Sad Day (edited)

a news video was added at the bottom 5-12-2008
I loved this man. (click on the photo to see up close)



He was so much like my father, always joking, a big cuddly teddy bear of a man. This photo was taken just 2 weeks ago tomorrow, in front of his basket shoppe. I have probably made 50+ baskets here since I moved to middle America. We were planning a progressive dinner on the 31st to end at their house for a s'mores bonfire.


This is his wife. Isn't she beautiful?

I snapped this photo because her top matched her phlox so perfectly. She is the reason I went on to become a teacher, she encouraged me.
Yesterday his life was taken by a tornado. He was upstairs watching the weather on the tv, insisting everything was fine and she went into a closet downstairs with the Bichon. When the winds calmed down she came out and there was no upstairs. She found him outside.

We have over 13 families in our little country church with from some damage to total loss of their homes. My Sweet Hubby spent the day helping to clear debris and cut limbs so that what valuables and memorabilia that could be found could be retrieved. When I came to help this afternoon, I found the swing that we were sitting on in that photo:



Here is a pic of the shoppe:


















That's all I can say. I will miss him dearly. There so little salvageable. They built this home with their own hands about 25 years ago. Now, 50 years of memories and earthly belongings are strewn about the treetops or broken and twisted into useless debris.

Their "beautiful" home:

You are looking at the fireplace in their dining room and kitchen area. There was a gorgeous plateglass window that looked over the valley, always 25-50 hummingbirds during the summer. The sunroom, 2 car attached garage and total upstairs completely gone. This home was over 2000 sf. Somehow, the bedroom was intact including all clothes in the closet and the bed still made. She was in the bedroom closet with her head under the bottom shelf.

I was rather irritated by the tv news crews that were traipsing from home to home. They seemed to hover and then flit on to the next suffering family, offering no help, just noseyness. (the one at the bottom of this post was sensitive and kind)

Instead, my Sweet Husband said one had commented earlier in the day that we all seemed too upbeat. Sweet Hubby replied that we serve an Awesome God who is All Powerful, we are not destroyed by tragedy, we are bound tighter together with Joy that our dear friend is in a better place. It is we who are sad, but we have Hope. The reporter walked away shaking his head, not understanding the peace. Why do people see bad things in God's power? Instead, I would think there would be reverance and if not that, fear!

I don't know if I will publish the rest of the photos I have, more of these dear friends' home and of across the road, some more dear friends. I think for now this is all I can handle. Please pray for hurting friends and family. There are over 12 lost lives just in our area. Pray for me. Pray for my beautiful friend above and her 2 daughters and granddaughters, one of whose husband lost 4 more family members in a car that was caught in the sudden storm. Or pray to know God's peace.

And now...

... a word from my sponsors:

Well, they do own my heart!

A Lesson Well Taught:

This was an email forward but I think the point is very valid:

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a
social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did
something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the
permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building
supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were
no desks. Looking around, confused, they asked, 'Ms. Cothren, where are our
desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me what you have done to
earn the right to sit at a desk.'
They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'
'No,' she said.
'Maybe it's our behavior.'
She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior'.
And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third
period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.
Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the
desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on
the floor of the deskless classroom.
Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me
just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are
ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and
opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that
classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the
school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the
wall.
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids
started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just
how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These
heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to
you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good
students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could
have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you read it in English, thank
a soldier.
Yes, it really is a true story...
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!!

Church Wars

Sounds kinda serious, eh?

Not really. It's kinda comical. Within 5 miles of our little town there are 4 Baptist Churches, 3 Christian Churches , a Holiness Church, 2 Churches of Christ, a Methodist Church, 2 Assemblies of God, an Apostalic Church, Catholic Church, Free Church and various other little congregations that even I don't know about.
Below is a pic of the old Christian Church in town. This is the old building. It got too small and landlocked, so they sold it to a florist and she runs the old sanctuary as a wedding chapel now. Isn't that neat? It's so pretty!

They've since removed the broken neon sign.

This photo below is of our Main Street. Look closely, it's flooded. This pic is from last summer. I kept forgetting to snap some pics of the recent flooding this Spring. We even got an extension on our taxes because we are a Nat'l Disaster Area! (I mailed mine already.)
The streets are designed to flood into the creek that is halfway down the block. I don't know if you can see the little footbridges on the left side. They get rolled out past all the water so that customers can get to the sidewalks! They are definate Yankee Ingenuity (even tho' we are south of the Mason Dixon Line) and cute! You can see one in the church photo above.

BTW, that's the only stoplight we have in town and it's just a flashing red light. Quite a culture change for a gal who grew up at the beach in L.A.

Okay, back to the church wars? It's Sundays at the pizza place on Main Street. The fight is over who can get to the Sunday $5-all-you-can-eat-including-drink Buffet before who. Last time we sat with a friend who is now the pastor of one of the other Christian Churches. He said they always try to get there before the Baptists and the Methodists. I couldn't stop laughing at that statement!

Oh I am so glad to have moved to a small town!! Where the worst thing I've found is fightin' over pizza!

P.S. I just needed to add, we do have a great community of believers in this area. We have the Ministry Alliance, pastors of the churches get together and pray together, plan community worship services, special events and such. And we have the local Youth Dudes: the coalition of youth pastors who sponsor activities with the high school, such as a drawing each homegame to sit on a rickety old couch on a trailer and free pizza (there's that pizza again) behind the goalpost and a Fifth Quarter after the football and basketball games and summer trips and so many other activities. Again, this is a great place to live!

Update on Mom

Mom is doing okay... much the same, kinda like no news is good news. Last Thursday I took her to get a growth removed from the top middle of her thigh? It was ug-ly. Anyhow, since she sits in the wheelchair the doc was going to just let her stay in the chair to cut it out. After the doc left (to get ready) just she and I were in the room, she kept mumbling something. She kept trying to move toward the high-in-the-air examining table (which would be a bear to get her up on b/c she can't help) Finally she blurted out "I DON"T WANT TO WATCH!" I tried hard not to laugh b/c she is all stooped over and her head was right over where the growth was. Stoop yourself over when sitting down and look at your right leg... that's where it was!!! So they were gracious and fine with taking her down the hall to the day-surge room and put her on the surge gurney which was easy to transfer her. I have been laughing since. She's so funny!

My Babies!!!!!

There is absolutely not a single reason for posting this pic other than to reflect upon how proud I am of my children.

My eldest on the right, is a stroke survivor... 3 days before her 14th birthday. She is married to a doctor (she deserves the accolades too... putting hubby through, interrupting her college career) and is the mother of my first grandprodigy! She lives in Upstate New York and froze her hiney off this winter. (We are from San Diego remember!!)

The middle child, we used to call him a catalyst (would get in the middle of "things", stir 'em up, and sit back and watch the frenzy) suffers from all the traumas of any middle child. Says he remembers nothing about his childhood (at least when we tell stories about him, he denies them). He is in his 2nd year of PharmD school, so will also be a doctor! He is the father of grandprodigies #2 and #3!!! He lives in central MO. For now.

My baby girl is on the left. She is in her 5th year of college...? Ya see, she decided upon a dual major: Biology and Spanish, so it took a little longer to finish up. Didn't help that she spent a semester in Spain, got her off track in the Biology rotations of course offerings. But she graduates next month and then begins her graduate program in July: Occupational Therapy. She still hangs out at home, says it's cheaper! She has to move up to KC for grad school and moans about not being able to mooch off her parents any longer.

So there you have it, my kids!!! They are a rather cerebral group. Very academic and serious.

NOT!!!!!!!

Anne with an E

The Sullivan Entertainment production of Lucy Maud Montgomery's loosely autobiographical series, Anne of Green Gables came to mind today.

I went out and bought each of the book series for my kids after that. Set by set. Of course, I read them first. Under the guise of good mom reading what the kids read. Where were they in MY childhood? Somehow I'd missed them. Was it because they are Canadian?

We used to watch Anne of Green Gables back to back all the way through several of the series, not just episodes. I don't know why but today I was missing the quotes our family had adopted back then, and some we still use to this day.

Remember?

Anne Shirley: Don't you ever imagine things differently from what they are?
Marilla Cuthbert: No.
Anne Shirley: Oh Marilla, how much you miss. ?

Anne Shirley: Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.

Anne Shirley: Wilt thou give me a lock of thy jet-black tresses?
Diana Barry: But I don't have any black dresses.
Anne Shirley: Your hair.
Diana Barry: All right.

Kindred Spirits. Bosum Friends.

Didn't everyone want a Matthew who would believe in us just because you are you?

Matthew Cuthbert: [Anne has come into the barn to thank Matthew for her dress] Puffed sleeves.
Anne Shirley: The puffiest!

Was YOUR heart broken when Matthew died?

Matthew Cuthbert: I never wanted a boy. I only wanted you from the first day. Don't ever change. I love my little girl. I'm so proud of my little girl.

What's your favorite quote?

Meanwhile I'll go outside and stare at MY lake of shining waters...