he heard my alarm go off this morning. I don't know if he was trying to be invisible or if was just setting a good example of how a cat should act.

Charlie loved to have his leash put on to go for a walk. After the first walk, we had a set path. Out the front door, step down over the wall to the grassy driveway, down to the swing set, sniff around there, down to the dumpster, more sniffing, then off across the bottom of the parking lot to Baugh St. There we stop to look around, see a squirrel with a green apple or a tomato in his mouth, then up the sidewalk to the corner, up the street in front of the funeral home and back to my house. Then, he wants to do it again. Since he did what I'd taken him out for in the first place, I stopped to rest in the swing and he lay down under the table and watched the cars go by.

He was very good. The only time I heard him make a sound was after he'd been on the deck for about an hour and then he stood up on his hind legs and looked in the door at me and sorta whimpered. He was telling me that it was potty time, so I put his leash on and off we went. He did his business and we circled the parking lot again and he was happy.

I have a yellow and green pillow that he rested on last time he was here and this time I went to check on him and he had his head on the pillow with one ear straight up and he was snoozing away. If I knew how, I would put it on here so you could see it cause it was really cute. All in all, we had a nice little visit and I hope Charlie remembers his visit with fond memories.

Cindy had invited me down to visit her and since we weren't having an evening service yesterday, I thought that would be an ideal time.

Leaving a sunny Danville about 1:30, imagine my surprise when a few miles into the trip, the sky turned dark..as in black..and the rain suddenly poured. You could hardly see the cars in front of you and this went on for about 15 or 20 minutes. Then for a few minutes, the sky lightened and brightened and it looked like it would clear off. Then, all of a sudden, the rain came again, harder than ever. It finally stopped and it was sorta clear for a couple of hours.

Cindy has a really neat apartment. Much bigger than I'd been led to believe and arranged very nicely. I really liked the porch off her bedroom. It would be a good place to put a lot of plants and a comfortable chair for reading.

We went to a mall called Southpointe, I think, and ate either a late lunch or an early supper. I wasn't really, really hungry because Cindy had made spinach dip and I ate a bunch of that, but I was sorta hungry. I ordered chicken tortilla soup and ranch rings. The soup was soooooooo good. It tasted kind of like the tortilla soup that Fara brought when she came. But, it had a base of either tomato soup or Ro-tel that had been blended smooth, and melted cheddar cheese. It also had tiny little chunks of tender chicken and some kind of crunchy something.......jicama(?) maybe, and little pieces of tortilla chips. When it was brought to the table it had a little mound of chopped stuff on top...green onions, tomatoes and other stuff. I mixed that into the soup and it was delicious. I wish I had the recipe.

After we ate, we went to the cookie store and bought some goodies to take back to the apartment. Cindy made coffee and after I drank some with a cookie, we took Charlie, her beagle, for a walk.

Too soon, it was time to get back on the road and it rained, at least a little drizzle, all the way home. And when I got home, I found a bunch of beautiful flowers in my door.

I didn't realize how much I had missed taking Brittany or Anna to the dollar store or the grocery store when I only had one of them until I didn't have a way to take them. Today, I won a lottery ticket the radio station was giving away and Brittany and I rode over to collect it and when I scratched it, I won $20. First time I had ever one more than a dollar on tickets that I won. Now I have to find a place to take it and collect my cash.

Bobby called me this morning and asked if I wanted to go with him to Greensboro after he got off work and get a perm. Seems he and Teresa have a friend there who is a hair dresser. Saturday, Rachel stayed with me while they went down there and had supper with him and his wife and Bobby mentioned to him that I had been fussing about my stick straight hair. He told Bobby to bring me down and he would fix it. He did, and I really like it!

He was really fast too, when he rolled it. He didn't fool around. He did all the curling part and then he trimmed it and it feels so soft and natural. Don't know how it's gonna look after I sleep on it, but I guess I can dampen it and run my fingers through it.

Thursday evening the "sweet ladies" are getting together to eat, play bingo, talk and generally just have a good time. I invited Teresa to go and she said she might. I think she'd have fun, cause we always do. I'm gonna make chicken salad and a real neat cake Sharon sent me the recipe for. For the cake, you buy an already baked angel food cake. Slice it into three layers. Mix a 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained, with a package of instant vanilla pudding. When that's mixed well, add an 8 ounce container of Cool Whip. Mix that well and spread on the layers and restack. Put some on top, too. Then put fresh strawberries on top. Looks pretty, tastes pretty!!

Well, gotta go to bed. It's getting late and I have to get up early for my first baby.

This week was the first time we've actually seen the baby doves who were in a nest in my neighbor Chris' window. On Monday we saw two heads and as the day went on, we saw a little more of them and on Tuesday, they were actually sitting on the edge of the storm window frame.

She had been a good lil mom, sitting there through wind and rain and cool weather, never leaving to eat and I never saw the daddy feeding her like the rosy breasted nut hatches do.

Today when I went out on my deck, the first thing I noticed was the empty window. Both babies, and they were good sized, were gone and so was mama. The girls and I watched for them on and off all day, but they never came back. I hope they're smart enough to stay away from that hugh Maine coon cat who roams the parking lot.

I'm sad to report that another bird has also flown. Last night Susan came down to watch the Idol results and while we were watching TV, we heard a loud noise accompanied by squawks and a loud thump coming from the cockatiel cage. I didn't go to check cause it was dark in there and they are always making noise. This morning I found Trixie on the bottom of the cage and at first I thought she was on an egg, but when she didn't move when I moved the cage, I reached in and got her out and her lil head just wobbled on her shoulders. Somehow, she had broken her neck.

I decided I'd have her funeral when the girls got here. Brittany came first and wanted to know where "de udder bird is" and I told her and of course she wanted to see her. I let her look and she wanted to know if she was going up to heaven now. I told her that her body wasn't, but her soul would. Then she wanted to know where her