Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Quote of the Day

WITHIN YOUR HEART KEEP ONE STILL, SECRET SPOT WHERE DREAMS MAY GO.
~LOUISE DRISCOLL

Monday, October 27, 2008

I want...

I found this today from some old work files... not certain if it's mine or a take off of someone else's work - it rings true to who I am so I'm claiming it.

I want memories and dreams.
Inside jokes.
The thrill of a good debate.
Metaphors with bad intentions.
Long walks and long conversations.
Movies and poetry.
A day at the races.
Sunsets.
Spontenaity.
Parks and beaches.
Classic rock at 80 mph.
Sinatra and Johnny Cash.
No Doubt and Tim McGraw.
Museums on Saturday afternoons.
Bars and casinos.
A laugh and a smile.
A kiss and a gaze.
Naps.
Forgiveness.
A shrug and a whistle.
A shot of innocence with a dash of cynicism.
Misunderstood, but only at night.
A pair of aces in the hole.
Someone who believes.
Morals.
Hand holding.
Wandering and sitting.
Exploring.
Little presents and big surprises.
A jukebox embrace.

Quote of the Day

Here's to the Crazy Ones!
The misfits. The Rebels. The Trouble Makers.
The Round heads in the Square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them.
But the only thing you can't do is Ignore them.
Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones,
WE SEE GENIUS.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world,
ARE THE ONES WHO DO.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Southern Signs

This is hysterical... Check out what sign you'd be if astrology had started in the South. Mine's pretty accurate (possum).

OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20)Are tough on the outside but tender on the inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. You can do something good each day if you try.

CHITLIN (Jan 21 - Feb 19)Chitlins come from humble backgrounds. A Chitlin, however, will make something of himself if he is motivated and has lots of seasoning. In dealing with Chitlins, be careful they may surprise you. They can erupt like Vesuvius. Chitlins are best with Catfish and Okra.

BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 - March 20)You have an overwhelming curiosity. You're unsatisfied with the surface of things, and you feel the need to bore deep into the interior of everything. Needless to say, you are very intense and driven as if you had some inner hunger. You love to stay busy and tend to work too much. Nobody in their right mind is going to marry you, so don't worry about it.

MOON PIE (March 21 - April 20)You're the type that spends a lot of time on the front porch. A cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon Pies. Big and round are the key words here. You should marry anybody who you can get remotely interested in the idea. It's not going to be easy. You always have a big smile and are happy. This might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not.

POSSUM (April 21 - May 21)When confronted with life's difficulties, possums have a marked tendency to withdraw and develop a don't-bother-me-about-it attitude. Sometimes you become so withdrawn, people actually think you're dead. This strategy is probably not psychologically healthy but seems to work for you. You are a rare breed. Most folks love to watch you work and play. You are a night person and mind your own business.

CRAWFISH (May 22 - June 21) Crawfish is a water sign. If you work in an office, you're hanging around the water cooler. Crawfish prefer the beach to the mountains, the pool to the golf course, and the bathtub to the living room. You tend not to be particularly attractive physically, but you have very, very good heads.

COLLARDS (June 22 - July 23)Collards have a genius for communication. They love to get in "the melting pot" of life and share their essence with the essence of those around them. Collards make good social workers, psychologists, and baseball managers. As far as your personal life goes, if you are Collards, stay away from Crawfish. It just won't work. Save yourself a lot of heartache.

CATFISH (July 24 - Aug 23)Catfish are traditionalists in matters of the heart, although one's whiskers may cause problems for loved ones. You Catfish are never easy people to understand. You run fast. You work and play hard. Even though you prefer the muddy bottoms to the clear surface of life, you are liked by most. Above all else, Catfish should stay away from Moon Pies.

GRITS (Aug 24 - Sept 23)Your highest aim is to be with others like yourself. You like to huddle together with a big crowd of other Grits. You love to travel though, so maybe you should think about joining a club. Where do you like to go? Anywhere they have cheese, gravy, bacon, butter, or eggs and a good time. If you can go somewhere where they have all these things, that serves you well. You are pure in heart.

BOILED PEANUTS (Sept 24 - Oct 23)You have a passionate desire to help your fellow man. Unfortunately, those who know you best, your friends and loved ones, may find that your personality is much too salty, and their criticism will affect you deeply because you are really much softer than you appear. You should go right ahead and marry anybody you want to because in a certain way, yours is a charmed life. On the road of life, you can be sure that people will always pull over and stop for you.

BUTTER BEAN (Oct 24 - Nov 22)Always invite a Butter Bean to a party because Butter Beans get along well with everybody. You, as a Butter Bean, should be proud. You've grown on the vine of life, and you feel at home no matter what the setting. You can sit next to anybody. However, you, too, shouldn't have anything to do with Moon Pies...and Never take YES for an answer.

ARMADILLO (Nov 23 - Dec 21)You have a tendency to develop a tough exterior, but you are actually quite gentle and kind inside. A good evening for you? Old friends, a fire, some roots, fruit, worms, and insects. You are a throwback. You're not concerned with today's fashions and trends. You're not concerned with anything about today. You're almost prehistoric in your interests and behavior patterns. You probably want to marry another Armadillo, but a Possum is another somewhat kinky mating possibility.

Quote of the Day

Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.
- Quentin Crisp

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Inspiration

I love this blog, Sweet Juniper!, the writing is so well done and the pictures are poignant without being cliche. Most of the posts are by a stay at home dad who takes his two children around the inner city of Detroit. His pictures of the decay and destruction are overwhelming and discouraging especially in contrast to his photogenic and innocent children.

Today's post (Oct. 21st, 2008), "Open Campus" is of an abandoned elementary school, a Norman Rockwell-esque building left to the neighborhood just over a year ago. The amount of destruction and disregard for the history and sustainability of the building is sickening. The accompanying post is just as heart-wrenching.

My town has an elementary school which stands empty and is the topic of much discussion... what will happen to the building? The rock gym? The WWII memorial library? The playground? It's a neighborhood school which I attended and I hope to see it be used for a greater purpose. The school board seems unwilling to recognize the importance of the building and it's future, much like the school board in Detroit.

I recognize there are greater problems facing our nation but aren't those problems a product of choices? Choices which placed importance on segregation and the newest and latest rather than preserving, repairing and restoring what came before? How do we shift the way of thinking so that it's not a always a case of bulldozing and destruction? If these photos don't frighten you about the direction of our country, I'm not sure what will...

Quote of the Day

"Despite everything, I believe people are really good at heart."
- Anne Frank

Monday, October 20, 2008

Quote of the Day

"You cannot hit a target you cannot see, and you cannot see a target you do not have."
- Zig Ziglar

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILLIAM!!!

Today, October 15, 2008 my nephew William turns one. We celebrated this past weekend with "William's 1st Tailgate" as UGA beat UT. (I actually missed the party because of a wedding but that's another story). He clapped as he finished his cake and stood up in his highchair to show everyone how he was covered head to toe in red & black icing.

I can't believe that it was just a year ago that I had flown to Mississippi to be there when my sister was induced. She had been in the first stages of labor for about 3 weeks, dialated to 4 centimeters and just generally miserable.





We went out for seafood dinner at a great open bar down on the bay at an open air restaurant and then home to be ready for our 5AM wake up call to head to the hospital. My parents' were in the guest room and I was sleeping in the office between the guest room and the master bedroom. Sitting up, reading a book, I heard someone come down the hall and then a knock at the door.

"Wanda, Leah's water just broke, do you want to go to the hospital with us?" I opened my door to find Will, my BIL, speaking through the guest room door to my mom. And the madness started. Will went to get their bags, my mom started getting dressed and we all started talking at once.



After a few moments, I went back to Leah's room to check on her. She was standing there, a tight funny look on her face, holding her pants. She looked at me and held them out to me.

"I can't get these on," I took them from her and dressed her as she stood, looking more pale with each moment.


"Where's Will?" She asked after a moment.


"He's putting your bags in the truck and Mom's getting dressed. You need anything else?" She shook her head and literally waddled down the hallway towards the garage. I followed, stopping at the guest room to hurry my mom along.











"Leah's ready to go, you've got to come on," I stage-whispered to my mom, aware of my dad sleeping in the bed. I walked back to the den and grabbed my phone to call my younger sister. Her phone went straight to voicemail. I left a message and went out to the garage to see about Leah. She and Will were sitting in the truck, cranked and ready to go.

"Where's Mom?" I shrugged and pointed back to the house.


"Go tell her we're leaving NOW." I turned back to the house and met my mom in the kitchen. She hurried to the truck and I waved them off.










I went back to my bed and began to read again - I knew I wasn't going back to sleep. The phone would never wake up my dad so I need to stay awake in case they needed us.


About an hour later, my phone rang. Startled and anxious, I grabbed for it.


"Hello?"


"Lindsey, are you awake?" My mom's excited voice came through the phone.


"I answered the phone, didn't I?" The smartass in me couldn't resist.


"He's coming... she's progressed really quickly, they think he'll be here any minute. You and your Dad should probably come if you want to be here. I gotta get back in there but ya'll come on," Click. My mom hung up and I was left with the task of convincing my father to get up and go to the hospital in the middle of the night.


"Dad..." I whispered as I knocked on the guest room door. "Dad, wake up... Mom just called and Leah's about to have the baby. Do you want to go? We need to go..."


"HUH?"



"Dad, wake up, Leah's having a baby, we've got to go. Do you want to go?"


"Yeah, yeah, we should go. I'm up."


I turned around and quickly put back on my clothes from the day before. I combed my hair and went out into the living room. My bleary eyed dad showed up a minute later.



Then we were in the car and on our way, I was so excited. No way was I missing this!



3 hours later, shifting in an extremely uncomfortable waiting room chair, I was wishing for my bed, any bed, or just a pillow.



"Seriously, she called us because it was happening 'right then' and now it's 3 hours later... Can we go home and come back when it actually happens? Or afterwards? I'm dying here..."


My dad looked at me with tired eyes, raised his eyebrows and went back to watching the crazy movie on cable for the second time that night. I shifted again and got up to stretch. If I ever win the lottery, the 2nd thing* I'm going to do is donate decent chairs for the maternity ward at the Gulfport hospital.


"He's here, he's got a head full of hair and he looks just like Will!!!" My mom's voice comes down the hallway. She comes into the waiting room, crying and smiling. "Come see, he's here!!!"




We follow her back to the Labor and Delivery area, it's a little after 4AM and we meet William Gregory Ferguson for the first time. A bright, blue eyed baby with a head full of blonde hair, he snuggled in his swaddling blankets. We watched as the nurses bathed and clothed him and tested him and we ooed over his every breath and movement.





Watching William grow and change this year has been so exciting and overwhelming - I never knew I could instantly love as I have with him. He's all boy - moves at full speed and crashes through anything that stands in his way. With his four front teeth and 3 more on the way, he's toddling full time now - well, unless he's tired and then he'll crawl because it's easier. He's learned where his nose and his toes are, he'll clap when he's done something 'good' (like finishing his meal), he stomps his feet and turns around when you sing the song, and he giggles at everything. I chase after him in slow motion, saying "I'm going to get you" and he runs away, laughing, and then stopping when he's ready to be 'caught' and tossed in the air. It's an amazing process to watch and it happens everyday.







Happy Birthday William!!!












*First things first: NYC Shopping Spree!

Quote of the Day

It is good to act as if. It is even better to grow to the point where it is no longer an act.
- Charles Caleb Colton

Monday, October 13, 2008

Quote of the Day

"You become the average of the five people you associate with the most."
-- Jim Rohn

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Quote of the Day

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
- George Eliot

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Quote of the Day

If you surveyed a hundred typical middle-aged Americans, I bet you'd find that only two of them could tell you their blood types, but every last one of them would know the theme song from The Beverly Hillbillies.
- Dave Barry

Friday, October 10, 2008

Fridays...

Is it just me, or does this happen to everyone else as well?

On Fridays, I have one of two types of days:

I either work really hard to get it all done by the end of the day so I can have a stress free weekend...

OR

I just kind of hang out, thinking I'll start again on Monday, this week is shot so why bother...

Is it just me? Or do you find yourselves feeling this way too?

Quote of the Day

The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her.
- Marcelene Cox

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Quote of the Day

A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election.
~Bill Vaughan

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Quote of the Day

I can be changed by what happens to me. I refuse to be reduced by it.
- Maya Angelou

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Simple Pleasures

As you all know very well, I love my nephew - should Leah have more children or Lauren have any children, I will love them just as much, if not more. I'd love the chaos. I've always thought having kids the same ages as my sisters' kids and all of them running around together would be so much fun. I guess that comes from growing up in a rural community where everyone seemed to be related to everyone else except for my family. We were stand alones.

Leah and William came to Georgia last night and we ate dinner at my parent's house. I took Sandy over because William loves Sandy. He's terrified of her but he loves her too. He squeals and gets all excited but he's been knocked by her tail a couple of times so he's getting cautious of the back half of her body. His latest thing is paper towels so he was wiping Sandy down last night in between eating the paper towel. Actually they were taking turns wiping each other down, he was using the paper towel and she would use her tongue. It was pretty funny to watch him and I'm sorry the shutter speed on my camera isn't fast enough to capture the full event. Especially when Sandy got him backed into the corner and was licking him all over. I stopped to help him but looking back I should have gotten a picture first.






Quote of the Day

Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.
- L. Drachman

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Quote of the Day

“Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds.”
~JoJo Jensen

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Halloween Quote of the Day

I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.
~Author Unknown

Friday, October 3, 2008

Quote of the Day

Having someone wonder where you are when you don't come home at night is a very old human need.
~Margaret Mead

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Wet Noses, Warm Hearts*

I've been promising pictures of my new house and as soon as I take them, I'll put them up and out there for all of you to see. In anticipation of doing that, I was cleaning off my card from my camera and I found these. I had tried to make Sandy pose for me in the back yard of my parents' house. I got a couple of good ones.





I love this dog... She drives me nuts sometimes but all she wants is to love and be loved. She's a smart puppy (not that I would put up with anything else!) and she'll do the funniest things. My sister's cat also made the move with us and it's the first time they've lived together in the same space. It's a constant competition - who gets fed first, who gets to sit beside me (I have 2 sides people!), who I talk to more, who I brush first, etc. Now I see what moms with the second baby go through. Sandy is just a little possessive of me. Makes me feel loved and I know I'll never be alone as long as I have her.




And who wouldn't want a that pink nose, cold and wet, pushing into their hand everytime it can, all to get scratched behind her ears.

*I'm well aware this is a title of a book about dogs - I don't know who the author is and I'm too lazy feeling right now to look it up. Shame on me, I know.

Yummie

I have a new blog to eat, er um... I mean, READ. I found this Homesick Texan*. But here is your warning: DO NOT VISIT WHILE HUNGRY. It's like going to the grocery store on an empty stomach. You'd just be asking for trouble.

The first thing that caught my attention was the chocolate pie... I'm a big pie fan myself. I'd put my mom's pecan pie up against anybody's. And if she decided to get all crazy on us and make a chocolate pecan pie, then WATCH OUT because there is no competition!!!

So you see my natural attraction, then I see the pico and I'm a goner.

Check it out, make a couple of recipes, and enjoy.

*we'll just overlook and forgive the Texan part.

Quote of the Day

The politicians were talking themselves red, white and blue in the face.
~Clare Boothe Luce