A Birth Certificate shows that we were born.
A Death Certificate shows that we died.
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . . . Relax .. . . And read this slowly.
I Believe...
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe...
That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.
I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.
I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I Believe...
'The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything.'
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Sunday, September 09, 2007
No Classroom Desks
No Classroom Desks
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha
Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in
Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of
school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal
and the building supervisor, she took all of the desks out of the
classroom.
The kids came into first period, they walked in, there were no
desks. They obviously looked around and said, "Ms. Cothren, where's
our desk?" And she said, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn them." They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades."
"No," she said."Maybe it's our behavior." And she told them, "No, it's not even
not your behavior."
And so they came and went in the first period, still no desks in the
classroom. Second period, same thing, third period. By earlyafternoon television news crews had gathered in Ms. Cothren's class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom. Thelast period of the day, Martha Cothren gathered her class. They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room. And she says, "Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily." She said, "Now I'm going to tell you."
Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it,
and as she did 27 U.S. veterans, wearing their uniforms, walked into
that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. And by the time they had finished placing those desks, those kids for the first time I think perhaps in their lives understood how they earned those desks.
Martha said, "You don't have to earn those desks. These guys did it
for you. They put them out there for you, but it's up to you to sit
here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens,
because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don't ever
forget it."
excerpted from a speech given by former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee. 3/2/2007
My friend, I think sometimes we forget that the freedoms that we
have are freedoms not because of celebrities. The freedoms are because
of ordinary people who did extraordinary things, who loved this
country more than life itself, and who not only earned a school desk
for a kid at the Robinson High School in Little Rock, but who earned a seat for you and me to enjoy this great land we call home, this
wonderful nation that we better love enough to protect and preserve
with the kind of conservative, solid values and principles that made
us a great nation.
"We live in the Land of the Free because of the brave" Remember
our Troops
Semper Fidelis
I heard this story the other day when I was driving down the road.
God Bless those who protect our freedom.
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha
Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in
Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of
school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal
and the building supervisor, she took all of the desks out of the
classroom.
The kids came into first period, they walked in, there were no
desks. They obviously looked around and said, "Ms. Cothren, where's
our desk?" And she said, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn them." They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades."
"No," she said."Maybe it's our behavior." And she told them, "No, it's not even
not your behavior."
And so they came and went in the first period, still no desks in the
classroom. Second period, same thing, third period. By earlyafternoon television news crews had gathered in Ms. Cothren's class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom. Thelast period of the day, Martha Cothren gathered her class. They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room. And she says, "Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily." She said, "Now I'm going to tell you."
Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it,
and as she did 27 U.S. veterans, wearing their uniforms, walked into
that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. And by the time they had finished placing those desks, those kids for the first time I think perhaps in their lives understood how they earned those desks.
Martha said, "You don't have to earn those desks. These guys did it
for you. They put them out there for you, but it's up to you to sit
here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens,
because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don't ever
forget it."
excerpted from a speech given by former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee. 3/2/2007
My friend, I think sometimes we forget that the freedoms that we
have are freedoms not because of celebrities. The freedoms are because
of ordinary people who did extraordinary things, who loved this
country more than life itself, and who not only earned a school desk
for a kid at the Robinson High School in Little Rock, but who earned a seat for you and me to enjoy this great land we call home, this
wonderful nation that we better love enough to protect and preserve
with the kind of conservative, solid values and principles that made
us a great nation.
"We live in the Land of the Free because of the brave" Remember
our Troops
Semper Fidelis
I heard this story the other day when I was driving down the road.
God Bless those who protect our freedom.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
A Rainy Day
It rained so hard the swimming pool over flowed.
This picture was taken after the rain stopped and some of the water started to recede.
I was going to go to the grocery store
All the water in the parking lot made me change my mind.
This picture was taken after the rain stopped and some of the water started to recede.
I was going to go to the grocery store
All the water in the parking lot made me change my mind.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
I thought you all might get a kick out of our last day of travels through Texas. Anyone who has travel through the state of Texas to get to Arizona and back knows it is big and bare. Once you get on the other side of El Peso there isn't much out there. We stopped in Fort Stockton for the night at the Holiday Inn Express. We checked in and fell on the beds. I sat straight up pulling myself up out of the middle of the bed where I had sank. I told Mom we can't stay here, these beds are awful. We checked out and tried went to another hotel on Motel Road. Not a room available as there was a car race there that weekend. We headed down the expressway realizing we would have to drive for another hour before coming to the next town. The further down the road we went the slower the miles seemed to pass by. I had to PEE!! I stepped on the gas and saw the policeman on the other side of the road. I was going 87 mph. I let up on the gas peddle and slowed down. The policeman had turned around and was fast approaching my vehicle. I looked at Mom and said we are busted! Sure enough he pulled me over. He said step out of the car and walk to the rear of the vehicle. Now I really had to pee!!. He said you know I pulled you over because you were speeding. I said yes sir I was. He asked why I was speeding. I told him I had to pee. He said you had to go that bad? I said yes sir. So bad it hurts to stand here. He looked at me funny and said I am going to give you a warning ticket. Next time instead of speeding, pull over and go in the bushes. Pee in the bushes what if I get poison sumac?? That happened to my sister when she peed in the woods.; He looked at me like he was dealing with a crazy woman!
I said "yes sir thank you". He got in his car and I walked to my car. I opened the back door grabbed a paper towel and "Damn-it Mom I have to go pee in the bushes now!! He gave me a warning ticket.
A few minutes later we were back on the road. This time I was going the speed limit. What did we see two miles up the road? The police officer who pulled me over. I am so glad I was going the speed limit!!
The moral of this Bevvie Tale.....don't speed it's better to pull over and pee in the bushes.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
How's New Orleans Doing?
I get asked this question all the time. How are things going in New Orleans? Are things back to normal? My answer is no. Things are not back to normal. I am one of the lucky ones. All I have to worry about is whether the groceries I need will be on the shelve when I do my shopping. My heart hurts for all the people of New Orleans who are unable to come back home. I still mourn for a city that was the Great New Orleans. 19 months after Hurricane Katrina I went on what my friend calls the destruction tour in the lower Ninth Ward. As we drove down one street with homes still in need of repair I looked up to see a pair of Tennis shoes hanging from the power lines crossing the street. I was told this was a sign that drugs were available in this neighborhood. I wanted to take a picture but we dared not linger. It was not safe.
We passed by Fat Domino's house. There was a group of young people planting trees. They had a sign that said they were from Oregon. As we drove by we said "thanks for helping New Orleans". We headed towards the Lakefront but had to turn around. The smell of mold filled my lungs and took my breath away. My husband wanted to know why I went for a ride in a place that would bring me so much sadness. My answer. I don't want to forget. No one should forget. New Orleans needs help.
Wonder where the mail goes? This post office has been closed since the storm
The fire department in this area is run from a fema trailer and has defective equipment to use.
It was on the Nightly news a couple of months ago. If we move any faster to replace and repair homes and equipment the next hurricane season will be knocking at our door.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Oak Alley Plantation "Arts and Craft Show"
Sunday October 29th Art and I took a drive to Oak Alley Plantation. I love the drive on down River Road. The plantation faces the Mississippi river. Lining the walk way to the river are 28 two hundred year old oak trees.
The grounds were very crowded with people visiting the craft show and enjoying the beautiful grounds. There was one booth at the show that I was really impressed with.
They painted pictures using the soil from the river to create their paint colors.
My attention was captured by the orbs and narly roots of the oaks.
Can you imagine the tales these tree could tell if they could talk?
The history and the people they have seen.....
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Haunting
Four or five years ago I took this picture. It was a painting in the window of a store in the French Quarter. I do not know who the artist is. I wonder if they knew this picture it would haunt me. New Orleans is famous for its ghost stories.
Friday, September 22, 2006
A Gift from God
Open your eyes and listen with your heart.
There is an angel watching over you.
A gift from God. A new beginning.
Some days we may feel like that spot of dirt in a mud puddle.
We are not.
Did you know you are the color at the end of God's rainbow?
He wants to bless you. Just ask Him. Than open your eyes and listen with your heart. May you be blessed with God's gifts and lift your hands up in praise.
Thank you my Father in heaven.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Paying The Price
It is that time of the month and time to pay the bills again.
Every month is an new adventure in how to rob Paul to pay Peter in our Post Katrina era. Those of us who have stayed are paying the price with a higher cost of living.
For example: Last year Cricket's shots were $80.00 dollars. This included vitamins.
This year Cricket's shots cost $155.00. That is almost a 95% increase. Our light bill has a fuel adjustment charge that is double the amount of actual usage. The car insurance has gone up $65.00 over the last year. Our reward for no tickets and no accidents. I am not going to into what the increase is at the grocery store. Makes you wonder why people who have come back are now leaving.
Every month is an new adventure in how to rob Paul to pay Peter in our Post Katrina era. Those of us who have stayed are paying the price with a higher cost of living.
For example: Last year Cricket's shots were $80.00 dollars. This included vitamins.
This year Cricket's shots cost $155.00. That is almost a 95% increase. Our light bill has a fuel adjustment charge that is double the amount of actual usage. The car insurance has gone up $65.00 over the last year. Our reward for no tickets and no accidents. I am not going to into what the increase is at the grocery store. Makes you wonder why people who have come back are now leaving.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Friday, September 08, 2006
Diner at Dot's
Po-boy's and onion rings.
Good company and fat food. Tonight it was good for what ailed us after a long week at work. No we weren't the only ones in the diner. The picture was taken to show the old metal advertsing plaques on the wall.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Mobile Blogging
Oh my gosh mobile blogging!!!
Now is that scary or what?
I just got the new Cingular 2125.
Another gadet for the gadet girl.
Now I can blog all over the USA.
How fun is that?
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
A Night on the River
Afternoon showers brought a beautiful evening.
Cooler weather and a gentle breeze brought us out of the house. With the Mississippi river in our back yard we decided to enjoy it. We went down the road to a park in Kenner. It has a pier that ends at the water's edge.
Cricket watched as two men fished below on the banks of the river.
It seemed as if the ships stopped to watch the sunset too.
"I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and for you,
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world …
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world."
--Louis Armstrong
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
21 Days Away
Life is about changes nothing ever stays the same.
21 days away and the anniversary of hurricane Katrina is fast approaching.
Plans are being made for a memorial for those who survived the storm. I am not going to participate.
Turning 50 last year on August 29th was a milestone in my life. I remember sitting in my Mom's livingroom with my eyes glued to the T.V. watching the destruction of a city I called home. This past year I have had a hard time just finding something or a reason for wanting to be in New Orleans.
milestone (n.) An important event, as in a person's career, the history of a nation, or the advancement of knowledge in a field; a turning point.
So this year I am heading to San Antonio to celebrate my 51st birthday. I am going to enjoy time with my daughter and granddaughters. I am going to celebrate life.
21 days away and the anniversary of hurricane Katrina is fast approaching.
Plans are being made for a memorial for those who survived the storm. I am not going to participate.
Turning 50 last year on August 29th was a milestone in my life. I remember sitting in my Mom's livingroom with my eyes glued to the T.V. watching the destruction of a city I called home. This past year I have had a hard time just finding something or a reason for wanting to be in New Orleans.
milestone (n.) An important event, as in a person's career, the history of a nation, or the advancement of knowledge in a field; a turning point.
So this year I am heading to San Antonio to celebrate my 51st birthday. I am going to enjoy time with my daughter and granddaughters. I am going to celebrate life.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Around The World and Back Again
How long does it take to travel around the world and back again?
44 hours, 26 minutes, 2860 miles and 25 days. Plus I had to factor in the time spent at the rest areas where Cricket explored the land of a thousand dogs and my extra stops at McDonalds for coffee. I left New Orleans on June 15.
My first destinations was San Antonio, Texas.
I arrived a few days before a planned birthday party for my oldest granddaughter Hannah. Where did the time go? Hannah is now 10 years old. The birthday theme was dragons.
There were goodie bags stamped with a dragon and filled with Chinese hand-cuffs, fortune cookies and a chinese coin. The cake of course was a dragon cake. Evangaline my 7 year old granddaughter asked me to teach her how to bead. I was so inpressed. She caught right on and finished a strap for a necklace to give to her sister for her birthday. Next she asked me to thread a needle for her. She was on a mission to make someone else a surprise. "Look Grandma I made a Cricket a collar"
We spent two of our days at San Pedro Park. It was amazing. The water was just right and the pool was the size of a city block. It is the second oldest park in the USA.
Those 11 days flew by. My next stop was Plano Texas to visit with Deb and Steve, who moved there after hurrican Katriana. We spent a day shopping at Sam Moons and went to the Marble Slab for ice cream.
I left the next day and headed to Michigan. My granddaughter Jocelyn was scheduled for surgery July 6th. She was born with CCAM. A congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation in her lung. It is a cystic piece of abnormal lung tissue that does not work like normal lung tissue. The surgery was sucessful and she will have a healthy normal life.
I am back home in the steam pit of the south, melting in the New Orleans heat.
44 hours, 26 minutes, 2860 miles and 25 days. Plus I had to factor in the time spent at the rest areas where Cricket explored the land of a thousand dogs and my extra stops at McDonalds for coffee. I left New Orleans on June 15.
My first destinations was San Antonio, Texas.
I arrived a few days before a planned birthday party for my oldest granddaughter Hannah. Where did the time go? Hannah is now 10 years old. The birthday theme was dragons.
There were goodie bags stamped with a dragon and filled with Chinese hand-cuffs, fortune cookies and a chinese coin. The cake of course was a dragon cake. Evangaline my 7 year old granddaughter asked me to teach her how to bead. I was so inpressed. She caught right on and finished a strap for a necklace to give to her sister for her birthday. Next she asked me to thread a needle for her. She was on a mission to make someone else a surprise. "Look Grandma I made a Cricket a collar"
We spent two of our days at San Pedro Park. It was amazing. The water was just right and the pool was the size of a city block. It is the second oldest park in the USA. Those 11 days flew by. My next stop was Plano Texas to visit with Deb and Steve, who moved there after hurrican Katriana. We spent a day shopping at Sam Moons and went to the Marble Slab for ice cream.
I left the next day and headed to Michigan. My granddaughter Jocelyn was scheduled for surgery July 6th. She was born with CCAM. A congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation in her lung. It is a cystic piece of abnormal lung tissue that does not work like normal lung tissue. The surgery was sucessful and she will have a healthy normal life.
I am back home in the steam pit of the south, melting in the New Orleans heat.
Friday, May 26, 2006
25th Wedding Anniversay
On May 20th we traveled to Michigan for a special event. My sister Rosanne and her husband Geary celebrated their 25th wedding anniversay. Enjoy the pictures!
The night before we went to the church and set up for the reception.
Rosanne, Susie, Mom and Kayla. I dodged the camera being the one taking the picture!
My nephew Aman flew in from Grand Junction, Colorado. It was so good to see him. Our last vist together was over a year ago.
My children and grandbabies. It seems funny to call your grown kids children.
Eric, Amiee, Jocelyn, Ray
Allison aka Allicat, Joshua and Jen.
The picture show would not be complete without a picture of Cricket. Cricket enjoyed watching TV with my Mom on his vacation. It was a great visit.
The night before we went to the church and set up for the reception.
Rosanne, Susie, Mom and Kayla. I dodged the camera being the one taking the picture!
My nephew Aman flew in from Grand Junction, Colorado. It was so good to see him. Our last vist together was over a year ago.
My children and grandbabies. It seems funny to call your grown kids children.
Eric, Amiee, Jocelyn, Ray
Allison aka Allicat, Joshua and Jen.
The picture show would not be complete without a picture of Cricket. Cricket enjoyed watching TV with my Mom on his vacation. It was a great visit.
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