Friday, May 08, 2009

MOMS - THE Party of No

Sunday is Mothers Day, an annual day of honor and celebration for Moms. If you’re fortunate enough to have a Mom who is still living; spend time in her presence or on the phone with her, send her a card, do something nice for her; tell her you love her; let her know you recognize she has been given a God assigned role and she works hard at being Mom. She is very important to your life and well being. Say a prayer of thankfulness for your Mom. She loves you. She is a blessing; she counts, count her.

Moms wear many hats; some fit better than others. Moms are compassionate, caring and connected to feelings. Moms just ‘know’ when you’re in trouble or headed that way. They know the signs. Moms also say no, regularly. Moms mentor, teach and explain. Moms say no, regularly. Moms ask you if your friends wanted to jump off a bridge would you join them, just because ‘everyone’ else is doing it. Aggravating, yes; cliché, yes, but necessary. Moms say no, regularly. Sometimes it’s so sweet you don’t realize it was ‘a negatory’, but Moms say no, regularly. Sometimes it is discipline and privileges are taken away from you so that you will remember essential lessons. Moms say no, regularly.

Moms seek to protect your best interests. Moms want you to thrive and succeed, even though you question her definitions at times. Moms would love to be able to say yes dear, you can have anything you want, and suffer no consequences for your decisions. Moms don’t want you to get hurt, so Moms say no. All this so that one day you’ll know how to say no to yourself and to your children; when you don’t have the money to spend; you can’t afford to buy the fancy car; you can’t afford to pay the mortgage and living expenses on that big showy house; or you don’t have enough hours in the day to do all the things you want to do and still be a good Mom or Dad. Moms say no, regularly. Moms would rather you didn’t have to make all the mistakes they made in their life; so, Moms say no, regularly.

Moms are not perfect but Moms say no, regularly.

We live in a challenging political time. We hear people and parties criticized for wanting to talk about it, say ‘wait a minute’ or saying no way, no how. Do we hear ourselves? We have a whole ‘list’ of things we want to do, that others have kept us from doing, and now no one can stop us, so we are going to do whatever we want. We don’t have the money but are sure we can ‘take’ whatever money we need to pay for what we ‘want’ from someone else.

Moms call that stealing.

Everyone is doing it; this is the way that it’s done; don’t rain on our parade; we ‘will’ do what ‘we’ want and you can’t stop us. We will lie; we will cheat; we will say whatever we want about whomever we want, after all, it’s just the news, it’s just politics.

Make your Momma proud; BE the party of NO. Someone needs to be. Love you Mom!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Early tomatoes


I'm a little late on this news as we ate our first tomato back on March 8th; had to pick a couple and take with me on a trip to Arkansas/Oklahoma and ripen on the counter.

Now we have abundance and are ripening between the counter and the greenhouse. It's a good thing:)

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

IRS Handle Census

Rhonda is wondering why the US Census can't be handled by the IRS. Everyone file your tax forms and you count:)

It would create some jobs at the IRS and save a bunch of money over all.

Why not?

Friday, February 06, 2009

Wasteful spending needs to go.

Interesting times.

These are interesting times. Patience no longer seems to be a virtue.

Haste makes waste. I think we are witnessing this, in the actions of Washington, again this week.

Over the years our family has developed some rules for living. One of those rules is the one that deals with those product demonstration offers you get on the phone which require the presence of both my husband and myself. Those don't get scheduled at my house. My husband doesn't want to see and if you can't deal with me alone on it, I guess we just won't see your pitch. It makes those calls easy to deal with.

Another rule we have comes to those deals that are just good for 'today', right now. Let me clue you in. If you tell me I have to 'decide' right now, or I'm gonna lose this deal, my answer will be 'NO'. Any decision that depends on me being impulsive and not being given time to evaluate and research the proposal is going to automatically get a 'NO' answer. It's the 'RULE', a wise one I'll add, and has kept me from making some really poor decisions over the years. If a decision doesn't measure up to the scrutiny of a reasonable amount of 'time', it doesn't have a foundation based on wisdom.

Maybe you can see the benefit of having a rule such as this too. I hope so but you can decide for yourself.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

List and Tree

Today I made a list. It just seemed like time. I like having a list because there is a lot to do and most times more than six things. I know, the ideal list only has six things on it, but mine has more than six.

There is a certain satisfaction to being able to draw a line through things on the list. I suppose this is to solidify my belief that 'it all counts'. Yes, there are some things that are more important than others, nevertheless, they all have to get done sometime, and so 'they all count', because anything done is going to take up some moments of time. And time is a commodity that is to be redeemed.

I like the word redeemed. My minister has been talking about it for the past couple of Sundays. I think I will try and use it as much as possible this year. Hmm, maybe that was a resolution, we'll see.

One thing on my list today is the un-trimming of the tree. Yes, I am aware that I am running late on this task. I would normally have done this in the week immediately following Will's return to college but that ran a little later this year and it just wasn't 'time' yet. Today it is 'time'.

It has been an unusual season for us this year and probably adds to feeling that the tree needed to be up a while longer than 'normal'. While we are traditional in having a tree for the Christmas season, we haven't ever been traditional in when it needed to go up or come down. It is usually a group effort in that the tree is bigger now, with the tall ceilings, as is the box it is packed in. Bruce or Will are good about helping get it down here, put together and the lights hooked up to work properly. We found early on with this tree that I am apt to leave some of the lights un-lit and not even notice. Once plugged in, all I notice is how pretty it looks. This happens to be a nono when living with expert lighting fellas. This year Bruce did the honors.

As I reach for each ornament, I remember the time of it's purchase, gift or making. They are a bit like treasures as they are part of our family story, and dependable in that they are always ready to be re-hung and assisting in sparking the memories again. Not all of the ornaments will be wrapped and tucked back away in the attic. Some remain out and are placed around the house to keep a bit of the season close, particularly some of my angel ornaments, which I started receiving and giving a few years back with some good prayer partners in Kentucky. I hear that tradition continues on there as well as here. I think I may even hang a few angels from the dining room light this year just for a bit of whimsy as that has become my sewing room as well.

So now you know and on we go. Make it a good day.

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Another See You Later

Marcus M. Jones III

OXFORD — Funeral services for Mr. Marcus M. Jones, III, 67, will be at 3 p.m. Friday, January 9, 2009, at K.L. Brown Memory Chapel in Golden Springs with Dr. Roland P. Brown and Wayne Dunaway officiating. Entombment will follow at Forestlawn Mausoleum. The family will receive friends Friday from 1:30 p.m. until the service hour at the funeral home. Mr. Jones passed away peacefully at his home in Oxford on January 6, 2009 surrounded by his family. Mr. Jones was born and raised in Calhoun County. He attended Jacksonville State University. He worked for the Alabama Highway Department and later retired from Anniston Army Depot after 34 years. For the last 10 years, he worked as a computer analyst for Robbins Gioia. He was a lifetime member of Ohatchee Church of Christ. For the last ten years, he had attended Golden Springs Baptist Church with his wife, Jean, and was active in the Fisherman's Sunday School Class. He was loved by many for his gentle and kind spirit. He will be dearly missed. Mr. Jones was preceded in death by his parents, Marcus M. Jones Jr. and Vernice Calhoun Jones; a sister, Rebecca Jones Nunnelly; and his brother, Stanley Jones. Mr. Jones is survived by his wife, Jean Waldrop Jones; a daughter, Stacey Jones, of Gardendale; sons, Brett Jones and his daughter, Alexis, of Anniston, and Timothy Lucero, of Fort Bragg, N.C.; and blended family members Kelly Shrout and her husband and son, Mark and Garrett, of Huntsville.

Pallbearers will be Virgil Waldrop, Danny Nunnelly, Greg Calhoun, Jerry Calhoun, Jason Jones, and Ricky Jones. The family wishes to thank Melissa Matthews from New Beacon Hospice for the unwavering care she gave to Mr. Jones. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.klbrownmemorychapel.com

In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests donations be made to the Alabama Baptist Children's Home, P.O. Box 361767, Birmingham, Ala. 35236 (www.alabamachild.com); G and P Ministries, P.O. Box 138, Ohatchee, Ala. 36271; or to ChildHaven, P.O. Box 2070, Cullman, Ala. 35056 (www.childhaven.com). K.L. Brown Memory Chapel, 620 Golden Springs Rd., Anniston, Ala. 36207 (256) 231-2334
Published in The Anniston Star on 1/7/2009

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Aunt Martha


Born in Owensboro, Kentucky on Feb. 22, 1930
Departed on Jan. 2, 2009 and resided in Owensboro, KY.

As a kid I would tell my Aunt Martha that she looked like Elizabeth Taylor. I think she liked that. She made the best pecan pies. She will be missed..rc

Martha Duke Wilson, 78, of Owensboro, Kentucky died Friday, January 2, 2009, at her home. She was born on February 22, 1930 in Daviess County, Kentucky to the late Arch and Lottie Duke. She was a very active member of First Free Will Baptist Church, where she in the Ladies Auxiliary and women's Bible study group. She retired after 40 years of employment as bookkeeper for R.L. Wilson Masonry.

She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Lee Wilson; two sons, Richard (Connie) Wilson and Charlie (Sheliah) Wilson all of Owensboro; three daughters, Sharon Reeks (Mike Haven) of Owensboro, Darlene (Donnie) Taylor of Hanson, KY and Mary Jo (Butch) Davis of Owensboro; ten grandchildren, Charlotte (Jeff) Davis, Ricki Lee (Nicky) Chambers, Jenny (Terry) Koller, Kevin (Leslie) Wilson, Fonda Reeks, Dustin (Stephanie) Taylor, Don Charles (Julie) Taylor, Kelley (Alan) Russell, Khristina (Chad) Onstott and Kimberly (John) Hill and eighteen great grandchildren, Taylor & Madison Davis, Keign & Des'ire Chambers, Corey, Mary Kaitlyn and Alyssa Koller, Preston Wilson, Emily and Lauren Taylor, Zach, Seth & Cody Taylor, Savanna & Davis Russell, Laney Onstott and Kendra & Addison Hill.

Services are at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 5, 2009 at First Free Will Baptist Church in Owensboro. Burial will follow in Rosehill Cemetery in Owensboro. Visitation is from 2:00-6:00 p.m. on Sunday at James H. Davis Funeral Home and after 9:00 a.m. on Monday at First Free Will Baptist Church. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donation to Hospice of Western Kentucky, 723 Harvard Drive, Owensboro, KY 42301 or First Free Will Baptist Church, 4314 W 5th Street Road, Owensboro, KY 42301.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Happy New Year!

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.
-- Proverbs 21:30