Loss

Early yesterday morning my grandfather passed away. He was 80 years old and had a full life including serving in WW II. He goes on to be with his wife of 60 years who passed away in July of 2005. As this was unexpected, it is still not accepted. I can not quite believe he is really gone. When my grandmother died she had been sick for many months and although her passing was not easy, there was time to say goodbye and begin to prepare. My mother is one of their 4 children, I am one of 10 grandchildren, great-grandchildren numbered over 15. Many of us gathered yesterday at the family home to begin the mourning process. He will be buried on Saturday with military honors.

Many years ago when I was in high school my Papa (as my grandfather is known to me) asked me to play the trumpet at his funeral. At the time it seemed an easy enough thing to agree to. His funeral was an unreal event in the far distant future. Now, I find myself wondering how I will keep this promise. I have not played regularly in over 10 years and although like riding a bicycle you do not forget how, I am very nervous about playing in front of anyone. But it is what he wanted, I cannot disapoint him now. The song I believe I will play is "Amazing Grace".

My mother has lost both her parents now and I know these next few days will be very stressful for her. I think that reality will not set in for me until later. The first time I plan to go for a visit and realize there isn't anyone there. My last visit was made on November 10 and I found my Papa in good spirits, working in the yard, and enjoying his new cat. We ate lunch together and he fussed over my children. I hugged him goodbye before we parted in what would be the last time.

1988

I saw this post on Thinking About... (http://jellyjules.com/) and thougth I would try it. I didn't quite follow the rules, though. The idea was to take the top 100 songs from the year you graduated high school, bold the ones you liked, strike-out the ones you hated and leave the rest blank. I graduated from high school in 1989 and when I looked at the list I could not remember over 60% of the songs. I'm not sure why unless I stopped listening to pop music that year which is probable. I decided to choose 1988 because more of those songs hold some meaning. Sorry, Jules. And then, I couldn't figure out how to 'strike-out' so I didn't do that either. The truth is a good many of these songs I don't remember but probably would if I went in search of a clip. But these were the songs that defined that time in my life that was at once both agonizing and exhilerating. Songs from the movies, Dirty Dancing and Cocktail. Songs by George Michael, Bon Jovi and Belinda Carlisle. I wouldn't live through it again for any amount of money but it's fun sometimes to remember.

Ok, Don't be shy. It's your turn.


1. Faith, George Michael
2. Need You Tonight, INXS
3. Got My Mind Set On You, George Harrison
4. Never Gonna Give You Up, Rick Astley
5. Sweet Child O' Mine, Guns N' Roses
6. So Emotional, Whitney Houston
7. Heaven Is A Place On Earth, Belinda Carlisle
8. Could've Been, Tiffany (you are supposed to be honest)
9. Hands To Heaven, Breathe
10. Roll With It, Steve Winwood
11. One More Try, George Michael
12. Wishing Well, Terence Trent d'Arby
13. Anything For You, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
14. The Flame, Cheap Trick
15. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car, Billy Ocean
16. Seasons Change, Expose
17. Is This Love, Whitesnake
18. Wild, Wild West, Escape Club
19. Pour Some Sugar On Me, Def Leppard
20. I'll Always Love You, Taylor Dayne
21. Man In The Mirror, Michael Jackson
22. Shake Your Love, Debbie Gibson
23. Simply Irresistible, Robert Palmer
24. Hold On To The Nights, Richard Marx
25. Hungry Eyes, Eric Carnen
26. Shattered Dreams, Johnny Hates Jazz
27. Father Figure, George Michael
28. Naught Girls (Need Love Too), Samantha Fox
29. A Groovy Kind Of Love, Phil Collins
30. Love Bites, Def Leppard
31. Endless Summer Nights, Richard Marx
32. Foolish Beat, Debbie Gibson
33. Where Do Broken Hearts Go, Whitney Houston
34. Angel, Aerosmith
35. Hazy Shade Of Winter, Bangles
36. The Way You Make Me Feel, Michael Jackson
37. Don't Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin
38. Make Me Lose Control, Eric Carnen
39. Red Red Wine, UB40
40. She's Like The Wind, Patric Swayze
41. Bad Medicine, Bon Jovi
42. Kokomo, Beach Boys
43. I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That, Elton John
44. Together Forever, Rick Astley
45. Monkey, George Michael
46. Devil Inside, INXS
47. Should've Known Better, Richard Marx
48. I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love, Chicago 4
9. The Loco-Motion, Kylie Minogue
50. What Have I Done To Deserve This?, Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield
51. Make It Real, Jets
52. What's On Your Mind, Information Society
53. Tell It To My Heart, Taylor Dayne
54. Out Of The Blue, Debbie Gibson
55. Don't You Want Me, Jody Watley
56. Desire, U2
57. I Get Weak, Belinda Carlisle
58. Sign Your Name, Terence Trent d'Arby
59. I Want To Be Your Man, Roger
60. Girlfriend, Pebbles
61. Dirty Diana, Michael Jackson
62. 1-2-3, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
63. Mercedes Boy, Pebbles
64. Perfect World, Huey Lewis and the News
65. New Sensation, INXS
66. Catch Me (I'm Falling), Pretty Poison
67. If It Isn't Love, New Edition
68. Rocket 2 U, Jets
69. One Good Woman, Peter Cetera
70. Don't Be Cruel, Cheap Trick
71. Candle In The Wind, Elton John
72. Everything Your Heart Desires, Daryl Hall and John Oates
73. Say You Will , Foreigner
74. I Want Her, Keith Sweat
75. Pink Cadillac, Natalie Cole
76. Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
77. Electric Blue, Icehouse
78. The Valley Road, Bruce Hornsby and The Range
79. Don't Be Cruel, Bobby Brown
80. Always On My Mind, Pet Shop Boys
81. Piano In The Dark, Brenda Russell Featuring Joe Esposito
82. When It's Love, Van Halen
83. Don't Shed A Tear, Paul Carrack
84. We'll Be Together, Sting
85. I Hate Myself For Loving You, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
86. I Don't Want To Live Without You, Foreigner
87. Nite And Day, Al B. Sure
88. Don't You Know What The Night Can Do, Steve Winwood
89. One Moment In Time, Whitney Houston
90. Can't Stay Away From You, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
91. Kissing A Fool, George Michael
92. Cherry Bomb, John Cougar Mellancamp
93. I Still Believe, Brenda K. Starr
94. I Found Someone, Cher
95. Never Tear Us Apart, INXS
96. Valerie, Steve Windwood
97. Just Like Paradise, David Lee Roth
98. Nothin' But A Good Time, Poison
99. Wait, White Lion
100. Prove Your Love, Taylor Dayne

Thanks to Hubby for explaining the strike-out thing.

Diet

Well, I made it through the Thanksgiving holidays without gaining any weight. In fact, I lost .8lbs. I am greatful for that. I fell off the wagon, went a little crazy and started this morning with a new determination to get back on track. Christmas is 4 weeks away. I think I can make it.

8.1lbs

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at our house went well. We had 3 kinds of pie (apple, pecan & pumpkin). We had a wonderful honey-glazed turkey. We had my favorite: fruit salad. We did not overeat. What are we going to do with all these leftovers?

On Wednesday because the children were out of school and I was home we cleaned house in the morning. I gave my children the choice of an afternoon activity (as a reward for their hard work). I wanted to either go to the movies or go out to eat. My 8 year old son did not want to do either. In fact, he did not want to change out of his pajamas. He has 5 days off from school and apparently a lot of playing to fit it. No movie, no dining out, no McDonald's playland. Nada. I felt bad for my daughter (6yo) and myself and decided we would check out a movie on Saturday when Jordan can stay home with his Dad. What kind of child am I raising?

The radio station that I listen to at work and in the car (and sometimes at home) has started with the Christmas music. I guess that is to be expected and should be glad they waited until after Thanksgiving unlike the retail stores. I have long held to a tradition of not listening to the music until after my birthday (no hints to the date here). When you have a December birthday it sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. I also do not put up holiday decorations until after the first week of December and leave them up until at least New Year's Day. But, I have all of my holiday shopping completed and the presents wrapped.

If you are interested in hearing some delightful piano Christmas music please check out this link: http://theranch.org/Christmas.68.0.html

Books

Well, I have been working on my blog once again. I finally have pictures. At my sister-in-laws suggestion I listed my books with links for the curious to check out. Whew! Quite a few books listed over there.

I rarely read a book I do not enjoy. In fact, I do not mind putting down a book after 20-30 or more pages if I realize it is a dud. Of course, some books are much better than others. I just recently finished a good one, Seasons of Her Life, surprisingly by Fern Michaels. In the past, I have scoffed at Fern Michaels books as being too shallow and written on too low a level for me. This book was quite ejoyable and covered the life of a young girl starting when she graduated from high school in 1950. It reminded me very much of the book, Evergreen, by Belva Plain which I read several years ago.

I don't think I have ever read as many books as I have in the last year. I started writing down the books I read in 2001 and I still have mosts of those lists (incomplete because of a hard drive crash). I read through several entire series this year. Elizabeth George has written a series of books about two Scotland Yard officers as they solve various murders. I truly enjoyed this series as the heroine is easy to relate to. I also read through the Mitford Series by Jan Karon (how had I missed this one before) and the Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber. Looking back on the list, I don't think I could pick a favorite. I am currently trying a new author, Rick Mofina and a new shipment of books is due anyday.

Diets

Things I miss while dieting:

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (minatures)
M&M's
Sonic Strawberry Cream Slushies
Bacon Cheeseburgers
Donuts
Smoked Chicken Pasta Pie
Trail Mix
M&M's
Sierra Mist
Brownies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yeast Rolls
M&M's
Bob's Sugar Canes
Cream Drops
Chocolate Milk

Sigh!!!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a few days away. My mother wrote in her blog about being thankful and I though I would do the same.

I am very thankful for my family. I have a large extended family and they are very important to me. I love my husband of 12 years. My children are the light of my life. My mother is my best friend and I am very thankful for that.

I am thankful that we live in a country with so many freedoms and there are people willing to fight to secure those freedoms for others. However, I am not thankful the war has gone on this long.

I am thankful for the sunshine this morning and the blessings that God has given me in this life as well as the promise of an eternity in heaven.

Anniversary

My hubby must have seen the not so subtle hint in my blog. He remembered our anniversary. We went out but without a baby-sitter we went with the kids. Also, still trying to diet so I chose the grilled fish and was very disapointed. For some reason he kept saying he thought it was 14 years. Living with me only feels like two years longer than it is. I guess I should be glad he didn't think it was 20. Now my birthday is coming up in a few weeks but I am giving out no subtle hints. We will just see.

War Eagle

War Eagle!!!

I refrained from blogging about the Iron Bowl because I am a bit superstitious. Those people who do not live here and especially did not grow up here have no idea what that game means. Wikipedia has an article that doesn't quite do it justice. As with previous years it is not necessary to goad those Bama fans in my vicinity. I need only to enjoy my relief of surviving for another year.

Saturday

Well, I updated my blog with the new format. I hope you like it. (Whoever you are that might be reading.) I figured out how to put a blog roll on and a list of the books I've read in 2006. I haven't completed the list but when I do I'll have to do something different. The list is currently over 60 and I can't figure out how to decrease the spacing to get it all on there. Maybe I'll put two in a line.

My mother has started blogging. Yes, it's true. Now everyone must be doing it. Her blog is called Bears in Exile. She even has pictures which is ahead of me. I also need to acknowledge her contribution to my "secrets" list. I learned some of that from her.

I've also been researching this 'meme' trend and I am very interested.

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." Romans 12:3

Secrets of a Happy Marriage

Sunday is my wedding anniversary (12 years). Maybe my husband will read my blog and realize when the date is. No big deal though. We usually do not exchange presents but try to dine out alone if possible. Twelve years is not a long time considering my parents are heading toward 40 (in February) and both my grandfathers were married over 50 (before they were widowed). I have quite a few friends who have 20 & 30 years in also. Still I am pleased that we have reached twelve years without killing one another. So I thought I would share my secrets to a happy marriage:

1) Buy 2 tubes of toothpaste - one for each of you. Why should you fight over whether to squeeze in the middle or not.
2) Don't even bother putting the toilet paper on the roll - no one cares which way it goes.
3) Before you say it out loud try to think ahead to the ultimate outcome of that conversation, Will the result be worth the little barb or criticism you made?
4) Respect each other's space. Men need their own space. Mine has an entire bonus room which I hardly ever enter (it helps that it is upstairs). He also has his own 2 car garage. The rest of the house is mine.
5) Never, never,never, never call your mother to complain about your husband. Nothing good will ever come of it. Most likely it will cause further problems. I don't mean complaining that he doesn't pick up his socks. I am talking about serious complaints and arguments.
6) Make time for yourselves. Children are wonderful but they grow up and leave. Make sure you take care of your marriage.
7) Pray

Bloggers

I have only been blogging for a few months but I have been actively reading several blogs for over a year. Since I started my current job, I make a habit of checking in on several blogs several times a week. This weekend I had the opportunity to meet the author of one of my favorite blogs, AtHomeDaddy.

AtHomeDaddy's blogs are very amusing. He was just as amusing in person however, he referred to his children and wife with unknown names (not the Princesss, the Talker, and Boss Lady that I have come to know). I found the experience a little displacing but enjoyable just the same. Now if only I could meet the author of the OdaMae Baby Blog.

Another blog I enjoy is called, Maya's Granny. Maya's Granny lives in Alaska and she is quite a storyteller. She tells stories about when she was a youngster as well as when her children were small. She also comments on things that she is passionate about. She manages at least one blog a day and sometimes more.

I am not sure I can ever blog once a day because I find I really don't have that much to say. At least, not that much to say at the risk that someone else might read it.

I am not going to blog on the ballgame this past weekend or the one coming up. Maybe I will do that next week if necessary. Also, a couple of important events coming up next week that I am sure will be worth a blog.

5.5lbs so far, yipee!!

Football at Work

I just saw on the web that the Auburn vs. Alabama football game will be played at 2:30pm. I was really hoping for a late game because I have to work that day. For the last 12 years the game has been played on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and I have had my choice of working the Saturday before and not watching the game or missing out on family gatherings after Thanksgiving. Most years I have chosen (or it has been chosen for me) to work. (See, I do have my priorities straight.) Most years I have been lucky and the game was at night. That is not to be the case this year.

Until last year I was able to listen to Saturdays games while at work on the radio. I even listen to them on the radio while watching the broadcast games on T.V. I enjoy the Auburn announcers. Starting last year there was no FM station in our area carrying the games.(I know, it is hard to believe.) For an annual fee you can listen over the internet and that is what I chose to do. However, my previous job at WM did not allow for internet use and I was not able to listen to those games while I was at work.

Well, let me remind you that I am a serious Dye-hard Auburn fan. I could not work idly by and not know what was going on during the biggest game of the season. So my grandfather loaned me his portable television. (Not a modern version, either) . Now this sounds good until you remember that there is no Cable Television at WM, either. So with some coat hangers, aluminum foil and wire I was able to rig up an antennae and actually kept up with the score (although the picture was very poor). I would have enjoyed Auburn's win more if not for those pesky customers.

(This reminds me of 1990 when I had to listen at work and listen to the Alabmama announcers and my team lost.)

So this year like several other games this year I will be listening on the internet. We do have a television in the lobby here but no cable so I'm not sure that will be any help. My husband has often suggested I Tivo the game and watch it later. This is the way we watch most of the F1 races (most are broadcast really early). However, I would not enjoy it as much if I knew the score and I cannot handle not knowing the score when it is over. I might Tivo this one anyway just to watch the highlights.

Just a side note: I read somewhere that the game might be moved starting next year back to Thanksgiving weekend. I think this is super for two reasons: 1) I don't have to choose between family and the game and 2)it would leave two weeks between the Georgia and Alabama games. However, I might have to choose between watching the game with my Alabama fan in-laws or safe at home.

Weight Loss

Two weeks ago I started a new diet and I refrained from posting about it until I was sure I could make a go of it. This morning I "weighed in" and had lost a total of 4.5lbs (actually more because I rounded down on my first weigh in from pure shock!). I am really excited about this! Usually, when I try to diet I am successful to the rate of only about 1lb a week for 4-5 weeks at which time I fizzle out, cheat, fall into discouragement and begin eating like crazy again. I then ignore the scale for a few months until my clothes become too tight and the cycle begins again. This time I had ignored the scale far too long. Summer months brought me wearing a lot of loose clothing that did not suggest how far my weight had gone up. I was somewhat shocked when fall weather forced me to try on my "fat jeans" and I found them to be too tight. Ughh! So here we again but with more to lose.

I decided to try Weight Watchers online. My mother has been very successful with Weight Watchers for over a decade (becoming a lifetime member) and in the past I had fiddled with an unofficial version of it with some success. I am so far very pleased with the online effort. WW works with a point system and given my natural goal-orientated personality it is a good fit. The website allows for you to easily keep up with your daily & weekly points as well as track your progress. I am using the digital scale at work so I know it is consistent. The biggest change is that I, a professed vegetable hater, have been forced to eat more vegetables. I haven't changed my opinion about them but when one is hungry one will eat a lot of things otherwise discarded.

My husband is also dieting. He seems to experience good success with dieting. He can loose 8-10lbs with hardly any effort. He doesn't seem to be as tempted by junk food as I am (as long as I don't fix any brownies!). With a little effort he may loose 5 lbs in a week with little exercise. He has had success with the low-carb diets which I could not tolerate. He can skip meals and sustain himself with peanut butter and crackers. I don't hate him.

I have also been doing a little bit of exercise. I don't enjoy it either. In the past I have used walking as my only exercise, walking about 2.5 miles 3 days per week. It is good to have some activity but it does not promote weight loss or help with that extra "flab". This time I am trying a combination of inline skating and using the Nordic Trac.

I could do an entire post on the NordicTrac and its adventures in our lives. We've had it over.10 years and it has spent most of it's life like a piece of furniture. But like a good friend, it is always there, waiting for you to come back and spend time with it.

Rather than shoot for the weight loss ideal weight goal I am shooting for a date. We are scheduled to leave for Disney World in 8 weeks. That of course means I'll be dieting throught the holidays which is tough for most people and almost impossible for those of us who love to eat and eat and eat. For right now I am only taking one week at a time.

Haircuts

Yesterday, the kids got out of school at 11:30 so I took J to get his haircut and then we went out for lunch. Lunch was a bribe so they would let me take a nap later.

Until January of this year my mother had been kind enough to see to my children's haircuts and I was quite happy with this arrangement. It was convienent, free and they didn't seem to mind. In January it was decided I needed to make other arrangements. Ughh! First I tried the salon around the corner from our house and two different beauticians. I didn't like either of them and the price seemed high for a child's cut. In September, I decided to try another convienent shop in the large Target shopping center. This place is called Cost Cutters and it has several locations. We walked in and Shayla cut Jordan's hair. I did the best I could describing how he usually wore it and off she went. She did a fantastic job. I felt so grateful I gave her an additional tip (the haircut was inexpensive). And we went back yesterday to get it cut again and she remembered us. And she cut it again the same way! I hope she doesn't quit.

I have been having my hair cut, permed, & highlighted for the last 13 years by Emily. Emily works in Boaz about 70 miles away. It took me many years of trying different stylists to find Emily and I would not trade her for anyone. I have followed her as she has changed shops 3 times. I do not need to get my haircut very often (as I wear it long) so I do not mind the trip. I do manage to visit with my grands while in Boaz. I am really too scared to try anyone new. Plus, people in Huntsville charge too much for haircuts & perms. Emily would not stear me wrong, either. She doesn't try to talk me into anything new and she tells me the truth when I ask her.

Autumn

Tuesday I found it necessary to make a 2.5 hour drive (and back home again). Despite the fact that most of the trip was via interstate I saw some really great fall foilage. I think that may have been the peak. I saw quite a mixture of greens, reds & some amazing golds.

My husband let my son have some coke at lunch. We normally do not let our children have caffinated drinks, restricting their soda to sprite or sierra mist. The boy talked non-stop all the way home. He has a bit of a geography obsession. He spent his time studying the atlas and sharing details with me. (He let his sister sleep, luckily.) A large part of his obsession deals with Alaska. He spends time drawing maps and labeling them. He knows all the capitols and major cities. Don't challenge the child. He will only prove you are not as smart as you think you are.

Once back home J had decided not to go trick or treating (he is 8, remember) because he had enough candy. The sister and I went to a few houses while he minded the door (most of the neighbors had their lights out.) B was happy wearing her dance outfit from last year so I was not out any costume expense this year. I think the children enjoyed giving out the loot to the treaters more than anyting else. It's the same way they would rather hide the eggs than hunt them. I am sure some of his behavior is normal.