Life's a journey, enjoy the trip

A Tale of Two Tails

2010-01-05T09:23:00.006-05:00

Bessie

January, 2010

This is a tale of life in the country. One day last week we were leaving when we noticed this cow standing across the road outside the fence. We immediately thought she had somehow gotten outside accidentally, so we called our neighbor and told him one of his cows was out. He checked his herd and called back and said it wasn't his. We returned home and she was still there. So here's where the detective work begins.

We stopped by another neighbor's house and he said it wasn't his. Meanwhile, we return home and she is in our next door neighbor's yard just grazing away, but still no idea where she belongs. There are many huge farms in our area that raises Black Angus. I called Mr. C (our neighbor across the road with the herd) and he said he had contacted another neighbor, but no luck. As we come and go, she is in different places. She spends most of her time up against the fence near the other cows, however, she was at our other next door neighbor's mailbox (I guess checking the mail). So, as we come and go, she is in different places, but never too far.

Yesterday when I returned home from running some errands, Mr C. was in his truck trying to herd her into his property until we can find the owner so that she will be safe. He had his son helping him and things seem to be going well. He was keeping her against the fence and slowly moving her toward his front gate. I totally stopped the car and waited until he passed me and when I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw her bolt across the road and go into the woods. Here is what I saw 15 minutes later.

Bessie enjoying our front yard

So, we are still looking for her owner. I teased Mr. C (who graciously offered to care for her until her owner can be located) about wondering what the current penalty for cow rustling is. Does anyone know if it's still a hanging offense?????

Next, comes the tale of the deer. In the middle of looking for the owner of the cow, a young button buck got caught in our front gate. This was really a "what the .......?" John tried to lift his back legs, but he just bellowed. So he called animal control for some help.

The officer immediately offered to shoot the deer. I was horrified! Not on my watch!!! John immediately ran down to the workshop and got a hacksaw and started to work. He sawed through the iron in quick order. The animal control officer and John took the pole that animal control uses and lifted him to safety. He was extremely tired and had abrasions on both sides, but seemed okay otherwise. The officer said to give him space, so we backed up and just waited. After about 30 minutes, John went to check on him and he bolted up and ran into the woods.

Results of damage to our gate but

Happy Ending!!!

My First Born

2009-12-03T09:02:00.016-05:00

Jay at 3 months

Exactly 41 years ago today I was a very busy person. My first born, John Thomas Wright, III arrived a little late into this world at 10:36 PM. It was a very long day. But I digress. Let's start at the beginning. It was in April, 1968 that I found out that I was pregnant. It was good timing because his Dad was graduating from UGA in June and the baby would be born in December. Back then finding out was not nearly as quick as it is today. I left a urine specimen at the doctor's office door with my name on it and they called me at work to let me know. I was truly happy. It was a turbulant time in our history. Right after finding out that I was pregnant, Martin Luther King was assasinated and shortly thereafter Robert Kennedy.

We moved to Macon after graduation and lived next door to my Mother and Daddy. Some may think that that would not be a good thing to do, but it was really good to have both parents close at hand. I was scared to death!!!!! I just didn't think that I would be capable of bringing a baby into this world. I'm not sure why. I remember when Jay's birth was getting near that Mother told me to get all the new baby things washed so they would be ready when I got home from the hospital. I told her that I didn't want to do that because I couldn't return them if something happened. She prevailed and I got ready.

My pregnancy was beautiful. I never had a sick day. In fact, I felt really, really good all the time. The birth, however, was another story. I won't go into details but suffice it to say, it was not pleasant. I weighed a whopping 90 pounds when I got pregnant and Jay weighed 7 lbs 2 oz, so you get the picture. I had such a difficult time that they kept me in the hospital for a full week! The thing that kept me going was that I would look around and know that everyone got here the same way.

I chose this picture of Jay because I have a perfect memory of getting the picture made. People were standing around and oohing and ahhing over the pretty baby. I thought they were being polite. I knew he was beautiful because he was mine. It really hit me that he WAS a beautiful baby when someone passing said to their friend "What a beautiful baby!". It was not intended for me to hear. I was just so filled with pride! I had done it!!!

Jay's First Haircut

Obviously, a traumatic event

Jay's First Birthday

I made the cake!

It was in July before Jay's first birthday that Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. They did a live broadcast of the big event and I will always remember that Jay was sitting in my lap and I was rocking him when the big event occurred. It's funny how certain things stand out in your mind. This was at Mother and Daddy's house. Daddy was really a spoiler. He would give each grandson a basket when they entered Rose's (a Wal-mart type store) and say "Boys, fill'er up". And they would. He would also give Jay a candy bar while he was sitting on top of the breakfast room table while Mother was cooking dinner. I would say "Don't do that!" And the reply from Daddy would be, "You do at your house what you want, but here, I do what I want to!" (I have possession of that table now and everytime I put a table cloth on it, I think of that moment.)

Jay's First Christmas

He didn't seem to impressed with Santa.

The two of us when Jay was about 8 months old.

We were on our way to church.

This is my favorite picture of us together.

Oops, uploaded twice.

Jay at about 4 years old
This is one of my favorite pictures. He looks so happy and his eyes are so blue!

Jay's Senior Picture
1987

One of my proudest moments was Jay's graduation from college. He made me so proud. I actually cried during his graduation and I don't cry often and this was inspite of the loud crowd and hoopla that goes on at a UGA ceremony.

Jay with Olivia and Mary

Jay with Alex

Jay as a Father

There are a few moments in a person's life that is imprinted on the brain forever no matter how long ago it occurred. The moment that Jay was placed in my arms for the first time. (I had to beg the nurse to bring him to me. She said I wouldn't remember it because of the meds, but I do.) The walk on the moon. His graduation from High School. His graduation from College. Seeing each of my Grandchildren for the first time and that overwhelming feeling that comes from that very special moment. I remember my Daddy saying that he didn't mind dying at a young age except he felt like he was the backstop for his grandchildren. I didn't understant it then, but I do now.

Life gets busy, but everyday I see something or hear something that makes me think of my son, especially songs from the 80's!!!

I love you, Son!

Honey, I'm home.......

2009-06-29T09:44:00.012-04:00

A17th Anniversary trip to Blowing Rock, NC

September, 2008

This was taken around our first anniversary.

Our Wedding Day

September 20, 1991

We started our journey together in 1991. And, as of this past Thursday, my sweetie will be retired and at home with me all the time. I have been anticipating this moment for many years. You see, we really do enjoy each others company and we really do enjoy doing some of the same things. That's not to say that we don't have our separate hobbies because we do. He loves the land and getting on his tractor and bushhogging. He loves to garden. He loves to build things. He really loves the challenge of trying to fix something that is broken. He actually loves home repair and maintenance. He loves doing acts of charity by helping those that need a helping hand. He loves old movies. He loves the computer and hates it at the same time!

He has a few collections going on also. We have traveled far and wide and enjoyed searching for different things. Most of you who know him knows what his favorite collection is but we won't print it here. He has an awesome wood working shop with every imaginable piece of woodworking equipment available, both new and antique. He collects Hard Rock Cafe pins. He has a rather large collection of Allstate mementos that have been given out as promotional items. He loves photography and has several really nice cameras and has all our photos cataloged and organized and backed up for safe keeping.

One thing that he really loves is to travel. We have been lucky enough to do quite a bit of traveling over the past 18 years, but now we hope to do even more. One of our dreams is to buy a fifth wheel and head out to see as many of our great national treasures as possible. It will be so different to leave and not have to really hurry back as we have in the past. He says he loves our "windshield" time together. While we're driving through the boring parts of a trip, I usually read a novel out loud. We have read most of John Grisham's books this way and really enjoyed talking about them as the plot unfolds, sort of like a mini book club. Another thing that we have done is purchase a Christmas ornament from every place that we have traveled. As we have decorated our tree over the years, we laugh and remember our good times. As it relates to travel (and in many other ways as well) we are truly soul mates.

It is really hard to believe that after 33 years with the same company that "R" Day has finally arrived. He has many times said he wonders what it will feel like the first morning that he wakes up and realizes that he no longer has the responsibilities that he has had for so many years. I was going to ask him this morning, but he's up and gone to get his computer repaired. This is just like him! Not wasting a minute. He has a list of 25 things that he would like to get accomplished around the farm and I asked him what were his plans for the second week!

Of all the people in the world, I am so happy that he is my eternal companion. It must be so because just yesterday at church someone said that we look so happy. And, we are!!!

You have another son.........

2009-05-27T12:42:00.028-04:00

Joel Marcus Wright

May 18, 1970

4:06 PM

Here is what I wrote in Joe's baby book.

After my regular weekly examination on Thursday, May 14, Dr. Rogers suggested that if I had no signs of labor beginning that I should go to the hospital on Monday and have labor induced. We arrived at the hospital (Macon Hospital) around 8:30 AM. By 10:30 AM I was having something for pain. At 6:00 PM I was awake long enough for Dr. Gibson to tell me that I had another son that weighed 8 lbs. 2 1/2 oz. and that he was doing fine. I was taken to my room around 7:00 PM and shortly after that they put Joe into my arms.

Joe at 2 months

Jay with Joe

Jay was saying "ont cwy, Joe" and then laughing.

Joe's first haircut at 1 year

Me holding Joe when he was just a few weeks old.

Joe in a state of the art seat.

How were we not arrested for child endangerment?

Sorry, boys! Every Mom probably has a picture like this.

Playing out in the backyard on a hot summer day.

Jay and Joe

Joe on Christmas morning

Joe and me

We were at Disney World

Joe

He played for a recreational park program.

One of my favorite elementary school photos.

One of my favorite middle school photos.

Getting his high school diploma

Tucker High School

Class of 1988

June 14, 1988

Senior Picture

1988

Photo for his modeling portfolio

He was about 20, I think.

Playbill

The Haunting of Hill House

DeKalb Junior College

May, 1990

When Joe attended DeKalb, he called one afternoon to say that he had decided to try out for the school drama department's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I thought he would try out and that would be that. I hoped that he would not be disappointed when he didn't get the part. Well, he got the part and went on to be in many more plays at the school with many leading roles. He took every drama class that they offered. I finally told him that he couldn't go four years to a two year college. He is very talented and always made me proud!

The ugly step-sister

Cinderella

DeKalb College

1990

A photo that would make any Mother proud. I still laugh out loud when I see this!

The two of us in 2006

Joe showing us his pride and joy - a 1988 Ford Mustang Convertible

Joe with me on the day that I was installed as an officer in
The Order of the Eastern Star
Madison Chapter 335
Madison, Georgia

April, 2007

Joe was a very peaceful baby. Mother said all May babies were and she always knew. I can remember so many cute things that he said as a little guy. The funniest to me was when he knew that Jay spelled his name J A Y. He said that his name was spelled Joe O E.

He walked alone at eight months old. Very early! He rarely cried as a baby and I remember his 5 AM feedings as just a joy. You would feed him, change his diaper and he was ready for a nap. I just don't remember him being fussy at all.

One of the greatest gifts that Joe possesses is his kindness toward others. When he was in the second grade, he took a little boy that was deaf under his wing. The teacher said that he helped him all day long. When he would find out that our waitress was a single Mom, he would always tip around 50%. He would share anything that he has with someone in need. Even today, he donates a lot of his time to Habitat for Humanity and loves the work that they do for the needy. His compassion is unparalleled! He has such a good heart!

And then there was the time that I had to have radiation to my brain. I came home from the hospital and was very heavily medicated, but every time I woke up I saw a clown in full dress juggling at the foot of my bed. I thought that I was hallucinating! Guess who it was? And, yes, he can juggle and make balloon animals!

He brings me such joy. He is a wonderful son and I thought it only appropriate that I honor him with a little write up during his birthday month. (Beware Jay, you will be coming up soon!) He is a great man with honesty and integrity and a strong belief system. Great things are coming for him and he is going to reap the rewards of all the kindnesses that he has shown to others over the years. I'm not going to share too many secrets, but I did want to let him know that I love you, Son and I am proud to be your Mother. There are moments that are imprinted in our memory for life and one of mine is the moment that you were placed in my arms.

Honey, can we get a Yorkie? I've always wanted one.

2009-04-07T10:48:00.013-04:00

Bringing Mattie home

It was a beautiful day in December, 2004, two days after my birthday when my sweet husband and I enjoyed a lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I said "While you pay the check, I'd like to go next door to the pet shop."

For some time, we had discussed getting a small dog because I was having health problems and he was traveling quite a bit, so we both thought that I would enjoy the companionship of a dog. John was raised in the country and had had outside dogs, but never one that lived inside. I, on the other hand, had only had inside dogs that were treated like people - namely a few poodles.

I went into the pet store and there was one little bitty Yorkie in a big cage all by herself. I asked the owner if we could get her out. (She had a huge, and I do mean HUGE, price tag.) The pet shop owner got her out and all one pound of her pranced around the store like she owned it! She played and was just "Miss Personality". By the time John got into the pet shop, I was already smitten! Honey, this is the one! I want her! As a side note here, I really didn't care whether it was a male or female and John had only two requirements. One, it cannot bite any grandchildren and two, it would not stop us from traveling. I agreed to both with no problems because who really wants a dog that bites. Right?

He said okay and we started the paper work and the pet shop owner gave us a cage and food so that we'd have everything that we need for the first few days. She told me to put a heating pad on low under her cage at night to keep her warm. So, we were all set!

We bring her home and I think she slept in that cage for about a week and John just couldn't stand it. She was in bed with us from that moment on!

Within just a few short months, Mr "she can't bite and she won't stop us from traveling" was totally loving this little ball of energy. Now he says, "well, no one needs to put their hands near her" and "we'll just pay to take her with us" and that's how it's been.

She is really great on a trip. She rides in her little safety seat on the console and knows what the rest stops are for. The great thing about traveling with her is that people come up and talk to you that you would have walked by on the street. We have met some really wonderful people on our journeys and have heard wonderful stories about their pets and have had lots of questions asked about Mattie.

Here she is getting into contraband - a Christmas present!

She is named for two of my great-great grandmothers. While doing genealogy, I found two great-great grandmothers whose name was Matilda - one on each side of my family. Her registered name is Lilly Matilda. The Lilly is for John's grandmother that lived to be 101.

This is in Blowing Rock, NC - one of our favorite places.

This is in front of the visitor's center there. I had so many people stop to talk. There were several that wanted their picture taken with her.

Mattie with her favorite ball.

When she was a few weeks old, John came home with this purple ball. He rolled it on the floor and she went for it and immediately brought it back. He said, "Oh, isn't that cute? She fetches." Little did we know!!!!! She can tell time. At three o'clock, on the dot, she brings that ball out of nowhere and it's play time. She will bark until you throw it! She will fetch it for as long as you'll throw it. We have to say, "It's time to put the ball up." Reluctantly she will surrender her ball. We play for long periods of time, but after two to three hours, we have to stop. Needless to say, the Vet notices that she stays at her trim 4.9 lbs and has since she was a little over a year old. Here's an interesting little side note. She will not play with any other ball. We have tried to replace this scummy (although we wash it often) ball several times. She will not fetch another one. John tries to fool her. He'll hide the purple one and throw a red or green one and she'll go and smell it and come back with a funny look on her face. She is just too funny!!!

Here we are doing genealogy work at my family cemetery. She's wearing her matching sun visor and collar and leash.

This was our 2006 Christmas Card photo.

I think this photo says it all. This is on Christmas morning. If you look closely, you can see her kissing me. She is mine in the morning and John's in the evening. It's like she evenly divides her day between us. We didn't do it, she did! She sits close to me or in my lap in the morning and she finds him in the afternoon for her fetch fetish!!

One thing I do know. We have our precious pets for such a short time! When I am knitting or sewing and she comes to get in my lap, I stop what I'm doing and love her until she's ready to get down. I don't want to ever feel that I should have spent more time with her or have any memories of brushing her aside. I just stop what I'm doing. How important is knitting or sewing anyway?

Honey, will you paint our bedroom?

2009-03-15T09:16:00.012-04:00

Seems like a simple request, doesn't it? As you can see, the bedroom was a dark colored plum. I was really getting tired of it, so I said, "Honey, will you paint our bedroom my favorite color?" Of course he said "Yes" and the adventure began. That was in early November.

The color was picked out and the new carpet was ordered. We also decided to update the fixtures as well. We custom ordered really nice expensive Delta fixtures from Lowe's. I'm telling you they were Delta because that's important to the story.

The fixtures were shipped directly to our home and arrived in about ten days. John immediately installed the faucets because the room had been painted. The painting was no easy job because going from a dark color to a light color requires Kilz plus two coats of paint, but that went rather quickly.

The fixture made for the Roman tub just wouldn't go in. We went back to Lowe's and were told that we needed new valves, so they were ordered. Another ten day wait for the valves. I had ordered new bedding and it had arrived and was safely tucked away waiting for the room to be finished. Lowe's is calling every Monday to see when the carpet can be installed and I am telling them that there is a plumbing problem and the carpet has to be last. They just want to be sure that I am happy.

Keep in mind that John is traveling and out from three to four nights a week, so all the work has to be done on the weekends.

The new valves arrive and on the next weekend John tries once again to install the fixture for the Roman tub, but it just won't fit. When he leaves on Monday, I call my new best friend at Lowe's, Wayne, and tell him the new valve just won't fit. (John is not a plumber, but there really isn't much that he can't do.) Wayne asks the million dollar question that has not been asked before. "What kind of fixtures do you have?" I take the phone with me into the shower and in little bitty letters I tell Wayne "Price Pfister". He says, "Well, that valve will never fit. Let me explain it to you. It would be like trying to put Chevrolet parts on a Ford. You will need to bring those fixtures back and order Price Pfister." Okay, John will be home Friday and we'll bring the Delta's back and order Price Pfister.

On Saturday off we go to Lowe's once again. After thinking about it, I decide since the brass Delta's need to go back (the entire bathroom is in brass), why don't we update to brushed nickel. So when we get to Lowe's, I pick out Price Pfister fixtures that are very close to the Delta's in style, all in brushed nickel.

Have you looked around your bathroom and noticed how much metal there is? Shower trim, knobs, hinges (both door and cabinet), door handles and light fixtures are all matching, so now we have to replace all of it. Oh, I forgot towel bars and toilet paper holder as well.

Then the hunt begins. We find the cabinet hinges at Home Depot, the cabinet knobs and door handles and hinges at Lowe's. The new light fixtures at a local light fixture company. This takes quite a while. The cabinet needs repainting and the only thing I could think to do for the shower trim was to paint it. Lowe's recommended a paint that would adhere to the metal and that painting had to be done. All of these swap outs are a lot of work and meanwhile, Lowe's is calling every Monday to see if they can install the carpet.

Finally everything is painted. All the light fixtures, towel bars, knobs and hinges are in place and we are ready to have the carpet installed. One little deviation from the story. We had not had draperies on our bedroom windows and I wanted them for a little color. I needed a ten foot pole to put up (insert your on ten foot pole joke here) the draperies because the window is eight feet wide. I had to go to the department that sells hand railings and get a round pole that is unfinished, so John had to paint the drapery rod and install the finials.

As we are doing our final walk through with the carpet installers coming on Monday, I go, "Oh, no! The ceiling fan is brass!!!" So, off to Lowe's again and we purchase a great new ceiling fan in brushed nickel so that everything will match.

The carpet installers arrive on Monday and do an excellent job of getting the new carpet in and at last, I can put the new bedding on. This is the results.

I monogrammed our new red towels and put out the new lamp. We carefully selected the wall hangings from the many that we have and hung them in place.

The final touch is the new flower arrangement for the counter top. We had it custom made and I think the florist did a magnificent job getting the right colors. Because she knew that it would be reflected in the mirror, she made the back as pretty as the front.

We have the room roped off, sort of like they do at Mount Vernon and other historical homes. You can just peep in. I guess we'll soon actually walk on the new carpet, but in the meantime, I have to say that my sweet husband never once complained about what I wanted. He saw the vision too, and just four months and a few days later, it is finally finished!

Lead Outs, No Breaks, and Pinebrook Inn

2009-03-01T10:59:00.012-05:00

Lead Outs were unique to the big dances of the fraternities and sororities. At about ten o'clock an announcement would be made that it was time for the Lead Out. This is where the officers and seniors of the sorority would line up and be "presented". You would walk out on stage with your office announced and stand in the center of the stage. You would walk down a ramp to a platform where you and your date would be introduced "Miss Carol Horne, President, escorted by ?????" You would then put your arm through his and walk the rest of the way down the ramp. Everyone would be gathered around and would applaud.

The No Breaks would occur after the Lead Out. Each officer would name their favorite slow song of the time. Starting with the junior officers leading up to the President. She would always, of course, be last. The announcer would say "Miss Carol Horne dancing her no break, Only You, with Mr. ???. The couple would move to the center of the dance floor under a spot light and they would dance their special selection. It is much like a bride at her reception. ( A little side note here. It took special training to know how to put your hoop right on top of his shoes so that your gown would not be over your head in the back causing much embarrassment.) After a few bars of the song, then everyone would come onto the dance floor and enjoy the music. But, the rule was, no one would break in on that couple.

Now you might think that at about midnight the big event would be over. But no, there is more to come. Your date would take you home and patiently wait while you changed clothes into a short semi-formal and then off to Pinebrook Inn for the breakfast.

Prior to the breakfast you would have pre-selected your meal. This would usually be steak, chicken, or shrimp. The breakfast would be just for the members and not for everyone that had attended the dance. The breakfast would usually last until around four in the morning.

I don't know how my poor Daddy stood it. He would wait up until I was safely home in his chair by the front door. As you can tell, Macon was quite an unusual place to grow up. It was very social. There would be at least three big dances requiring ball gowns and two of those would require a semi-formal for the breakfast. If you broke up with a guy or if you were helping out a friend that just wasn't dating anyone at the moment, you could go to as many as five big dances plus the Military Ball.

Oh, did I mention that one of the favorite local bands (and we did hire bands) was Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers featuring Otis Redding? Yes, I was right at the stage standing about three feet from Otis Redding at the beginning of his career. Another local favorite, but a little after my time was The Allman Brothers. One of the lead singers, Dickey Betts is my cousin. They toured all the local places and did a few dances when they were trying to make it.

There is not a girl on the face of the planet that did not enjoy dressing up like a princess for the evening and yes, I did have a tiara. These are very fond memories, indeed!

The Dress Drama

2009-02-25T15:08:00.004-05:00

As I explained in the earlier post, the formal dances in Macon, GA in the 60's were many. With that came the always important part of getting "THE" dress. There was a place in Macon called Starnes Formalwear. Here's how it worked. We would go to Starnes and a nice lady with a clipboard would sit down with you and start asking questions. What event were you attending? Did you have a "special" role at this event? (Were you an officer of the sorority?) Did you have a special color in mind?

After answering all the questions, you were escorted into the dressing room which was much like you would see in a bridal shop today. You would put on the appropriate undergarments, they would bring you the hoop and you would step into it and secure it at the waist with the button. Then she would start bringing out dresses in the color of your choice until you made a decision that this was the "perfect" one. Part of the agreement was that you were guaranteed that no one else would show up in the same gown at the event that you were going to. If the dress needed a little altering, it was done and you picked the dress up the day before the dance and returned it the day after. This was done all for the whopping price of $15.00. Now, by today's standards, that doesn't seem like much, but in the early 60's, it was quite a large sum. You could feed a family of four for $15.00 per week. This did not include shoes, gloves, or wrap if it was a winter event. (By the way, stepping outside in one of those hooped gowns during the winter was just like stepping outside in a swimsuit.)

I had gone through all the budget money one year. Mother had a good friend that had a daughter that was about 3 years older than I was and during a conversation with Mother, she offered me one of her daughter's dresses that she knew she would never wear again. We took the dress and, of course, it needed altering. We took it to a seamstress that promised she could do the job. I was happy! It was a beautiful red chiffon dress. My date asked what color I would be wearing so that he could buy the proper color corsage. I thought everything was settled. We went to pick up the dress and brought it home for me to try on and to my dismay and horror, the dress had been butchered. I can't even think of another way to describe it. It was BUTCHERED!

What was I going to do? I was lamenting my tale at lunch the next day when one of my friends, Jerri Ann Whidden, said, "I've got a red dress that you can borrow" Saved by a friend! I went by and picked up the dress and Jerri Ann and I were both small, so it fit just fine.

Here is the red dress. Notice the glass slippers. I still have them!

Here is the rest of the story:

About two months after Jerri Ann loaned me the dress, she was killed in a car wreck. Her date was trying to get her home by her curfew and he was speeding and lost control of the car and she died in the accident. From that moment on, my Daddy never insisted that I be home by a certain hour. I was given a reasonable time and a few minutes before or after was fine. If I found that I was going to be much later than the curfew, I just had to call. They were very trusting of me and I really didn't give them any reason not to be. But it was because of Jerri Ann and that tragedy that they were really loose on my arrival time. It broke my heart. She and I were just 16 and life was just beginning.

I have often thought of her and every time I come across this picture, I think of her and what a good friend she was.

Thought for the day per Marie: To have a good friend, be one.

Horn Blows and other social rituals

2009-02-19T09:12:00.015-05:00

My invitation to join KMS

As you know, I went to an all girl's high school. We really had to be creative as we became dating age because there was no social contact between the boys and the girls. Back, long before I got there, someone decided that sororities and fraternities would be a good idea. This would help bring about a social life for everyone. As you made friends in Junior High, you would align yourself with friends so that when you reached Senior High, they would "rush" you and, hopefully, invite you to belong to their sorority.

Each sorority and fraternity had a big formal dance. They were equally set throughout the year so that what most people know as Prom season did not converge all at once. My sorority had a spring formal. The sorority that my sister belonged to had a winter formal, so literally there were one to two formals a month. That could really drain the budget!!

The horn blows. Each sorority had a specific horn blow. Try beeping your car horn in little staccato beeps. Some I remember were: Beep,Beep,Beep, - Beep,Beep,Beep- Beep Beep Beep. That signified one sorority. Then there was Beep,Beep, - Beep Beep, Beep Beep. I hope you get the idea. The purpose of the horn blow was so that if you were going through a neighborhood and passing one of your friends houses, you could do the horn blow and she would know exactly who was passing.

Artist rendering of The Pig 'n Whistle

This was the hang out. It was where everyone converged after a date or instead of a date. If you were hanging out with girl friends, you would go to the Pig. It was THE meeting spot. It was there that you could see who was dating whom. (Side note. My Daddy worked there with Aunt Willie Mae's husband, Glenn and Glenn introduced Daddy to my Mother. It was when he first arrived in Macon and they were working there as short order cooks.) After socializing for hours and having the Pig Special, you would leave and, of course, as you were driving out of the parking lot, you would do your sorority horn blow. (See how important these horn blows were.)

Here I am at one of the formals. This one was called The Peppermint Twist. Have you ever seen a bigger dress? I am only five feet tall, so I was all dress and, of course, the obligatory french twist hair do. I think this was about 1962.

This was at the Military Ball in March of 1964. The young man in the photo was really just a friend. His name is Bill Fields. I had so exhausted the formal budget for the year that my friend, Sharon Orwan made my dress. (We have lost Sharon to breast cancer in 2005.) She was an amazing seamstress to be a senior in high school, but I thought it looked really nice. As you can see, the style had become a little straighter and no longer were the big hooped ball gowns fashionable.

This was at one of the big dances and the young man is Lee Tanksley. Lee was really my High School Sweetheart. We went to several big dances together and dated until my junior year. He was quite accomplished. He was the band Drum Major and, also, Captain of the Golden Boots precision drill team at the boys high school.

Lee went to the University of Georgia and participated in ROTC there. So when he graduated from college, he was immediately commissioned into the Army as a Lieutenant. He served two tours of duty in Viet Nam. We stayed in touch most of our adult life. He married and had a son and lived in Jackson, Mississippi. In January, 1988, I got a phone call from his cousin Nancy and she said sadly that he had committed suicide. I had not talked with him in a while and all she was able to tell me was that he was depressed over many things. He was 42.

Every now and then, when I go through old pictures and I come across a picture of him that I saved, I am truly sad. He took me to my first big dance and he took me out on my 16th birthday. It just did not compute that he would end his life so young and so tragically. I think this was a life defining moment for me and made me realize just how important life is and how short it can be.

This is just a snippet of dating in the 60's. It was a wonderful time. It was a safe time. I'm sure I'll share more of the stories of my friends and growing up in upcoming posts.

Senior High

2009-02-14T13:45:00.007-05:00

A.L. Miller Senior High School for Girls

est. 1931

Hail to the Class that offers more

Hail to the Class of '64

Miller Senior High was established in 1931 for the public education of girls in grades 10-12. The boys attended Lanier Senior High and it was approximately 1 mile from the girls school. The schools were partnered in that Miller provided the cheerleaders for the sports teams and the Homecoming Queen. Other than that there was very little inner action between the two schools. Lanier had a full Jr. ROTC program and if a young man was caught on our campus, he would be punished through the military program at his school. And when I say it was an all girl school, it was. The entire faculty and the Principal were all female. I did not have a male teacher until I went to college.

The curriculum at the school was amazing. I took college prep classes that were very advanced for the times. I took three years of Latin and two years of French. The math was very advanced for the times. We had very strong History and Social Studies departments as well. I did not fully understand how good my education was until my Freshman year of college. My roommates would be up studying until all hours and I would go to bed at a decent hour. I made Dean's List my Freshman year all because of the strong education that I received at Miller.

At the University of Georgia I worked in the Admissions Office. When high school applications came in they were given a plus or minus score based on the high school that the applicant attended. The highest was a plus five and Miller graduates received a plus five. There were only five schools in the State of Georgia that received a plus five and Miller was one of them.

Carol Marie Horne

Senior Year

1964

I was the second oldest girl in my class of about 300. The cut off for the Board of Education was December 1st and my birthday was December 8th, so when I started first grade, I turned seven on December 8th. It did not register that I was the second oldest in my class until my Sophomore year when we were all approaching the magical 16th birthday. One of my friends was 16 on December 1st and I turned 16 exactly one week later. It was quite special to be one of the first to get my license. But with getting that license came responsibilities.

I turned 16 on a Friday. My High School Sweetheart took me out to dinner like a grown-up and it was my first date. (I was not allowed to date until I was 16.) On Saturday morning, my Daddy got me up bright and early and said he had a few errands for me to run. I was sent to the grocery wholesale house to purchase groceries for the store and then off to the meat packing plant to order all the meat for the store. And I thought I'd just be cruising with my girlfriends to all the hot spots!! (By the way, one of my gifts was my own key to the family car. A very large Buick!)

The President of the United States and the First Lady

John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy

Taken on that fateful day in November, 1963

There are many events that will occur in your life that you will remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news. One of those days was the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. I was a senior in high school and had entered my sixth period class Economics. Mrs Brubaker's head was down and she looked distraught. As we all took our seats, she said that the President had been shot. You could hear the intake of breath. This was before schools were equipped with TV's and intercoms. Shortly after two o'clock, another teacher entered the classroom and whispered in her ear and she began to cry. Through her tears she told us that the President was dead.

For the next four days, the Nation mourned the loss. It was on all the TV stations (all three) with non-stop coverage. People would watch through the windows of stores where TV's had been placed and openly cry. It didn't matter what political party you were a member of, truly back then, the Nation came together when a new President was elected. The very thought that something like this could happen was beyond belief. The funeral, with all it's pomp and circumstance, was televised for all to see. Everyone was very saddened. How could this be?

Then through a strange turn of events, I was watching live when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald right in front of the world. I had this feeling of "did I just see what I think I saw?"

The 60's were very turbulent times!

Coming next: Dating in High School and other fun stuff!

Junior High

2009-02-11T15:46:00.014-05:00

Miller Junior High School

Grades 8 and 9

Miss Clara Nell Hargrove, Principal

The interesting thing about Miss Hargrove is that she was Principal at the Junior High and then moved to the Senior High, so I only had two Principal's all the way through school.

Gym Class

I wanted everyone to see the gym suits. They were royal blue with your last name embroidered on the back. Either white or blue Keds with bobby socks was the uniform.

That is me with my back to the camera.

That is me on the right third from the point.

In the 9th grade, there were gym assistants that wore white gym suits. We assisted the gym teachers by umpiring or being a referee in basketball or soccer. We also marched. We were told that it gave us rhythm. To this day, I can square a corner. Gym assistants called the commands as the marching music played. We played volleyball, basketball, marched, field hockey, and softball. It was quite a well rounded curriculum. But here's the funny. Becoming a gym assistant was quite an honor. It was probably the highest honor that one could receive in Junior High, outside of being elected a class officer. The rules to be named a gym assistant were comprised of a point system along with the grades that you made in the 8th grade. Then at the end of the 8th grade school year, the new gym assistants were named.

I made straight A's my 8th grade year. I had many outside activities, so I was quite surprised to see my name on the list. I HATE gym. But, amazingly, that didn't matter! So, I got to wear the white suit and assist the teachers for my 9th grade year. I still have my referee's whistle on a green and white lanyard.

This is one of the organizations that I belonged to. Tri-Hi-Y
I am third up from the point on the left side.

Miss Adele Connor
9th Grade World History Teacher

I wanted to include this story about Miss Connor. She was tough!!! We started at the beginning of the year outlining the entire history book. By the end of the year it was probably a good 6 inches or more thick. Anyway, her classroom was out on the wing of the school that had the Principal's office, Library, Infirmary and her classroom.

The last day of school before Thanksgiving Holidays we were having our big test that ended the grading period. Miss Connor was out that day to travel to visit family, so the Principal, Miss Hargrove offered to administer the test for her and keep them in her office until her return. The test was the hardest test I think I have ever taken. It was five discussion questions and I still remember the first one. "Discuss the fall of the Roman Empire." Oh well, haven't books been written on that one subject? I did the best that I could, but felt a bad grade coming.

During the Thanksgiving Holidays, there was a fire at the school and that wing was destroyed, along with the tests. I DID NOT START THAT FIRE!!! But, I hate to admit it, I was secretly glad that it happened. When Miss Connor returned and learned the fate of the tests, she gave us a multiple choice test which I aced with no problems.

Junior High was a time of a lot of beginnings - group activities with boys and getting our Learner's Permits. As you can tell by the pictures, it was an all girl high school. At the time I hated it, but later appreciated the quality of the education that I received there.

Virgil Powers Grammar School

2009-02-08T15:11:00.018-05:00

Virgil Powers Grammar School

This is the elementary school that I attended for grades 1 through 7. In Macon they were called grammar schools. Virgil Powers was State Railroad Commissioner, Public Works Commissioner of the City of Macon, and a member of the Bibb County Board of education. He died at the age of 75 in 1894 and was considered a leading citizen of the State of Georgia.

Me in the 2nd Grade

My 3rd grade class

The teacher is Sara Jane Bradley

Can you spot me?

Me in the 7th Grade

My 7th Grade Graduation
Miss Frances Oliver, Principal (on far left)
Teacher (on left) Miss Pauline Bronson and (on right) Mrs. Jean Thomas

I remember every teacher that I had in elementary school. I attended the same school with the same Principal for the entire time.

My teachers were:

1st Grade - Miss Ruth Elder

2nd Grade- Mrs. Anna Ruth Leaptrol

3rd Grade - Mrs. Sara Jane Bradley

4th Grade - Mrs. Jewel Culpepper

5th Grade - Mrs. Annie McDonald

6th Grade - Mrs Jackie Mann

7th Grade - Mrs. Jean Thomas

By the very fact that I can remember all their names should tell that they all left a great impression on me, each in their on way.

Every year we had a Halloween Festival that would be filled with all the usual fair. Then, in the Spring, we had a May Festival. We had a May Pole and one of the highlights of my schooling there was to be in the class that did the May Pole Dance. That might be something to look up if you don't know what it is. Every class would perform a folk dance native to a foreign country. It was quite fun and the big finish would be the crowning of the May King and Queen. I was in the court, but by the time I got to the 7th grade, the program was changed and I was Maid Marion to Robin Hood.

The 7th graders had the special experience of having a Prom. I know most of you do not even know how a prom really works, but ours was the traditional way. When the young ladies entered the room, in a long prom dress, of course, we were given a Dance Card. It was tied around your wrist. Then the young men had to come to you and ask to be put on your Dance Card. There would be general dancing and then an announcement would be made that it was time for Promenade number one. At that point, you would find the young man that had asked for the first dance and you would dance with him. Then you would put your arm through his and promenade around the school yard. You would come back in and there would be more general dancing and then the announcement would come for Promenade number two and you would find that young man. It was the first event that I remember feeling like a grown up.

There are many fond memories of Virgil Powers, indeed!

In 3rd grade photo, I'm on third row, 6th in and in Graduation photo, I am on 2nd row, second in.

Take me out to the ballgame......

2009-02-06T09:18:00.026-05:00

Behind Home Plate
Entrance to Ball Park

This is the entrance to Luther Williams Ball Park in Macon, Georgia where I grew up. It is the second oldest minor league stadium in the country. It was built in 1929 and it is the home of the Macon Music, but today I will reminisce about the 1950's when it was home to the Macon Peaches.

During that time my Daddy had season tickets. Our seats were the best in the house, directly behind Home Plate. The seats were the old uncomfortable wooden kind that folded up and had no padding whatsoever. His initials, JHH, were stenciled on the back of the seats, so everyone knew who those seats belonged to. The first picture is directly behind Home Plate and the view that we had during the games. When a fast ball went over the plate, you could feel the breeze. That's how close we were.

Mother hated baseball, so Daddy would take me. Yes, from the time that I was about 3 years old until I left for college at age 18, I was at Luther Williams Baseball Park at every game with my Daddy. This was a different time and a bygone era where you did not have to worry about your child not being by your side at all times. I was literally let loose in that park when I got bored with the game. I would visit all the concession stands, visit the ticket booths, and visit with other fans.

I loved peanuts. Daddy would buy the bag, shell them, take off the red hull (I didn't like that) and feed them to me one at a time. Was I spoiled? Rotten probably just begins to get close! After the game was over, he would make a round of all the concessions and pay my tab. Such was life in a small town. We knew everybody there and they knew us. Something that I miss in today's world.

In addition to having one on one time with my Daddy and sharing a sport that we both loved (I learned to because of all the time we spent there), I got to see some pretty famous baseball players at the beginning of their careers. Pete Rose for one (1962) and Tony Perez (1963 and a Hall of Famer) and many others that went on to the "Show".

These are memories that will never fade. One regret that I have is that Daddy's health failed before I could get him to Atlanta to see a National League team.

Here I am just a few years ago sitting in the very seats that were ours.

So, it's one, two, three strikes you're out

at the ol' ballgame!

Who's the boss?

2009-02-03T15:57:00.009-05:00

This is a picture of my Daddy when he was young and the way that I remember him. I was afraid of him or maybe I respected him and his position in the family. The other day my sister Kaye and I were discussing him and she asked "Why were we afraid of him?" I said I could recall the exact moment that we established the hierarchy in the family.

I was about 3 years old. About the age in this picture where I am looking ever so angelic as I played tea party with my doll. Behind the grocery store there was a city drainage ditch that was paved and used to catch all the water run off from the city streets. This ditch was sprayed with chemicals for mosquito control and if even a little rain came, it was a torrent of rushing water.

Daddy told me not to play in the ditch. There was usually a little stream of running water, so the temptation was just too much to bare. I thought he was making a suggestion. He was very concerned for my safety.

One day he caught me playing in the ditch. He went straight to an Alfa bush (I think that's what they're called) and picked a switch. He stripped all the leaves off and proceeded to switch me all the way back to the entrance of the store. I was screaming, hurting and left with welts on my legs.

Now I know that spanking, in any form, today is a no no. However, it immediately established who the boss was and from that moment on I never, and I do mean NEVER, crossed that man again. The one thing that I never wanted to do was incur his wrath.

I can go one step further. I never wanted to hear him say "I'm disappointed in you." Those very words would bring me to tears and, trust me, I don't cry.

I plan to write more about him in upcoming weeks, but suffice it to say, I am totally a Daddy's Girl. When he died at the young age of 61, I was able to look into his casket with no regrets. I felt that I had been the best daughter that I could possibly be. I'm not aware of doing anything to make him worry. I spent a lot of time telling him how important he was to me. I listened to his wisdom and advice. I was with him when he left this earth and that's exactly where I wanted to be.

If you are lucky enough to still have your Daddy, do you show him how important he is to you and can you say you'll have no regrets? Do you show him the respect and love that he deserves? Do you tell him often? Do you share important occasions and moments with him and only him?

I know I wish I could still do that! I still miss him and it's been 32 years. If I sit still and listen, I can hear his voice.

What now?

2009-02-02T23:33:00.002-05:00

Last Friday I received my second surgical opinion. Both doctors, both considered leaders in their field of neurosurgery in this particular area, independently of each other, feel that I have radiation damage and that surgery would not make things better. In fact, it could make things worse. The balance problem is here to stay.

I've had many hours to mull over possible things that I might do and being the kind of person that I am, I certainly will not take this lying down. I feel I have much left to do.

The doctor suggested that I treat all the other symptoms that I have and watch the tumor to see if it grows. Then, and only then, will I have surgery.

Here is my plan to attack:

1. Counseling. I've used counselors a time or two in my life at various stressful times and now is certainly stressful. I would like help learning to cope with cronic pain.

2. A nutritionist. I have very profound digestion issues that I have previously dealt with, but as stress builds, it escalates. So, I would like a nutritionist to work with me on getting my diet right.

3. Exercise. I am a couch potato. I have always been and have never cared to participate in any kind of physical activity. But, for two days in a row, I have clocked a mile on the treadmill at a pretty fast pace. I have John acting as Jillian (The Biggest Loser) standing in front of the treadmill shouting at me that if I stop, he'll take a bar bell and beat me with it. (You have to watch The Biggest Loser to understand that.)

4. Theraputic deep tissue massage. I have done this for quite a while now when I can afford it. It is expensive, but oh so worth it. I'm going to try to continue because it really works for me.

5. Drugs. Yes, drugs. I was taught not to take any unnecessary medicine and now, it's necessary. I know deep down inside that I need to be on an anti-depressant. Anytime anyone deals with something constantly, they need help. So, I'm officially giving in (please forgive me, Mother - she would not approve.)

6. Take one day at a time. Minute by minute if necessary. Try to keep those things "on my plate" small and manageable. As much as I'd like to do for others and have a busy social life, it's just not in the cards. When I can, I will. When I can't, I will not stress!

7. Continue to stay plugged into the anausa.org group of helpful people that are all going through similar things, some much worse. But, accept their help, guidance, wisdom, and friendship.

8. Remember everyday how much I have to be greatful for. Things could be so much worse and I never lose sight of that.

9. Try to attend my church meetings and get my spiritual "fix" every Sunday. It always leaves me feeling uplifted and happy.

10. Take more time to have fun. Sometimes, when things are just not going right, I thing we forget to just have fun.

11. Continue to travel whenever we can!!!

12. I will make a concentrated effort to reach out, if only by phone, to those around me that are having problems. Speaking from experience, you have no idea how important a phone call can be when you're feeling low. There are friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and neighbors that are in need of a listening ear. I will try to be there for those that I know are suffering.

That's my Dozen!!! I wrote a dozen because my very favorite thing comes in dozens - doughnuts!!!

Gone Too Soon

2009-01-29T10:18:00.010-05:00

Lady (Poodle)

1965-1976

Tom (Siamese)

1966-1977

Bubba (Lady's Father)

1963-1977

Mother and Beau

As I have mentioned in previous posts, my Mother was an animal lover. I thought it only fitting to include her with one of our family animals as I talk about them.

First, let's talk about Beau. This falls under "it seemed like a good idea at the time". An airman that was stationed at the Warner Robins Airforce Base was about to deploy and his full blooded poodle had just given birth to a litter of three. Daddy (in his entrepreneurial way) bought the litter at a deep discount with the intention of selling them. Mother took them to the groomer when they were just 7 weeks old to make them pretty for perspective buyers. Two sold immediately, but Beau started acting rather strangely. Mother took him to the vet and he thought that he had been dropped during the grooming and had sustained a head injury. He suggested putting him down because he had been biting. Well, he didn't know Mother. She immediately told him that she would "poke meat through a cage before she's put him to sleep". Such was Mother!!

Beau didn't ever seem to be in pain, but he would only let Mother take care of him and pet him. Anyone else that approached was in danger. Once, when I was very pregnant with Joe, she was taking a bath and forgot to take a towel into the bathroom, so she asked me to hand her one. I, unthinking, stepped into the bathroom to put a towel in and Beau bit my foot. It was sort of like putting your finger into an electrical socket!

To keep him out of harms way and away from anyone coming to the house that he could bite, she took an old fashioned baby play pen (one made of wood) and took the floor out and kept him inside the play pen so that he couldn't hurt anyone. He only was penned when someone was there other than Mother and Daddy. Beau lived to be around 14 or so and she cared for him his whole life.

Next is Bubba. When I was a junior in high school, I bought Bubba, much to my Daddy's dismay. It didn't take long for him to get attached! When I left home, he promised me a puppy if I would leave Bubba with the family. I certainly couldn't take him from so many people that loved him every single day.

Bubba had a very large vocabulary for a dog. In fact, one of my favorite stories is about my sister. She would tell Bubba that Mother was planning to give him a bath and he would go and hide under the dining room table. When Mother would find him, she couldn't put her hands on him because he would start growling! "Who told him?" It was always funny to watch. When he needed to go out, he would just go and sit by the door until someone noticed him. He had the sweetest disposition of any dog and was one of the smartest that I have ever known.

This brings me to Lady and Tom, my first pets. Lady was Bubba's daughter, the pick of the litter. She was born in February, 1965 and she was a loving faithful little companion until she died right after Daddy in September, 1976. She had gotten old and had gone blind, but was able to function quite well and the vet said that she was not in any pain and just to watch her closely. I came home from work one day and she came over and crawled into my lap and just sighed and was gone. I was heart broken. She had been with me such a long time.

Acquiring Tom was quite the adventure. I wanted a Siamese cat and I found a litter in south Georgia that was purebred, so off we went. We were in Daddy's 1966 Buick Wildcat. We picked up the Blue Point male Siamese and started home. We dropped Daddy off and got into our little car to head back to Athens. It was in January and going to freeze that night.

We arrived back in Athens at around midnight. Did I mention that these cats had been living in a barn? Well, when the car door opened, the cat freaked out! He scratched and fought and got loose and the last I saw him he was running down King Ave. in Athens. I know he probably didn't survive the night because it went down below zero for several days. I was so distraught. Not only had we spent a lot of money and had an exhausting day, but we didn't have our kitty. I told one of my co-workers the next day. He called me that night at home and said his Mother had a Siamese that didn't sell in her last litter and she felt so bad for me when she heard the story that she said to come and get him and that I could have him. So, I got my Siamese after all.

As it turned out, Tom was one the the greatest cats ever. He had a great personality and lived to be 11 years old. He died of cancer and I have never felt so helpless.

As pets come and go through our lives the leave indelible prints. I just do not understand anyone who doesn't love animals. I was raised to love them and take care of them. I waited a really long time to get another pet because the pain is so great when it's time for them to go.

Do you have any good pet stories? Has there been one special one that touched you? Just wondering.

Can You Say "Ouch!"?

2009-01-25T15:54:00.007-05:00

Yes, this is what happens when you have Gamma Knife. Here's how I came to the conclusion that it may be worth a try. As mentioned in a previous post, I was referred to a neurosurgeon who explained my options. These were what I was told: 1. Wait and watch. Annual MRI's to check for growth. 2. Gamma Knife Surgery which is cobalt radiation. This should kill the tumor. It will still be there, but it will not grow because the radiation will kill it. 3. Surgery for removal. Here in Atlanta the only surgical option was a craniotomy which is about 9 hours of surgery with about a six month recovery. Also, there are so many things that can go wrong, there are too many to list here.

I came to the conclusion rather quickly that the Gamma Knife was the less invasive and my best option. I scheduled the treatment for October 31, 2003. We had to be at the hospital by 6 AM for all the paper work.

We arrived at the appointed time and I was taken into the prep room where an IV was started and I was hooked to monitors. They washed my head in alcohol. Now, honestly, that doesn't sound so bad, does it? Well, try it in a room that is about 60 degrees! It felt like ice. The nurse was so kind. He kept apologizing and said it wouldn't last long, but the area had to be prepared and as sterile as possible.

Next came the frame. The contraption that you see in the photos. And, yes, it is screwed down to my skull. They gave me lidocaine injections at the site to help numb the area, but at my first "ouch", out came the "good" drugs. They took the photos because the nurse said that she thought all of your family should know exactly what you went through. Sometimes the medication is just too good to remember.

I was then taken to have an MRI. It was the sweetest one that I've ever had because I was totally unaware of what they were doing. I was then taken back to the Gamma Knife room and placed on the table while the neurosurgeon, radiologist, and nuclear physicist mapped my brain coordinates, so that I would be getting the radiation on the exact right spot.

The radiation last for about 45 minutes and since my head was bolted to the machine, I just laid there and watched the Today show. (I always like to see what the cast is dressed up as on Halloween anyway, so I stayed entertained.)

I was then taken to a recovery room to get my sea legs back. After the procedure, my head was bandaged like I had had major surgery and while I was being rolled down the hall, I kept saying "Trick or Treat". Everybody would just laugh and I kept wondering what they were laughing at.

Kaye (my sister) and John were waiting for me. They asked me how things went to which I replied. "It was really good! Matt Lauer was dressed as J Lo and Al was dressed as P Diddy." They had the strangest looks on their faces.

I returned home and it took a few days to recover, but for the moment all was well.

Thought for the day:

Never say never and never say always!

My Most Spiritual Moment

2009-01-24T16:36:00.010-05:00

Two of my favorites that Ruth made.

My most spiritual moment ever occurred in June, 2003 just before I was diagnosed the the brain tumor. This happened as the result of a really sad tragic illness. One of our church members, Ruth was diagnosed with a brain tumor. A really bad kind. She had surgery and was able to continue her life for a couple of years with no problems. Then in December, 2002, she started feeling bad and, at the suggestion of her husband, had another MRI even through the one that was done in June was fine. When she had the one in December, it showed that the tumor had returned with a vengeance and another surgery had to be performed. She came through the surgery, but it was apparent that she was not going to be able to beat it this time. In January, 2003 she was moved into a beautiful Hospice facility with beautiful surroundings and around the clock care.

At that time, I was in the Women's organization leadership and one of my responsibilities was to visit the sick and help make sure that we were doing all that we could as a church to help and support this family during these hard times. There were three children, the oldest was a girl around 11, a boy that was 8, and the baby girl. I believe she was 5.

One day early in July, a friend, Michelle and I visited Ruth. I asked her if she knew who I was. (We had been friends for the longest time, but this was near the end and I was not sure how much she knew about what was going on.) She said, "Yes, you're Carol". Then she looked up at me and asked me "Do I matter?"

I was really stunned for just a second. If any of you reading this believe that the Holy Ghost can be with you and that words will come when you need for them to, this truly happened. I said to her, "yes, you do matter and let me tell you why."

It was at that moment that words come from I don't know where and I was able to recall vividly lessons that she had taught and what they had meant to me personally. I thanked her for the dozens and dozens of baby quilts that she had made and donated to needy babies. There were hundreds! I thanked her for quilting lessons that she had given to so many. (We always had a quilting frame set up and we all worked on these baby quilts from time to time at her direction.) I told her all the places in my own home that I had things that she had made and that her artistic talent was unbelievable. I reminded her that she hand painted my beads to take to girl's camp and all the girls clamored to get one of them. I told her the joy of my friends in my birthday group when I gave them a candy jar that she had painted. They oohed and aahed and you know how you can tell when you hit a home run with a gift. They were all delighted. I reminded her that I had outbid everyone for the special quilt that she made to commemorate our Women's Retreat that reflected our theme of Psalms 119:105 that says Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. (The money raised was to be used for more fabric to make more baby quilts.) But, most of all I told her we were all grateful for the unwavering example that she set in living the gospel. I told her that she would always be missed and never forgotten.

She passed away shortly after that. I still regret that I was unable to attend her funeral because on the day of her funeral my youngest granddaughter was born.

One great spirit left us and a new little spirit entered the world. Such is the circle of life. She was a good person and I do think of her often and I do miss her.

Did I mention that we bought a home?

2009-01-22T23:05:00.004-05:00

Yes, right in the middle of getting diagnosed, we purchased a home. It all started in July, 2003 when I saw a picture of our home in one of those little real estate books that you can pick up at the grocery store. I thumbed through it and found this lovely home. It was on 12 acres in a rural area about one hour from where we lived. I called to ask a few questions and when John found out that there was a creek at he back of the property he wanted to go take a look. We set up the appointment for that Friday.

We had talked many times about buying a home with some land, but we had to wait until John was close enough to retirement that if he was asked to come back into the office and stop traveling, he could manage the commute until retirement time. We are 62 miles one way from his office. As long as he's in his present position, no problem because he works and travels from home.

We arrived at the address and started down a 1000 ft. driveway and when we rounded the corner and saw the house, our mouths dropped open and we knew we had found it. We tried not to get too excited because you just never know what lies behind a front door. We were not disappointed! The prior owner, and I am really happy about this, was a clean freak and the house was spotless. Neither of the couple smoked so that gave us a really big sigh of relief. We returned home and decided this was it. We needed to make an offer.

We contacted a realtor because this was such a big investment, we needed to be sure that our interests were protected. The owner told the realtor that she was going to be out of town, so no need to hurry because she would not be in town. The realtor met with us, wrote up the offer and said she'd call on Monday to present it. Imagine my surprise when the realtor called and said that her plans to go out of town had been cancelled and she had already excepted an offer. We were devastated!!!

We decided to make a back up offer anyway. We wrote the new offer and we were luckily in a position that we did not have to sell our existing home, so there was not a contingency clause. The other buyer had to have a contingency, so at that point, the owner exercised her right to the "kick out" clause which means that she contacted the first offer to see if they could remove the contingency. They could not, so we got the house! This took an unbearable 48 hours. We decided to close the last day of August, 2003.

We moved into the house in October, 2003. This all occurred at the same time as the diagnosis.

There is one thing that happened that still makes me shake my head. About two years before we found the house, we were on a trip and got to the airport a little early. I purchased a book of house plans and found a home that I thought would be just right for us. After we moved in and I was unpacking, I found the book with the bookmark on the page of my selection. That's right! It was this EXACT house!!!!!

Was it meant to be?

Thought for the day:

No success can compensate for failure in the home.

The Diagnosis

2009-01-21T15:34:00.008-05:00

Cruise to Hawaii
2003

This photo was taken on our cruise to Hawaii in 2003. It was shortly after our return home that I made that fateful trip to the ENT's office for words that would change my life. I was going for what I thought would be a routine visit with some answers to my dizzy/balance issues, but in no way prepared to hear what I was about to hear.

The PA came into the exam room and said the doctor would be with me shortly. I really didn't think anything was or could be wrong. The doctor entered the room and in a very matter of fact tone said, "Well, you've got a brain tumor. I think it is an acoustic neuroma and I am referring you to a neurosurgeon." After the words "you've got a brain tumor", I heard blah, blah, blah blah, blah. The PA noticed the look on my face and wrote down the words acoustic neuroma on a piece of paper and handed it to be. She softly said, "Look it up on the Internet. They are almost always benign. Call us if you have any questions."

I mumbled a thank you and headed out to the car. If for one minute, I had thought that I would be hearing anything like that, I would have had my wonderful husband with me. I sat in the car, the hot car, it was August and couldn't move. I had some of the funniest thoughts run through my mind.

Is this life threatening?

How can I tell people this and not have them worry?

Will I need surgery?

Will this tumor grow?

How will this affect my everyday life?

Panic!!!

I calmed down and called my husband. I said, "I have a brain tumor, but don't worry, it's not cancer." I proceeded to tell him that I was headed home to find out what I could about the type of tumor that I had and I'd let him know later. He wanted to come home. I told him not to that I was fine.

Then, I proceeded to call my sister. I gave her the same speech. She said in her own way, "Whaaaat?" I gave her the same "don't worry" speech and told her the same thing. I was just having an out of body experience and this really wasn't happening. I think back about it and it was like I was floating through all these things - like in another dimension.

Next comes monumental research but,

the thought for the day is

Denial is not a river in Egypt!

The Love of My Life -throughout eternity

2009-01-20T15:25:00.009-05:00

John

Blowing Rock, NC

17th Anniversary

Yesterday we celebrated his birthday and he always says, "It beats the alternative." How true! We learn to appreciate every single day, every single event and all things in between.

We have a beautiful love story. We met in 1987. We both worked for Allstate in different departments, but occasionally, our paths crossed. I knew him to be a man of integrity and very well respected among our peers. Our first date was on Halloween in 1990. I went over to his home and fixed dinner together and answered the door handing out treats. I knew the relationship would go somewhere when I noticed that he had two potato peelers. The romance flourished from there.

We were married on September 20, 1991 in a gazebo at sunset with our immediate family and a few close friends present. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful memory. We did something that I will never forget. We had not really made it public knowledge that we were dating and so we had approximately 100 announcements printed and we mailed them at lunch time on our wedding day. It was a Friday, so imagine everyone's surprise when they got their mail on Monday and there was our announcement. Shock waves ran out among the community. We had pulled it off and kept it quiet.

We honeymooned just north of Charleston, SC at a Bed and Breakfast Inn that was a beautiful low country home. We were between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, so we had the best of both worlds. We enjoyed She Crab Soup, Fish Chowder, and Calabash Shrimp. We shopped and bought the angel that still tops our Christmas Tree. We love the area so much that we have returned there often, but truly, there is only one honeymoon!

We have traveled the world. This is a passion that we both have. We have been to Europe several times. London, Paris, Nice, Berlin, Munich, Venice, Rome, and Florence to just name a few. I was treated to Mother's Day lunch on the Eurostar traveling through the fields of mustard and lavendar in Italy. We have been on several cruises, including Alaska, The Carribean, The Panama Canal, and our favorite, Hawaii. We loved the cruises. Everything is in one location and the food and entertainment is always really good. We have traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada. We have been in all but two states and maybe, someday soon, we'll get to those. This summer we hope to do a little mini-mission for the church by volunteering to be guides at Palmyra during the annual pageant. What fun that will be!

There will be many more posts about this wonderful person in my life. Here are just a few more things about him that shape him and make him the perfect match for me.

Father of four

Grandfather of three

Step-Father of two

Step-grandfather of three

brother of ten

He's worked for the same company for thirty-two years, quite an accomplishment in this day and age. He's had several leadership callings in the church and always gets accolaids for his accomplishments.

He's tender and caring, fair and just. He has a sense of humor that keeps us both laughing. He is passionate about politics, guns, and other beliefs that he holds near and dear.

I am so proud to call him my husband.

He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brother

2009-01-19T18:23:00.018-05:00

Joe at about 3 years old

Joe

1st Grade

Joe

Senior Year

Max

1992-2009

Joe and Max

One thing in this life that we are not able to chose is the family that we are born into and the siblings that come with it. I could not be luckier! I have a wonderful sister and brother, one each, both younger. But today I'm talking about my brother because tomorrow is his birthday and it is a perfect time to remember some things about him.

Like the day he was born. He was born at 11:55 pm on January 19th in a small little clinic in Macon. I had just turned seven and remember like it was yesterday when Daddy took me to the hospital to see him. Mother held him so that I could get a good look and I thought he looked yellow, so I kept saying he looked like a goldfish. There wasn't anything wrong, so it must have been the sun coming through the window.

Mother couldn't get used to the energy of a boy when he was little after having two relatively quiet girls. And some of the antics he would pull! Once he needed a hanky, so he got the scissors and cut out the knee of a new pair of pajamas because he needed to wipe his nose! That went over well!!!!

He was all boy! He loved baseball and was really good at it, earning a spot on the Varsity Baseball team at his high school when he was just a freshman. Quite an accomplishment. I remember one time when he drove to Atlanta and the two of us took in a Braves game. It was at a time when the Braves couldn't get a crowd by giving away seats. We sat somewhere around third base and ate hot dogs and had a great time. One of our few brother/sister only outings.

He shares Mother's love of animals and always has had pets. He recently lost his best friend after a long faithful friendship of 16 years. A really long time for a dog, but the hurt is still fresh and I hurt for him because I have felt that pain also. It's hard to get over.

He loves cats too. I told John that the Vet must just "run him a tab" because there's always one of them needing care. And good care they get.

But the thing that most impresses me about my brother is the way that he loved and cared for our Mother when she was dying. He was her favorite and it was always alright with me. I think it was that special bond that sons have with Mothers and I have that with my two sons, so it was definitely okay. He sat by her bed and cared for her better than any professional nurse ever could have. He was gentle and kind. He was the one with her when she died and I think she planned that on purpose. Just the two of them. That was, I am sure, exactly what she wanted.

He has done one other really good thing. He married JoNell and I love her like a sister. There is one thing that I know. If I needed him, in any way, he would come to my aid. It's like a silent security that I know is there. I am, indeed, a lucky sister!

MRI's and other forms of torture

2009-01-15T09:25:00.003-05:00

Going through the Panama Canal

2003

Have you ever had an MRI? Well, I have friends and family that say there's nothing to it, but if you are clautrophobic, there is a LOT to it. I arrived for my appointment in plenty of time. When I got into the room, I see this huge machine. I was told to lay down on the table and that I would have to be really still. An almost impossibility for me. They lay me down on this table and tell me to put my head in this thing that looks like half a football helmet. That seems okay to me. I put my head in the little cradle and that's when the fun began. Velcro was used to strap me in. Then a cage like thing was pulled down over my face.

This was total torture. I was rolled into the machine and told it would take about 45 minutes. They had put plugs in my ears because she said it would be "loud". Well, it sounded like I was inside a drum and someone was banging on it. I was chastised for not being still. It was awful! Then, after about 30 minutes, I was rolled out, told to remain still, and dye was injected into a vein. Then the fun began again. This time it lasted only about 15 minutes.

I hate it, hate it, hate it! I have to have one of these every year and the dread starts when the appointment is made. I have now learned to partially drug myself and lay a wash cloth over my face. This helps with the closed in feeling.

Anyway, next would be the results. The doctor would call me. So now started the wait.

What led to the discovery

2009-01-14T13:10:00.012-05:00

Cruising to Hawaii - April, 2003

At wedding reception - March 15, 2008

Back to the brain tumor story. In 2002 and 2003 I had a lot of dizziness. I would go to the doctor and complain of dizziness and he would check my blood and say that everything seemed to be okay. During early 2003, I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and started the usual round of antibiotics. It went away. About a month later, the same thing happened. I went back to the doctor and it was at that time that he decided I needed to see an Ear, Nose, and Throat doc.

Around July of that year, I have my first appointment with an ENT. He thought that I needed to undergo some additional tests, so they were scheduled. Let me back up a moment and add that during the last two weeks of April, John and I had the most wonderful vacation ever and we have traveled a lot! We took a two week cruise to Hawaii. It was relaxing, romantic and just the best ever. It was after this trip that the "fun" began.

The tests were unusual. First, the hearing test. That was not unusual at all, but the tests that followed were quite an experience. (My hearing is normal, by the way.) Next, I was called into an examining room and I sat on the table facing what looked like a metal bar. The lights were turned out and one eye was covered and I was told to follow the light with my eye. First, it went up and down, then it jumped randomly about. This was done, of course, on both eyes. Next, came a really fun test. I lay down on the table and the technician says, "I'll get a trash can, just in case you throw up". I said "WHAT?" Yes, I heard her right. She says this often makes people sick, especially if they are prone to motion sickness. (I did just mention that I went on a cruise, didn't I?) What happened next was very uncomfortable. First, warm air was blown into my left ear for about 20 seconds, followed by cold air. It really makes the room spin, but I didn't get sick, just queasy. Now that you know what's going to happen, yep, you're right, it's done to the right ear. Not a good day!

Of course, I was told to make an appointment for the next week and the doctor would go over my test results with me. When I went back for that appointment, he said there were some abnormalities on the right side and he thought an MRI was in order, so he made the appointment for the MRI with contrast for the next week.

Thought for the day:

Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Murphy's Law

My Mother's Love for animals

2009-01-14T11:24:00.011-05:00

This is a photo that was professionally taken of Baby. My Mother had Baby before I was born, so it was the early 1940's.

Her love of animals is to this day unmatched by anyone that I know. I grew up living behind the grocery store that my Daddy owned. There were two wooden doors with two screen doors in front of them. People in the neighborhood knew Mother would take in animals, so it was never a surprise when Daddy would go to open the store in the early morning hours and find some little injured or orphaned critter stuck between the screen doors and the wooden doors. I can remember hearing him yell as I would be getting ready for school, "Dammit, Marie! Somebody has left you another animal!" She would take the animal in, give it the medical attention it needed and then find it a home. She was the only person that I knew that carried long gloves and a blanket in the trunk of her car just in case she happened upon an animal that needed help.

I'll add some of the stories of my childhood pets in some following posts and more pictures.

Thought for the day:

There are two things to aim at in life; first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest achieve the second. Logan Pearsall Smith

Mother

2009-01-13T10:36:00.011-05:00

Mother holding me - probably 1946

Marie Newsome Horne

Today is the day that I think of my Mother. She was definitely one of a kind. I would describe her as the original Steel Magnolia. Strong, never waivering. I don't remember her crying more than once or twice in my life. She instilled in me my strength and resolve.

Here are some of my memories:

She was an excellent cook. She would put Paula Deen to shame. We had very elaborate meals prepared from scratch every single day. Our Sunday meal was like most people's holiday fare. Daddy was a hunter and she cooked what he brought home. She often said if it "walked, crawled, or flew", he'd want her to cook it. We had many exotic foods to try as well as the usual southern fried chicken, fried fish, hush puppies, slaw, mashed potatoes, and every kind of vegetable that could be grown. There were at least four or five different kinds of peas alone. I do plan to share her recipes and that of my grandmother's someday. Oh, and the biscuits. There is nothing to compare them to - not even Cracker Barrel.

I've decided to share more of the memories that I have in small snippits. Topics with pictures. So, more to come later.

Mother had many sayings. One of my favorites was:

There is no greater love than the love a Mother has for her child.

Wonky Head

2009-01-12T17:04:00.008-05:00

Kyle, John, Maya, Alex, Olivia holding Avery, Me holding Mary

Our Grandkids

What is wonky head, you ask. Well, it is a term coined by other people that have acoustic neuromas (or ANer's) that means any abnormal feeling going on in your head. This brings me to the point. My main symptom is wonky head. Sometimes it is vertigo, or dizziness. Sometimes it feels like an earthquake is going on. Sometimes it feels like a wave is washing over me. This happens somewhere between 15 and 20 times per hour. My body is constantly trying to adjust. This, in turn, brings on fatigue. It is very tiring to try to balance all day long and even when you are laying down, things can be out of whack.

I'm going to start from the beginning a tell the whole story. I know many people that suffer from this. Many have decided to "wait and see", some have radiation (there are many different types to choose from), and then surgery. All of these can have different outcomes and whatever decision is made can only be made by the patient. One day I want this over and the next day I'm scared to death! The decisions are not easy because in only some instances is it life threatening. When it is, no problemo! The decision is made. But, for those of us that fall into that no man's land of wanting to be better, but possibly coming out worse, really have a tough time working through the possiblities. As I break down my journey, you will see that I have tried many different things, all hoping for a miracle. Not so fast! There's more to it than that. Follow my story as I slowly write it and if it helps just one person, all the time spent will be worth it.

Thought for today:

Happiness has to be practiced, like the violin.

Decisions, decisions, decisions

2009-01-11T17:07:00.005-05:00

This is where I am at this time in my life. A big decision has to be made. I thought the best way to do this would be like some movie plots. Start with today and then go back in time and give everyone the back story.

I was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma in August, 2003 and this is my story with history and other fun things thrown in. I have two purposes for this blog. One: my children have asked for my history, and two: some of the trials that I have gone through might just help someone else. The journey has been difficult and I have kept it to myself, but now is the time to share. Tomorrow I will have an appointment with my local ENT doctor for a baseline hearing test and to discuss his thoughts on my upcoming brain surgery. More on this later.

Thought for today:

If you have your health, you have everything.