4 The Love of Ben

March Forward

2010-03-01T10:54:00.005-06:00

It is hard to believe that today is March 1, 2010, so I thought this would be a good day to update the blog. Time has a way of flying by but at other times it seems to stand still. I see everyday by looking at Ben that time does not stand still, I think every night he grows another inch or so. He is a very smart 4 year old now, but a silly happy one at that. He is putting enough things together sometimes to out smart me, or to help me, or maybe to get what he wants?

These are some of the things:

He has learned how to change out the toilet paper to a new roll, even if that means taking all the toilet paper off of a roll, sometimes overflowing the toilet, all just to get that new roll on.

After using the bathroom he loves to come out with his underwear on his head and not where they should be. Just to get a giggle.

He never wins at hide and go seek because his giggle gives him away.

One day when I was in the back cleaning, I came out and he had all his gummy worms hanging on door knobs.

He said he didn't like going to school because he had to rest there, but that he liked going to church because he didn't have to rest there. Usually on school days he asks if he can go to church instead.

We are learning about loving our enemies, one of the boys in the church nursery gives him a pretty hard time, it goes both ways. One Tuesday morning while I was in bible study, I was called down, the boy had out of the blue given him a great big kick in the face while wearing hiking boots, it had rattled Ben pretty good, and left a pretty good mark on his face. The next time we were in bible study Ben walks up to him and hugs him, and it continues every time they greet each other. It shook my heart the first time I saw it. How easy it is for children to forgive and love. What an example Ben was to me.

Ben's best little girl play mate is Ella, and he always wants to buy her things and do things for her, its as if they are already married. I'm a little jealous.

I got lost the other day taking him to the babysitters house, she lives off Macon Road, in talking to myself outloud I guess all I could say is Macon Road about 100 times. The next time we went, about half way there he asked me if we were on Macon Road yet.

The other day he asked me when we were going home? I said we are home. He said he wanted me to take him to Unka Joe and Aunt NiNis house and then Maw Maw & Paw Paws. I call it home, so he calls it home.

He is learning words as we read, he likes for me to follow my finger as I read the words, he likes to spell them out for me.

Just this morning, I was doing a little research on pre-school/Jr. K for the Fall. Its hard to believe that annually those costs are close to $5,000 for the year, a 5 day program. That puts new meaning to 'Children are an investment' and surely Mr. Ben continues to prove that to us.

My friend 'Huck" posted this morning on Facebook, "One thing not going your way... no big deal. EVERYTHING not going your way... you're in the wrong lane!" Tim's unemployment has continued to test my faith, its in that I'm learning that I'm growing and learning just as Ben has. I have learned and know that God loves me more than anything, in the last couple of weeks I've experienced a peace from him I have never experienced.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:2-3

Why not March forward? Happy March.

February - A month of Love

2010-02-01T09:38:00.001-06:00

A Month for Love
by Charles R. Swindoll

1 Corinthians 13

It is February. Overcast, chilly, bleak-and-barren February. If you're not into skiing the slopes, skating on ice, or singin' in the rain, there's not a lot outside to excite you. Sure was gracious of God to make it last only twenty-eight days . . . well, sometimes twenty-nine. No wonder bears hibernate at this time of year---there's not even Monday Night Football!

But wait. There is something extra special about February. Valentine's Day. Hearts 'n flowers. Sweetheart banquets. A fresh and needed reminder that there is still a heart-shaped vacuum in the human breast that only the three most wonderful words in the English language can fill.

To love and to be loved is the bedrock of our existence. But love must also flex and adapt. Rigid love is not true love. It is veiled manipulation, a conditional time bomb that explodes when frustrated. Genuine love willingly waits! It isn't pushy or demanding. While it has its limits, its boundaries are far-reaching. It neither clutches nor clings. Real love is not short-sighted, selfish, or insensitive. It detects needs and does what is best for the other person without being told.

As we read in that greatest treatise ever written on the subject: "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears . . . believes . . . hopes . . . endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:4-7).

"I LOVE YOU." Simple, single-syllable words, yet they cannot be improved upon. Nothing even comes close. And because we don't have any guarantee we'll have each other forever, it's a good idea to say them as often as possible.

Tell each one of your kids you love 'em. Don't just say, "Love ya." Say, "I love you." There's a difference. If you don't have any kids, tell your mate. If you're single, call up a close friend and say those three powerful words with feeling.

God's Financial Provision - Ask Him for Help

2010-01-27T07:53:00.000-06:00

God's Financial Provision-Ask Him for Help
Wednesday January 27 2010 12:00 AM
Posted by Rick Warren

You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (MSG) There is an amazing, incredible and all-encompassing promise in Philippians 4:19 (NIV) regarding provision: "... God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Note the first two words: "God will ...." It doesn't say, "He might meet your needs," it says, "He will meet your needs." It's written as a fact; God is staking his character and his reputation on it.
Then the Bible says, "God will meet all. ..." It doesn't say, "I'll meet some of your needs." It says all.

Now, understand that it doesn't say, "I'll meet all your greeds." There's a big difference between needs and wants. As a parent, do you give your kids everything they want? I hope you don't. You don't do that because you love them. And your heavenly Father loves you. He's not going to give you everything you want because if he did, you'd be spoiled to death.

He won't give us everything we want, but he will give us what we need. Then why do you have financial needs? Did God fail? Did he lie? Exaggerate?

No! With every promise, there is a premise; there are conditions and requirements. When God makes a promise, he says, "I'll do my part and you do your part." God's wisdom, his financial principles are clearly laid out for us in his Word. Although the Bible discusses many aspects of financial health, including principles of saving, spending, giving, investing and stewardship, over the next few days we're going to look at five specific conditions for financial stability.

First, ask for his help - Jesus says, "Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy." (John 16:24, NLT) Here's a good rule: Before you pay for it, pray for it. Give God a chance to provide before you go out and charge it. You probably depend more on your charge card than you do Jesus Christ.

Why does God want me to ask? So he can give.
Why does he want to give? So I can receive.
Why does he want me to receive? So I'll be full of joy.
Why does he want me to be full of joy? It's a great advertisement for Jesus Christ. Joyful Christians are a positive testimony.

2009 Out with a Bang

2010-01-01T16:13:00.005-06:00

November and December were really just a blur.

Into November and December continued to be a time of raking and picking up leaves as they fell in our yard. Unfortunately the night of November 4th as Tim was at work on his way out to leave the department manager stopped him, and he was let go from his job due to reduction of employees company wide. He was late getting home and I wondered where he was. I called and he said he had been detained. Shortly after he got home when I was switching out the laundry he sprung the bad news to me.

The first few weeks of unemployment were optimistic until Tim really began to understand that there aren't many jobs out there due to the ecnomic shape our country is currently in. Now the only optimism we have is that we do have a little money in the 401 K, I will be able to find a job, the Food Stamps and WIC are coming. Other than that its day by day.

Thanksgiving we drove down to my brother's house to eat with my family. My parents drove up and we all (Maw Maw, Paw Paw, Joe, Geni, Christy & Todd, Carrie & Donny, Jayme, Tim & Ben) and sat at their large formal dinning room table for a delicious meal prepared by my sisterinlaw. Ben and I spent a few days with them, resting and relaxing and meditating on what the future might have for us.

We had counted down the days and it was time to fly out of the Memphis Airport to Orlando December 4th. Ben and I met my parents, brother and sisterinalw for some R & R at Disney World. I think it was more like ER for me, keeping up with a 3 year old wasn't easy for 5 days at the world's largest attraction. It was worth it and I was glad I really didn't visit the ER. Ben and I rode such things as Splash Mountain, Test Track, Buzzlightyear and Buzzlightyear and Buzzlightyear. He was able to see where Mini Mouse and Mickey Mouse live..... and he even gave both of them a hug.

We made it back home in time to get up all the Christmas Decorations, we even took Ben to the 'live tree' lot to choose a live tree. That night, Ben and I decorated the tree all blue. No not that we were blue after Tim lost his job, but I just like the color blue, I had seen one of these trees decorated all blue at the Pink Palace. So last year when the decorations were 60% off at Hobby Lobby I invested in some of the blue lights and ornaments.

Somehow, we missed all the Christmas parties and hoopla... or either we are so non-social we weren't invited, which is what I think it was. We did get to see the Puppet Christmas Special at church one Sunday night. Ben did well sitting in church on the back pew, but it got difficult toward the end so we left when the pastor was making closing comments. The next time we sat in the back was Christmas Eve service, just like Hee Haw.. but with a Christian Twist to it. Hee Hee. We will be back on the last pew on Sunday nights from here on out. Ben turned 4 December 30th and the doors on the nursery have been closed. I guess Sunday Mornings he will be in the Extended Session I've always heard about.

We spent the week before Christmas here, not much to it. I did not use the Christmas wrapping paper this year, due to our financial situation we did not have the money to buy anything to wrap. We did make it special for Ben but we scaled down as much as we could. Santa came by on the 24th and all day on the 25th Ben played non-stop, I had to make him stop to eat three times, and before bed he had to take one more ride on his 'Smart Cycle'. They 'Smart Cycle' came from I'll have to call her Santa Jesus for now. Too hard for me to summarize how I know Santa Jesus or even how our paths crossed, but she is the one who gifted the Smart Cycle to Ben. Her son broke it in, but when the Wii came along the 'Smart Cycle' was history.

The day after Christmas we drove down to Gulfport where we spent some time with my parents who helped us celebrate my birthday on the 27th and Ben's on the 30th. I can't think of any better way to celebrate my 25th birthday. It feels so good to be so young. My reunion with my friend Mary helped me remember what it was like. She was one of my best friends if not it, in junior high, high school (do they still call it that?) through early years of college. We took turns visiting with both our families at each of their homes, her mother even made a sign welcoming us home. Lunch time we met two of our guy friends - Jon, Ron, Diane and their children at Cicis for pizza. There has been some accusations on Facebook that we look old in the photo I posted there. I still think its 25 and holding and not 41 for me. Where did all the time go?

Ben had a great time the night before we left Gulfport, he opened up some gifts for his birthday and we sang happy birthday to him while he blew some candles out. He made a wish for each candle, and one wish was that I not have to go to jail and not be bad. That was just one example of something that has come back to haunt me, and a reminder that I should be careful of what I say. We haven't talked about jail and being bad in about a month, but he had not forgotten it. It was then that I was just making sure he understood that if he was bad he would have to go to jail. I had no idea he would be worried about me being thrown in 'slammer' when he was making wishes at his 4th birthday?

How great it is to have some wonderful friends no matter where we go! After driving 7 hours, Ben's girlfriend Ella came over and her mother a very dear friend. They had prepared several choc cup cakes with Ben's name and sprinkles on them. We traveled on Ben's actual birthday and they had called us earlier in the day that they wanted to bring them to us when we got home. They came into a house that looked like a Tornado had been hit. Good thing I was able to use a forklift to clear the table for the cupcakes. LOL We had a little birthday party, a little gift opening and play time. Real friends.

Its been good to sit down today and reflect. I have hope that 2010 will Rock!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours....

2009-12-18T08:55:00.002-06:00

Tinker Toys for a Tinker Type Boy

2009-11-22T00:41:00.003-06:00

Enjoy....

A Random Dozen

2009-11-18T22:12:00.003-06:00

A Random Dozen

1. If you could master one sport, what would it be? Golf

2. When you make a major purchase, do you go with your gut instinct, or do you do research to make an informed decision? I research. I ask friends and family what they think of this or that, I search on the internet and always end up on-line at Consumer Reports.

3. There is an old kids' game that says you can find out what your movie star name would be by using your middle name as your first name and the name of the street you grew up on as your last. What is your movie star name? Lynn Forty-Fourth

4. Would you rather give up your favorite music or your favorite food? Favorite music. Food is very important to me. Sad but true.

5. There are two types of banana preferences. One is pristine yellow, almost to the point of being green; the other is spotty and more ripe. Which is your preference? It can only be slightly spotted with more yellow than spots.

6. Your favorite tree is? Magnolia

7. On a scale of 1-10, how tech savvy are you? About a 5

8. Has H1N1 touched your family? No and we are grateful.

9. Are you an analytical person, or do you just accept things the way they are without questioning or scrutinizing? I mostly accept things the way they are only because it has become a trained habit and necessity at times. I do think about things at times too much, have mistakenly taken some things way too personal, or thought things were about me and they weren't.

10. Is your personality more like that of a dog, cat, or Koala? A cat-love to nap, choose my friends carefully, don't like anyone to ruffle my fur.

11. Do you keep in touch with friends you made years ago? Does it count that I'd like to?

12. You are checking out at a grocery store. In the express lane, there are more people than the regular lanes, but of course, their load is less than those in the regular lanes. Which lane do you choose (assuming you qualify for the express lane) and why? I am a perpetual wrong line chooser. But I usually go with the shortest line, but something always goes wrong-they change shifts, the register tape breaks . . .

Leaves and More Leaves....

2009-11-14T20:10:00.002-06:00

Two weekends of leaves... two trees are completely leaf free....

but there are more trees to shed their leaves....

its like things in the yard are pretty, you've got everything perfect, things are going well, then bump......its like things go bump in the night...

you wake up and its not perfect any longer.....

... things look different, its a mess, but you can see much more because there are no leaves on the trees, you can even hear more of what might be happening around you.

but things are a mess until you get it all cleaned up.

Cleaning up comes after messes, its then that you might have to make changes to get that done, sometimes it doesn't fit into your schedule, or you time table, but somehow it all works out the way it is supposed to, God's plan is always much better than our own.

Before you know it, the mess is cleaned up, winter even sets in and its actually pretty with ice on the bare limbs, but in time, usually just long enough... the color green comes back and life begins again for the trees, not the same, but they are living.

How the Leaves Come Down

2009-11-10T22:44:00.008-06:00

We found another yellow tree today down the street. Ours had already turned and lost all of its leaves...

This is our yellow tree in the yard now, Ben kept asking me the last couple of weeks to rake a big pile so he could play in them. We never had enough until today. Here he is... in the big pile...

How the Leaves Came Down
by Susan Coolidge

"I'll tell you how the leaves came down,

"The great tree to his children said,"

You're getting sleepy,

Yellow and Brown,

Yes, very sleepy, little Red.

It is quite time to go to bed."

"Ah!" begged each silly, pouting leaf,

"Let us a little longer stay;

Dear Father Tree, behold our grief;

Tis such a very pleasant day

We do not want to go away."

So, for just one more merry day

To the great tree the leaflets clung,

Frolicked and danced, and had their way,

Upon the autumn breezes swung,

Whispering all their sports among,--

"Perhaps the great tree will forget,

And let us stay until the spring,

If we all beg, and coax, and fret.

"But the great tree did no such thing;

He smiled to hear their whispering.

"Come, children, all to bed," he cried;

And ere the leaves could urge their prayer,

He shook his head, and far and wide,

Fluttering and rustling everywhere,

Down sped the leaflets through the air.

I saw them; on the ground they lay,

Golden and red, a huddled swarm,

Waiting till one from far away,

White bedclothes heaped upon her arm,

Should come to wrap them safe and warm.

The great bare tree looked down and smiled,

"Good-night, dear little leaves," he said.

And from below each sleepy child Replied,

"Good-night," and murmured,

"It is so nice to go to bed!"

Bath Time

2009-11-06T22:56:00.003-06:00

This morning I had this conversation with Ben.

Ben says: We take a bath at night. Daddy should be like us.

Mom: huh?

Ben: When I get big I'm going to take a shower.

Mom: Well you can take a shower now, remember you have before.

Ben: Daddy should be like us.

Mom: Well some people take showers, some people take baths, some take them at night and some take them in the morning.

Ben: You don't take a shower.

Mom: I like to take a bath at night and wash my hair in the morning, daddy likes to feel fresh in the morning by taking a shower, there are a lot of people who like to do that.

LONG SILENCE....

Ben: Ok, so some people take a bath at night, some people take a shower in the morning and some people don't take one at all.

Mom: Laughs. Yes, I'm sad to say Ben you are right.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month

2009-11-06T07:22:00.003-06:00

Have you thought about adopting a child?

November is National Adoption Awareness Month.

There's a great need for loving, adoptive families. Children in the U.S. and around the world are waiting for a family to call their own. A survey by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption found that 4 out of 10 adults have considered adopting a child, but many families don't pursue it. Misconceptions about adoption sometimes deter them from taking the next step... so get the facts. If you're thinking about adopting a child, take a look at this inspiring video, and then learn more about how to begin the process.

Or just send me an email and I'll tell you all about...

It's the best thing Tim and I have ever done!

The Yellow Tree

2009-11-01T12:54:00.004-06:00

After coming home from church this morning, this yellow tree in our yard spoke to me. Halloween is over, time never stands still, just as time moves quickly so will this season with more color all around. I never wear of this beauty, each year when it happens its grabs me, it speaks to me as if it were the first time to see it.

I planted this tree not long after we moved into our home some 10 years ago, then it was just a twig, but now look at the beautiful tree it has become.
If it really could speak, it could say too much, as it sits on the side of our house, close to our driveway, at the door of our garage, on the side of our home that faces the circle as we live on the entrance. The yellow tree knows all of our neighbors as it is the gate keeper to the neighborhood. If being the gatekeeper weren't enough, it very possibly has protected our family, as we come and go, our friends and family have come and gone from us. The yellow tree saw Ben enter our home for the very first time before either Tim or I did. Then Ben grew with all of us, even with the tree. Just as we have enjoyed the tree, I'm sure its had its share of enjoyment too.

Happy Halloween Day!

2009-10-31T13:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween Day from our pumpkin to yours!

White Shrimping Boots

2009-10-30T21:46:00.003-05:00

Its been raining this past week, about Wednesday they put us under a flash flood warning through Saturday. Everywhere I go, in shopping mall windows, other mothers and children coming or going at Ben's school, I've been seeing all this cute and hip rain gear, coats, umbrellas and rain boots.

My bible study leader Jean, over on her blog - ask the question today:

Do you wear rain boots?

To tell you the truth I've never owned or worn a pair of rain boots. I often just run out with whatever I have on and most of the time I'm not patient enough to use an umbrella. What I do have is:

WHITE SHRIMPING BOOTS

Yes, I have them, and am most familiar with them as far as boots go, and I'm proud of them. They are in my garage and I haven't worn them in a few years. I wouldn't wear them out in the public in the Germantown/Memphis area, but they are a fashion statement where I grew up in Mississippi and Louisiana. Found in the local Wal-Mart and Dollar Stores in the area, often referred to as “Cocodrie Converse” or “Swamp Nikes”, these popular boots are more of a symbol. They represent the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of commercial fisheries that are dependent on Louisiana wetlands and the Gulf of Mexico. Mississippi and Louisiana contributes a great deal of the nation’s commercial catch as well as other valuable resources. Students in the local area are part of a project, students paint the boots themed after what they love most about Louisiana and share them with other classrooms in other areas of the country. I have also seen adults decorate/paint them and wear them to the Jazz Fest in New Orleans... especially when the fest takes place on wet rain days like these.

Checklist for Encouragers

2009-10-29T12:24:00.002-05:00

11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 12 But we beseech you, brethren, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit, 20 do not despise prophesying, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good, 22 abstain from every form of evil. 23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I thought I’d share this ‘checklist for encouragers’ I had in my bible, it coordiantes with 1 Thessalonians 5: 11 – 23:

11 – Build each other up
12 – Respect leaders
13 – Hold leaders in highest regards
13 – Live in peace
14 – Warn the idle
14 – Encourage the timid
14 – Help the weak
14 – Be patient
15 – Resist revenge
16 – Be joyful
17 – Pray continually
18 – Give thanks
19 – Do not put out the Spirits fire
20 – Do not treat prophecies with contempt
22 – Avoid every kind of evil
23 – Count on God’s constant help

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

2009-10-25T10:38:00.003-05:00

We are going to Disney World!

We are all very excited about it, but especially Ben. Everyday he wants to leave right now, or after school, or after nap time, etc. So we set up this calender system so he can have some kind of concept of when we are going. Every morning he marks off a box. He likes to count and tell me how many more days we have to go.

We are leaving the first week in December, we are flying out of Memphis. When we get there Maw Maw, Paw Paw, Unka Joe and Aunt Nini will meet us there. We will all share a 4 bedroom house and enjoy seeing and doing the parks together on a great ticket package Disney has right now 'Salute to the Military'. Really I'm the one who can't wait.

Because the time frame our trip falls we will be celebrating some birthdays too. Maw Maw will turn 80 on Dec. 21st, Paw Paw will have turned 81 on Nov. 29th, Momma 41 on Dec. 27th and the Big Boy Ben will celebrate turning 4 on Dec. 30th.

We still have a lot of counting down to go, but 'planning' sometimes is the best part. More to come.

It's Fall y'all!

2009-10-25T10:26:00.002-05:00

The weather is cooler, the leaves are starting to change different colors, Halloween is this week. We enjoyed our trip to the zoo this past week, it was a picture perfect day.

Sand Between Your Toes

2009-10-21T06:44:00.004-05:00

'Once you get the sand between your toes you never want to leave'. I grew up hearing my mother say this, often it was to other people who moved to our home land, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, or even to those who moved away. I can say its true. I moved away about 13 years ago, but 'the sand' keeps drawing me back... I'm blessed that I get to go back every couple of months, and each time involves a trip to the beach. It only makes sense that now, 'the sand' draws my son of 3 years back to it too.

A herring gull stands alone at water's edge, looking stoically seaward. All that it knows is this beach, the sand, the sea, the sky. But, it knows these things intimately...sensing the ebbing tide, the sun nearing its zenith, little wavelets coming ashore. Its mental powers are concentrated on survival, avoiding danger, finding sufficient food to eat. Yet,I wonder in a pleasant hour like this one, does not the gull feel joy at this very moment, as I do. George Thatcher of Gulfport, MS

Paw Paw and Ben taking a stroll.

See the rainbow 'before' the rain....

A large oak tree by the beach road towers above me in full leaf, providing welcome shade on a hot day. So dense are the leaves that, looking upward, one cannot see the sky. It was not always so. Four years ago in the hurricane, the tree had suffered grievous wounds; its very survival was in doubt. Shorn of every leaf, stripped of bark, it was in dire shape. Now we rejoice at the tree's full recovery and expect a full crop of acorns soon. By: George Thatcher of Gulfport, MS

Hooked

2009-10-18T12:01:00.005-05:00

While down on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for Fall Break Ben got a chance to do some fishing. He really likes it and at the same time its new to him. Its exciting, and I can see how people get 'hooked' on it, once you catch ONE you want to keep 'hooking' them.

Tennessee Fall break hit the same time as Mississippi Fall Break, so our cousins who live in Hattiesburg, MS were down at their Hercules Fishing Camp in Gautier, MS. This camp is on like a little bayou off the Pascagoula/Singing Rivers that empty into the gulf. They love being there, and its a way for their family and all their extended family to spend time together. My dad's sister loves being there because of that. Our family has enjoyed time spent there through out the years as well. We enjoyed our time there during this visit, as it was Ben's first time. We played basketball, went fishing, enjoyed visiting with one another in the cabin. (had to mention that Ben enjoyed climbing all over the bunk beds). Food, we had a picnic which included a bucket of fried chicken from Wal-Mart and all the sides, and the best Mrs. Edwards Strawberry pie to finish off the meal.

My 1st cousin is about the same age as I am, her children are 'pre-teen' and 'about to leave home to college' age. They were very helpful and giving guidance at fishing with little Ben. Believe it or not but I haven't ever done much of it, neither has my dad, but living and growing up on the coast you can't help but know a little bit about it. Dad got caught up in the middle of it too. If Ben wants to be a fisherman he has all the tools and help he needs... as you can see below in the photos.

Thanks cousins! We had a great time. Can't wait to see you all again soon.

The Bird House is Up on the Tree!

2009-10-17T19:10:00.004-05:00

Right before I went outside to nail the birdhouse on the tree, I looked outside and Ralph our cat was 'perched' on it. I tried to get a good pic through the window without opening the door because I knew as soon as I opened the door he would jump down.

Ta daaaaaa....

Ben was so excited when he looked out the window and saw HIS birdhouse on the tree.

Birdhouse Update

2009-10-15T09:29:00.003-05:00

We had a good time in South Mississippi this past week for Fall Break. We enjoyed spending time with our family. I'll post some later on about our visit. The birdhouse is completed and now back here in Germantown. Paw Paw and Ben did a great job. We will have it in our yard when the rain stops!

Love is a Choice

2009-10-11T00:55:00.003-05:00

Jesus is our example of what it means to love; everything he did in life and death was supremely loving. The holy spirit gives us power to love; he lives in our hearts and makes us more like Christ. God’s love involves choice and action.

Many think love is a feeling but its not it is a choice and action.

God creates people to love, God cares because he loves, he cares for sinful people, why we are free to choose because God wants a loving response. Christ died for a solution to sin. The Gift of eternal life is God’s love to us expressed forever.

God gives us the strength and power to love, but we first have to ALLOW God to love others through us.

Adoption ~ blood, genetics, love, choices, environment, children, birthparents, adoptive parents. These are words frequently spoken in my home. I am an adoptive mother. In the future when my 3 & 1/2 year old is a little older I will use scripture to explain his birth history and the plan his birth parent’s made for his life. At the same time I will also be sharing God’s plan for his life.

I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 says to always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances this is God’s will! I have claimed that verse through much of my adult life.

The adoption of my little boy is much like the one in the bible. Adoption is not easy for any of the parties concerned. I believe adoption was never meant to be God’s “perfect will”, but a way that God can bless us through our hardships and/or our wrong choices. Something bad made good.

I am certainly thankful for my adopted son, he has brought much much MUCH joy to my life, he is cute, loving, happy and full of life. We have a lot of fun together. But, that didn’t come without hardship for me or his birthfamily. I struggled with infertility and all that goes with it, there was a void in my life, I had the need that most women have, to be fulfilled through caring and loving a child. Now through all the above mentioned blessings I have received, I very rarely think back about my hardships. My adopted son has the influence of our home environment, our family & friends, but he will always be his own person, connected to his birthfamily. I am reminded of that daily because he looks so much like his birthmother.

His birth parents made a plan for his life that was loving, required action, and it was certainly a sacrifice for them. I know his birthmother will always crave for peace in the decision she made. I pray for her daily. God gives us grace through our hardships, he gives forgiveness and mercy. Jesus became poor by giving up his rights as God and becoming human. He set aside his glory and rights. He limited his power and glory.

Its so easy for me to do what I want, to be selfish, but knowing that I neglect God if I don’t love others who were created in his own image. That really gets my attention. Through my son’s adoption experience I can understand better how God loved us, how we can love others. It starts first with ME ALLOWING God to use me, it is a LOVING CHOICE.

I read this quote this week and thought it applied so much to what I was learning.

As your faith is strenghthened, you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit. Emmanuel Teney

Pump it Up

2009-10-07T12:21:00.004-05:00

I know someone who loves Pump It Up... he goes as fast as he can when he is there. Even though he loves it, he wants to have his birthday this year at ChuckeCheese.. cause the birthday boy gets to wear a crown. Imagine that?

Enjoy these photos, I wish I had just a tiny bit of his energy.

Yard Stick

2009-10-06T06:42:00.003-05:00

A while ago, not long after we moved into our house, the elderly gentleman that lived next door would come over and talk to me when I was out in the yard working. He spent most of his days sitting in his driveway, so he had a very good view of our house and what was going on. He also drew the attention of my cats, they would lay out there with him, they still hang out over there, and by their behavior you can tell they guard that yard as if it belongs to them.

Before Ben, I spent a lot of my time working in my yard. Sometimes I would be so involved in what I was doing, I'd be surprised by him right there by me or standing on the other side of the chain link fence laughing or handing me something, a 'gift'. I'd look up and he'd be right there. It was obvious that he had Dementia or Alzheimer's. He'd have some kind of comment about what I was doing, or he'd share some kind of story with me - something about his life many many years ago. He had a large family, so I heard many of stories of different nature. I never knew what to expect, but to tell you the truth I kind of liked him. I've always liked older people, and have enjoyed their company. Their life stories are like novels to me. My nature allows me to be patient and kind to them. My neighbor was nice and kind himself. I liked the variety and stimulation he brought into my life.

Sometimes he would bring me gifts, unlikely items from his garage, yard or from the inside of his home. One gift was a 'Hancock Fabrics' yard stick. I will have to say that was one of the best gifts anyone has given me. At least one of the best practical gifts, it was up there with some of the ones my mother has given me.

I remember as a child I enjoyed playing with a yard stick. We had some friends stay with us one weekend, their little girl loved playing with the yard stick, she was creative with it, she tapped some cat toys to the end of the yard stick and teased the the cats that way. They followed her around everywhere she went, throughout the whole house. The cats loved it, and it kept her occupied.

Now, that Ben is here he also loves to play with the yard stick. Sometimes its just holding it, walking with it that occupies him. I think it gives him some kind of super hero feeling?

I still think about my neighbor every time I use the yardstick, he passed away, the house next door has been vacant for sometime. To me, its sad that the house has sat there for years, no life. I often complain about the yard being unkept. The house and yard with a little work, it would be prime property here in our Germantown neighborhood. I think what it would be like to have life over there, children running in the back yard, but in reality I wonder if I just miss my neighbor?

Life does continue, it keeps going on....

This morning when I was checking my wall calender to see what time we have something today, I also noticed that a year ago today I had marked Ben's height on the wall. I told Ben we needed to see how much he had grown this year! Ben pulled the yard stick out of the pantry, he stood straight against the wall, with the help of my neighbor's yardstick we found out that Ben had grown 5 inches in a year!!

I think my neighbor may have known I would need that yardstick? Its pretty neat how God brings people into our life at the right time and right place.

Ben & Ralph at Play

2009-10-04T20:21:00.005-05:00

The Blues Highway to Clarksdale, Mississippi

2009-10-04T19:21:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we did a family outing, it was a nice sunny fall day. We had always heard about the Blues Highway down in North Mississippi from Memphis on down... we went as far as Clarksdale. So, we took a ride down to Ground Zero Blues Club for lunch (owned by Morgan Freeman), a walk through the Blues Museum, and walk around downtown Clarksdale. We saw Cotton in 'bloom' - some of the fields it looked like snow. We saw the casinos in the distance, but no interest there. We did stop in Tunica at the Factory Outlet mall.

The photo below is at the Crossroads, legend has it that Johnson, a blue's musician sold his soul to the devil here. This is at the intersection of Hwy 61 and Hwy 49 in Clarksdale.

The Purple Song

2009-10-04T19:18:00.001-05:00

To hear Ben sing The Purple Song go to youtube, go HERE.

The Paint Monster

2009-09-28T22:20:00.001-05:00

I left Ben for a minute or two painting with his water color paints, and he showed up in the bathroom like this... he looked up at me laughing and said 'I'm the paint monster'. He painted his face, arms, hands and feet. He got in trouble, I tried not to laugh as I was trying to be serious about taking his photo. This afternoon we were riding home in the car, he started laughing and kept on laughing while saying this several times.... paint monster, paint monster, paint monster, paint monster, paint monster

Feeding Fish Video

2009-09-27T22:18:00.001-05:00

Ben at the Memphis Botanic Garden feeding the Fish Video. Click HERE and it will take you to there.

THE big boy bed.

2009-09-26T09:23:00.002-05:00

Ben's toddler bed shrunk, so we had to get him one that wouldn't. We bought him a brand new full bed mattress set up from Sams. After he went to sleep I snuck back in his room and took this picture. I made sure he was all snug, I put pillows and stuffed animals all around him.

Every now and then I get these God given glances only his mother can see see of him. They are jumps of development with longer legs. They are glances of growth that is more away from the baby I still see him as. I'm seeing the fruits of what I took the time to do yesterday, I know I'm working myself out of job, its painful at times, but its a worthy investment that brings me joy and happiness. God is teaching me more, even Ben teaches more. I'm all for bigger beds.

The Kangaroo Bounce

2009-09-26T09:18:00.001-05:00

Every little boy needs a release of energy, and so hes got a place to do it now.

The Train Song

2009-09-26T07:13:00.004-05:00

The REAL Thomas the Train

2009-09-26T06:44:00.004-05:00

Day Out with Thomas - year #2, Nashville, TN, year #1, Bryson City, NC.

Nashville is much closer to home, but still a little bit of a drive, so we spent the night before in a motel there. Our friends, our neighbors met us there that morning, Janet's sister lives in Franklin, so they enjoyed a little get together. There is nothing like being there 'live' and experience the 'real' Thomas, its a dream come true for lit boys and girls. Here is a how our day went and our the train ride...

Murdoch even a 'sign' needs a hug. It was good to see him.

Playing a little train music. You may not be able to see it in the picture but he is playing the 'triangle'... this guys music was great. I'm going to try to upload the video of this so you can hear the music.

Walking on the rail waiting to see Thomas' eyes.

On the train ride...

This is Ella, she and Ben are much like sister and brother. They are both so sweet and Ella is so pretty. They are both little God's Gifts. I'm praying now, that God's will to be done, asking God if she will be Ben's wife one day.

Sir Topham Hat he is the chairman of the railroad. He and Ben were discussing something important.

Story time...

A lil train ride.

Lots of train tables... called imagination station. Ben would have been fine staying here all day.

Fun Fun! I'm curious to see if we will be 'old' enough to go next year? If so which station?

St. Louis Labor Day weekend 2009

2009-09-24T14:11:00.008-05:00

Through the wonderful Facebook many of us are finding long lost friends, child hood friends, college friends etc... I did just that, I found my friend Nat. We went to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College - Perkinston Campus together. We met at the Baptist Student Union. If you were ever around both of us you'd never think it... but I mean that in a good way. We are both crazy, but if you put us together we are really wildly crazy. The thing is Ben loved Nat because of that, he and she were two peas in a pod and add me there were three. Whats so great is I got to meet her two kids, Katie and Micah. Wonderful Kids!!! Micah is coming soon to live with me. (lol)

She actually grew up in Perkinston, MS, she was a PK - preacher's kid, her dad was the pastor of the First Baptist Church Perkinston. For those of you who know, its a small place, the college campus and the city are one. Nat and I grew up, I think we did? Well anyway, life takes you down different paths when you do that. She landed in Granite City, IL because that was where her dad was pastoring a church before he passed away from Parkinson Disease (kind of sounds like Perkinstons Disease, I wonder if he caught it there?) (I'm just kidding - its a horrible way to die and I'm so sad that is the way my friend had to watch her dad die)

Granite City is a suburb of St. Louis, MO so on our visit, we did some sight seeing, and reconnecting. It was great!

This is all of us underneath the arch.

Ben laying on the ground looking up at the arch.

Ben and Micah waiting while we were in line to get underneath the arch.

part of a baseball display in the museum underneath the arch.

This was on our walk to the Spaghetti Warehouse to eat dinner after we had experienced the arch.

We also went to the science center.

This is how much it would cost to send Ben into orbit, he was standing on a scale.

They had Build a Dino.... this is Ben's dino called 'Go Go'.

He is drying and fluffing Go Go.

This is us at the Fitz Rootbeer restaurant, it was at the old bottling plant.

I was too full to have one of these then, but I'd kill for one right now. I love Rootbeer Floats.

The last night there we enjoyed some concrete at Bobby's... and some good music.

When we were doing all our coming and going, along the highway we kept seeing this chair on the side. I think it must have fallen off some one's truck.

What is so ironic, look in the middle of the road, there is a black baseball cap.

Someone pointed out that on the right side of this photo I was ready to do the superman snatch... in case he decided to get out of the chair and head to the highway - I was set and ready to get him. We left the car idling, him in the car seat, and we made photos really fast of the two of us... when we got in the car, he was wining that he wanted a turn... so he got a turn.

A girl named Nat

2009-09-24T13:51:00.005-05:00

Nat... in St. Louis... Labor Day weekend 2009...

Into the dim lit, bare walls of my world,

You entered, bringing light and life to me,

The vivid colors, painted with a swirl

Of wit and charm, of personality,

With tender care, you added comfort, warmth,

And images that line the now bright walls.

I look upon them fondly, bringing forth

A thankfulness that you walk in these halls

With me; our friendship has become a part

Of my world now; it has its special place,

Within my being, life, and in my heart,

Your name hangs right beside your smiling face.

Rememb'ring just how drab these walls had been,

I have to thank you for the light, my friend.

Super Hero

2009-09-24T13:41:00.002-05:00

I love days when we can just hang around the house, most of the time we do that on Tuesdays and Thursdays if we can. This morning I loved having the pirate and the Superman all in one. Have you ever seen anyone so intense in making Banana Bread? I've got such a helper. He takes every step I make, wants to do everything that I do. I hope he learns from watching, cause one day I ain't helping and he is solo. Ha ha

Like I said he goes everywhere I go, takes every step I take. I wonder when I'll get to go to the bathroom by myself? This morning while I was drying my hair and getting dressed here is what Ben does. He said he was a towel and didn't want me to unfold him....

Television Remote

2009-09-24T13:38:00.001-05:00

I took this picture for the woman who will be Ben's wife one day. This is what guys do best, operate the remote. In the last couple of weeks he has learned to use it in a way that is very controling.

Bird House Update

2009-09-24T13:34:00.003-05:00

The birdhouse now has shingles on its roof. I think it is completed, so we will be traveling south to pick it up in 2 weeks.

New Orleans - Goodbye for now

2009-09-16T19:26:00.010-05:00

I thought for the last entry of the vacation, the New Orleans trip, I'd just post some various shots I made while we were out and about in the city.

If you know Ben, he is not one to lay down and be still, he would never admit to being tired, but let me tell you we wore him out in New Orleans. That says ALOT! It took a little effort to bring everything down from our room to the lobby when we checked out. At this point, I think we had everything down, and we were waiting on daddy to bring the car around to the front of the hotel.

When you are heading north on I-55 leaving New Orleans you have to time it to stop at Middendorf's restaurant on Lake Manchac for some mighty fine melt in your mouth thinly sliced fried Catfish.

the 'scape' along Canal...

Scenes in the River Walk...

Over looking the River, feeding the sea gulls... at the Riverwalk.

Some of the various signs and shops along Canal and the French Quarter.

Hippie Gypsy

I found this very interesting.. to the left here is a church we were members of briefly when we lived near the Lakeview community. At the time it was a 'retired' church and very close to dead, so I guess after Katrina and the flooding it received its death certificate... and this is what the sign on the front of the church said... Sojourn Lakeview Baptist Church (we knew it as Lakeview Baptist Church). Lakeview Baptist has merged with Sojourn a church plant. The facility is being renovated to a Convergence Center for the arts as well as the joined faith communities. Since we moved, Shawn Parker the pastor we knew there, who was outstanding, left to church First Baptist Columbus, MS. Also, First Baptist Church New Orleans made their new church plant/home on the other side of the interstate just north of the Lake View Community. I do believe First Baptist New Orleans was untouched by Katrina.

Did any of you see Benjamin Buttons the movie??? The above at City Park remind you of anything?

This is a cemetery in New Orleans, as you should know New Orleans is below sea level, so people are not buried, they are above ground.

Our hotel was about a block from Bourbon Street, no big deal to me, just happened that way, after dinner the first night, we cut back through the French Quarter to get back to the hotel. I never would have thought I'd have a 3 year old at night in the French Quarter either, just kind of happened.

Just interesting signs that got my attention

We bought Ben this Mardi Gras hat...the balls actually have lights on them and light up.

The cathedral at night.

Right before dinner our first night we are listening to the band below.... we look up and wow its my brother and sisterinlaw... Wow - what a surprise! They had rode the Am Track train from Jackson, MS to celebrate Geni's birthday in New Orleans.

Isn't this cool with the ferns growing all over the place?

We had a burger at this restaurant and what a great jazz band.

I think this is where we bought Ben's hat.

The back doors to our hotel room, you could step out to the courtyard.

I love Canal Street.

I think this is Bourbon street right off Canal.

I think this building is coca cola red, probably an Italian restaurant, but the windows are the same color as the building... I thought it was particularly cool the way the sun was hitting it, but you can't really see it in the this photo. This 'silver guy' was on Bourbon street as we headed down toward the river to find something for supper one night. Ben thought he had to be very still too.

If you didn't know, they put this sign out to let you know its the jazz city.

This little jester is at the furthest point south on Canal, up over this building is the river.

Like I said New Orleans is one cool place, humid and hot but Cool. It was great to see the city from this angle again. Hope to do it again soon, and do the things we didn't do on this trip. If you have a chance to go, go see the city for what is, not for the capital of Mardi Gras or Party Capital of the United States. I'll be back and when I go I'll let you know, maybe you can join me.

Seeing New Orleans with the Millers

2009-09-16T12:32:00.013-05:00

The Millers.... our very dear, open door - open heart friends, forever... If you find friends like these... you are DOUBLE BLESSED...

Friends Are Friends Forever Lyrics by Michael W. Smith

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
I can't believe the hopes He's granted
Means a chapter of your life is through
But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone'
Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never'
Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends
And with the faith and love God's given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you live in
Is the strength that now you show
We'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone'
Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never'
Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never'
Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends
To live as friends
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends
No a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends

Let me see if I can get this story right...(let me know if its not Jen) About 15 years ago I'm in Gulfport going to Bayou View Baptist Church (my home town, my home church) after college working as a Paralegal. Jennifer moves to Gulfport and works at Gulfport Memorial Hospital as a Occupational Therapist, her Baptist Student Union Pastor was a pastor at Bayou View Baptist Church and recommend she visit the church after she moved here. Jennifer visited my Sunday School class, I helped her get to know some people in the church, brought her home with me to eat lunch at my parent's house, and we started spending some time together. I meet Tim, he is living and working in New Orleans, but comes to Gulfport on the weekends, visits me, we are friends he starts coming to Bayou View Baptist Church with me. Mitch moves to Gulfport from Kansas to stay with his brother for a while and work. Somehow, don't know, he starts coming to church at Bayou View Baptist, he joins and our Sunday School Class. Its a new Sunday School class, so everyone is new really. We have another couple Joe and Kelly who are already married and living in Gulfport, they are in our class, Joe starts teaching the class. We have a group now, and it is so much fun for all of us. We are all very good friends and its a blast!

Tim and me -we grow closer, and the same thing happens with Mitch and Jennifer. Tim and I become engaged first, then Mitch and Jennifer. Mitch and Jennifer's wedding is first though, a month before ours. We marry a month later, and when we do, I move to New Orleans & we make our home there. Mitch and Jennifer visit us often, we visit them when we are in Gulfport, they start their family... first Heather, then Emily... we move to Memphis and the Miller's move back to Jennifer's home place in Louisiana near the Mississippi/Louisiana line not far from Hammond/McComb, not far from I-55, rural area, Mitch builds Jennifer a log home. Joseph baby number three is born there, and a couple years later we adopt Ben. Ben is 3 now... and we plan a vacation to Gulfport and a side trip to New Orleans... after some time on Facebook with each other we invite the Millers to come spend the day with us while we are in New Orleans, AND THEY DID!!!

What a sweet fellowship we had... the following is the story of our day together...

We head down through the French Quarter to Cafe Dumond for some Beingets... throughout the city and our day we see mostly men - some women in red dresses... there was a charity run called the "Red Dress Run"...

(excuse me but I think theses pics are in reverse order of our day)

This is our walk from the Aquarium and the River Walk... up Canal Street back to the Hotel.

See the palm trees? They are throughout the city... Ben would say "Palm trees are near the beach"... but not here... another uniqueness about the city.

At the end of our day, also the last day of our vacation, Ben was just wore out.

This is the water fountain at the entrance of the River walk. They had drained the fountain, Ben and Joseph were walking around it, in it -- and the coins were still there, they were having fun with that... you can only imagine. They were disappointed a little when we told them that the coins were not leaving with them.

Our walk up Canal Street... the blue dog... George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog series, this collection is said to be a tribute to the artist’s deceased dog named Tiffany and influenced by the Loup Garou “Werewolf Legend.” His striking artistic influence has been fascinating art lovers for over 40 years.

Once we made it back to the hotel at the end of the day, everyone enjoyed visiting out our back door in the courtyard. The kid's got along very well.... Joseph and Ben enjoying some "Thomas the train engine" time together.

Like I said these pics are not in order... but this is Jen and I in a 'self portrait' resting at the fountain at the River Walk.

Road Trip.... Jen's kids in front of this fun van which was parked in the Riverwalk... I think there was a shop behind it...

We had fun at the Aquarium... and this is Joseph and Ben sitting on the frog.

In between Beignets and the Aquarium, walking back by the Moon Walk, along the river... we ran into a down pour of rain... we found a entertainment gazebo to stand for a little while to keep dry... we had such a good time, I had forgotten about the rain until I saw this picture. It was fun to watch this riverboat's wheel while we were visiting...

Here is the rain storm moving in on us along the river... we only had a short walk - run to go when the rain let up to the aquarium. This bridge is the "crescent city connection"... it connects the west bank to the east bank... if you want to go all the way down to the mouth of the Mississippi River to the bottom of the boot you will go south on this bridge.

Here are some shots from the aquarium.... the sting ray is smiling at us.

Most aquariums have these tunnels... they are so cool.

The first stop, the first on our agenda was GETTING some Beingets in our blood!!! These are from the real place, Cafe Dumond.

Saturday morning, we had to wait in line for a table... Ben was wore out and made friends fast with the girls. I think they would be very good mother's helpers for me.

Heather eating Beingets the less messy way. I believe this was her first time to eat them, she was doing good.

Mitch, Jennifer and Joseph Man!

I love this picture, it makes me think of us all renewing our friendship. Our friendship began with 5, Jayme, Tim, Mitch, Jennifer & God. I love thinking of us now, 13 years later with Ben, Heather, Emily and Joseph. This is the new deal, the new package... now we are 9!

I think we all had such a fun day and time in New Orleans together. Its a new day and different, but our hearts are still the same, with God all things are possible and I look forward to the years to come with our friendship, near or far, friends are friends forever if the Lord is the Lord of them!

New Orleans visit -- The St. Charles Street Car

2009-08-30T18:09:00.010-05:00

On Friday afternoon, after nap time, we ran down to Canal Street thinking we would catch that street car... what we were we thinking? That Canal Street car hasn't been back since Katrina? What we did do, is catch it over at St. Charles, along with about 50 other people waiting to get on.

This was the first time we rode a street car in New Orleans. I always enjoyed driving in the car down St. Charles, and especially loved the tour around New Orleans a lady in our church took our Sunday School class on in the church van. She pointed out many highlights of St. Charles, I always like to find the wedding cake house, look for Tulane and Loyola.

We rode the street car all the way to the end of the line, where they switch over. They make you get off and get back on, pay again. It was a hot and humid New Orleans day, so we could hardly wait to walk over to the Walgreen's to get a drink and snack, before we rode back to Canal to the hotel.

These pictures were not posted in the right order, but I'll explain as I go...

This is the street car we rode on, this is at the end of the line...
These are the street cars at the end ready to head back to canal, we were walking back after a visit at the Wal-greens for cold drinks..
Things that we saw along the way...

He looks like a grown man doesn't he? Ha ha

Mardi Gras beads in the tree...

Street person...

This is another street person, this is probably his 'mobile home'...

We are going around Lee Circle...

Robert E. Lee... stands in the middle of the circle...

A street car passes us...

We made several stops along St. Charles, this is Ben looking over at another street car that made the same stop...
The campus of Loyola...

There is a Hancock Bank in the business part of St. Charles...

Audobun Park, close to the zoo...

Some houses along St. Charles...

Inside the street car after a few people had gotten off...

He never got bored, he was into it...

The Mardi Gras bead, a college age girl sitting across from us when we got on, (some use the street car for their only transportation) was captivated with Ben... she gave him her mardi gras bead, it had a colorful mask on it...

After we got on... You can tell the end of the day, like I said a hot humid New Orleans day...

This is a cool pic I took, see the street car passing us?

I'm glad my head, arm or camera didn't hit that pole we just passed. I guess there is a reason they say keep your head and arms inside the car?

Starting off on our ride...

It was tight at first...

I couldn't help but think of the movie... A street Car Name Desire....

Set in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the restless years following World War Two, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is the story of Blanche DuBois, a fragile and neurotic woman on a desperate prowl for someplace in the world to call her own. After being exiled from her hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, for seducing a seventeen-year-old boy at the school where she taught English, Blanche explains her unexpected appearance on Stanley and Stella's (Blanche's sister) doorstep as nervous exhaustion. This, she claims, is the result of a series of financial calamities which have recently claimed the family plantation, Belle Reve. Suspicious, Stanley points out that "under Louisiana's Napoleonic code what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband." Stanley, a sinewy and brutish man, is as territorial as a panther. He tells Blanche he doesn't like to be swindled and demands to see the bill of sale. This encounter defines Stanley and Blanche's relationship. They are opposing camps and Stella is caught in no-man's-land. But Stanley and Stella are deeply in love. Blanche's efforts to impose herself between them only enrages the animal inside Stanley. When Mitch -- a card-playing buddy of Stanley's -- arrives on the scene, Blanche begins to see a way out of her predicament. Mitch, himself alone in the world, reveres Blanche as a beautiful and refined woman. Yet, as rumors of Blanche's past in Auriol begin to catch up to her, her circumstances become unbearable. Written by Mark Fleetwood {mfleetwo@mail.coin.missouri.edu}

Ben's First Time Bowling

2009-08-29T10:19:00.002-05:00

New Orleans Visit - Hotel Chateau Bourbon

2009-08-27T21:14:00.005-05:00

Daniel Henry Holmes opened on October 15, 1849, one of the most important additions to New Orleans, the D.H. Holmes department store. The store operated at the same location for 140 years and became a local treasure, as well as gained a national reputation as one of the outstanding retail establishments in the United States. The City of New Orleans and Historic Restoration Inc. joined together on a common mission, to preserve and readapt the use of this historic building by turning it into a truly unique 251-room luxury hotel.

The hotel opened in April 1995. The transformation of the pre-Civil War landmark into a 20th century hotel included a complete interior renovation and exterior restoration to the building.
The famous "clock", which was a favorite meeting place for generations of New Orleanians was missing since the stores closing in 1989. The clock was returned to the hotel in November of 1995. The clock presently hangs in its original location on Canal Street. Underneath the clock is the life size bronze sculpture of Ignatius Reilly, funded jointly by the hotel and the Downtown Development District. The statue mimics the opening scene of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, A Confederacy of Dunces.

I knew there were a lot of hotels in New Orleans so it was going to be hard to choose just one to stay at on our visit. Like I've said before, I grew up visiting the city and even lived there, but this was my first time to stay the night in a hotel. I knew we would want to be within walking distance to the French Quarter, because we would be paying for parking through the hotel and anywhere else in town we would have to pay additional parking on top of that. So, we walked everywhere we went in town. The hotel was on Canal and Bourbon Street, but the main entrance was on the back... on Iberville. We could walk out one entrance and be on Canal, walk another block in the back and be on Bourbon Street. We would never go to do the Bourbon Street experience, but being in this spot put us in the center and near most activities.

This is the main entrance on Iberville.

This is the entrance on Canal. There are the Palm Trees I love.

While we were getting into the room, Tim was trying to unload and all, Ben kept wanting to climb and swing on the cart. Tim wasn't happy about that, so Ben and I went down to the pool until he was finished. The whole time we were staying in the hotel, if Ben saw a cart anywhere in the hotel he would try to get on like 'monkey'.

Our hallway, it was a large hotel and we walked around and around diff hallways to get to our room.
Ben and I went to the pool until daddy had a chance to get everything unloaded into the room.

The first thing you have to do when you get into a hotel room is try out the beds...

this way too...

What a surprise to find this courtyard out from our room, we had two double doors that Ben could come in and out of.

That's our courtyard doors.

We still don't get it, but this was in one of the flower gardens in our courtyard.

Overall we had a great experience at this hotel, we would stay here again if we went back. It was extremely quiet Thursday night, the noise level picked up Friday night but Saturday night while sleeping I woke up to hear a party going on in the hallway and someone knocked on our door. What do you expect - we were one block from Bourbon Street.

I was a little sad to hear that they might have to close the hotel 3 days a week, the economy, after effects of Katrina? I just don't think New Orleans is pulling in the conventions like they use to.

New Orleans City Park -

2009-08-27T12:40:00.011-05:00

Our hotel was located downtown within 'seconds' from the French Quarter. After a good nights rest on Thursday night, we were ready to set out for an adventure on Friday morning. That meaning away from town and something 'peaceful' that Ben might enjoy. On our way out of it, we even stopped to eat breakfast at a McDonald's more north on Canal. I had read in a visitors magazine in the hotel room, about what all was new to City Park. Currently, the park is recovering, repairing old attractions and adding new ones as well. Most facilities have reopened, including Story land, the stadiums, the Botanical Garden, and the Amusement Park which features new rides; such as the Scrambler, The Construction Zone, a new kiddie ride, and a new larger Ferris wheel. That is where we decided to spend our Friday morning.

Here is a little history on City Park:

City Park was established in the 19th century on the land fronting Metairie Road (now City Park Avenue) along the remains of Bayou Metairie, a former distributary of the Mississippi River, but originally only went back a block or two in distance, as swamp ground extended from there to Lake Pontchartrain. City Planners had mapped out a grid of streets in the area behind the park. After this area was drained in the mid 20th century, City Park was expanded through a series of land acquisitions.[3] Substantial improvements were made to the park by the Works Progress Administration, including many sculptures by Enrique Alferez, construction of buildings, bridges, and much of the transportation, electrical and plumbing infrastructure that still served the park when Hurricane Katrina struck. It is one of the 10 largest urban parks in the country and holds the world's largest collection of mature live oak trees, some older than 600 years. Its founding in 1853 makes also makes it one of the oldest parks in the country.

Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage to the park, first by the winds toppling an estimated 1,000 trees and damaging many more. After the failure of several floodwalls, the park flooded with 1 foot (0.30 m) to 10 feet (3.0 m) of water which sat for two to four weeks, damaging all buildings, amusement rides, maintenance equipment, electrical systems, vehicles, and causing the death of more trees and landscaping including nearly the entire plant collection in the New Orleans Botanical Garden.

I love these palm trees through out the city in New Orleans... they are almost as prominent as the Oak Trees.

That's Ben and I at the top of the slide.... (I remember doing this same slide with my brother in the parking lot of Gaylord's in Gulfport)

Ben and I did this not once but twice! It even works with 40 years olds!

The rides were a perfect match for Ben. I think he had more advantage to City Park than any Six Flags... since he is still a little fellow. Inexpensive, $15 for an arm band.

These various shots were taken around City Park on the ride we took on the train. The train ride goes around a large perimeter of the park.

The big building ahead is New Orleans Museum of Art.

Ben waiting on the train to arrive.

Since 1906 little kids and kids at heart have enjoyed the "flying horses" of City Park's antique carousel, one of only 100 antique wooden carousels in the country and the last one in Louisiana. The carousel, featuring the masterwork of famed carousel carvers Looff and Carmel, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and its renovation garnered national attention and praise from the National Historic Preservation Society.

while riding the carousel, I thought, I've rode this before.

This was an awesome carousel.

Of course he loved it! I was just careful to look straight forward.

Except I did capture this close up picture of the New Orleans Sky Line we were honored to see when we rounded the top.

Here is daddy, waiting on us... (the adults only had one arm band)... behind him is the carousel house.

Story Land:

Is to me one of the most awesome little 'nooks' about the park, really it is a fairytale land for the kids. It is adjacent to the amusement park and botanical gardens. They can climb aboard Captain Hook’s pirate ship, journey with Pinocchio into the mouth of a whale or scamper up Jack & Jill’s Hill in City Park’s Storyland. There are more than 25 larger-than-life storybook exhibits, this storybook fantasy play area is inhabited by sculpted characters created by New Orleans’ finest Mardi Gras float makers.

Cinderella...

The Cow Jumped Over the Moon...

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.... (see the old woman?)

Pinocchio....

The three houses... The Three Lil Pigs...

Puff the Magic Dragon....
New Orleans visit to be continued...

Hot but cool - Part IV -New Orleans introduction

2009-08-22T10:08:00.032-05:00

I've always loved New Orleans. I have fond memories there, my parents took me over (a little over an hour drives from Gulfport) when I was growing up, it was always fun with them. When I got older, as a young adult I visited with with friends, and then I lived there. After several years of not 'going' to New Orleans I thought it would be fun to take Ben and pay it a visit. I will also have to add, New Orleans was where Tim and I spent a lot of time before we married. We made our 'first' home there, where we lived together the first years of our marriage. We all know the 'honeymoon' is the best part of any marriage.

I grew up hearing stories about my dad's childhood, visiting with his Aunt Vera and Uncle Sam, who ran a dry cleaning business in New Orleans. I believe Uncle Sam gave my dad a lot more freedom than Aunt Vera really wanted him to while she was working as a nurse, as a child he would ride the street car 'all alone', to the Saenger to see a show. Many times on our visits dad would try to retrace some of the steps he made as a child.

My mother has her own stories too, before my dad came into the picture, she did part of her nurses training at Charity Hospital. No not the Charity Hospital we know of. One memory I've heard many times is about a 'boy' who escorted a group of the 'nurses in training' to midnight mass during the holidays down through the streets of New Orleans. What an experience for my mother who grew up in Seminary, Mississippi and in a Baptist Church.

Of course their time in New Orleans was a different 'time' for New Orleans, but New Orleans has always been New Orleans. Many times in my childhood during the visits there, my mother would quote "the city that care forgot". Another NOT a fond memory of mine, which was renewed on our visit this month, the city still smells the same. I think the former head coach of the Saints, Mike Ditka, got in trouble for saying something like 'New Orleans stinks/smells bad'. He was just being honest, it does, especially in the French Quarter. I would describe it for you or tell you why but I'll leave that for your imagination.

You'll have to read what my friend wrote: New Orleans' Bourbon Street VS. Memphis' Beale Street. Her article has some great links. There are so many interesting facts and history about New Orleans... I could write forever, but my favorite thoughts about New Orleans, the history, the people, the food... I'll leave to French Quarter - Wikipedia. for now.

Tim was working in New Orleans for Texaco Natural Gas when we met and so when we married we planned to make our home there. New Orleans was always fun to visit, and there are so many things I love about it, but it was different living there! Lets just get that out in the open. 'Mississippi Girl' was my label and Mississippi is only about an hour away. You have to understand the history of New Orleans and the people to get it. Maybe me too?

I had to 'make my own way' for the first time in my life. I was away from my parents, family, community and my home church I had known all my life. It was time though, and everyone, even a Mississippi girl has to grow up, I was of age, looking back it was really a great place to experience and 'start' to grow up. My friend Mitch asked me while we were standing in line at the aquarium if I wanted to live there again. I said NO, it was a fun place to visit, like I've said and titled these vacation posts... it was hot weather while we were down that way, but its a COOL place to visit. One time while I was preparing for our wedding, our pastor in Gulfport, who lived in New Orleans at one time, said 'New Orleans/Metairie is nothing but concrete'. There are a lot of pros and cons of living in New Orleans, (we all saw the tv after Hurricane Katrina) for me there were too many cons and way too many pros of living where I am now.

Ok, now for the visit itself and it will tell more of our days we lived there. These postings on New Orleans will be ongoing until I'm finished-- totally coincidental that this is the anniversary time of Katrina.

The morning of the day we left Maw Maw & Paw Paw's house, Ben wanted to wear Paw Paw's shorts, just had to throw this one in for fun.... 'Some pants you can never fill'

After spending 5 nights at Maw Maw & Paw Paw's house in Gulfport, it didn't take Ben long to fall fast asleep in the car, we were on I-10 at Canal Road, on the road to New Orleans...
Once we were through Slidell, I was excited about seeing Lake Pontchartrain, excited about getting on to the I-10 Twin Span Bridge, excitement turned into anxiousness the closer we got to the bridge because our luck we got in a long line of traffic to 'get on'. (The Twin Span Bridge is a 5.4 mile long bridge across Lake Pontchartrain) The problem was the new Twin Span Bridge Project, due to the damage from Hurricane Katrina. In the distance are some of the fish camps along the lake.
The new bridge will be 21 feet higher than the existing Twin Span Bridge, and approximately 30 feet above the water level. The bridge will feature an 80 foot high-rise section to provide vertical clearance for marine traffic on Lake Pontchartrain. We were on the 'old' bridge and to the left is the 'new' bridge. It looked awesome!

Once your off the Twin Span, you land in Irish Bayou, ... click here to see the Irish Bayou landmark. It feels different, because you are below sea level at this time. Irish Bayou is a community along Lake Pontchartrain, a body of water of the same name within the legal boundaries of the city of New Orleans, but separated from the rest of the city by undeveloped wetlands.

The excitement for me has always been pretty high as we 'get into' New Orleans.

As we continue on along I-10, we roll into 'New Orleans East'... this part of the city has seen a lot of changes in my lifetime. I remember 'Lake Forrest Plaza', it was the 'gateway' to New Orleans for me as a child, also the first 'major' shopping mall experience in my life, it was the powerhouse of shopping malls for the city. I recall, the big department stores 'Dillards', 'Maison Blanche' and 'D.H. Holmes', what we didn't have at the Biloxi Edgewater mall at the time. We would eat Beignets around the ice skate rink, and have an experience at Farrells Ice Cream parlor restaurant. The oil bust in the 1980s changed the city of New Orleans and especially this area of the city, affecting the 'plaza'. They tried to revitalize it when they renovated, but really made it worse because they removed the ice skate rink. It didn't help that crime in the east was getting out of hand. By the time I was living in New Orleans in the late 1990s, making many trips back and forth to Gulfport on this section of I-10, I prayed my way through New Orleans East, where the 'plaza' was still hanging on, only in a small way.

New Orleans East was hit the hardest from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it inundated the property with 7 feet of standing water for weeks and ruined the entire mall. I am happy to say I never saw this part of history, because we were well settled here in Memphis, but the last time I saw this area in 2000, and then to see it now, it has definitely been transformed, the Lowe's that now sits on the Plaza property is much more appealing. But I still prayed through New Orleans East during this trip. To me that area looked kind of desolate.

I've always gotten a small break from praying as we've made it around, 'a close as it gets to a sharp turn', and then my prayers begin again, as we head almost straight-up the I-10 High Rise Bridge over the Industrial Canal. More than ever kind of prayers because this is where you'll get your first introduction to the real city, drivers are aggressive on this bridge. Doesn't seem fair to get thrown into New Orleans that way does it?
This canal connects the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain. The canal passes through the 9th Ward of the city. Along the riverfront, the canal constitutes the boundary of the ward's Bywater neighborhood on the upriver side of the canal and the Lower 9th Ward neighborhood on the downriver side. Near the lake, it is generally considered to be the western boundary of Eastern New Orleans. Unless you are from New Orleans or understand about the canal, it would have been very hard to understand how the city is laid out. Much of the communication from the media in 2005 about the breaches in the levees were based on this canal.

For me, the only enjoyment about being on the very top of the 'High Rise Bridge' is being able to look over to the right and see the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary campus or at least seeing the steeple. I promise I don't see it when I'm driving though, only if I'm a passenger. While we were visiting churches, finding a church home, many people would ask if we were seminary students. We thought about having a t-shirt printed up that had a circle around the chapel, with it crossed out... so people wouldn't ask us that question. No, just kidding. We found great comfort to find others of our faith, who were usually seminary students, otherwise we probably would not have.

New Orleans is notably absent from the Protestant Bible Belt that dominates religion in the Southern United States. In New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast area, the predominant religion is Catholicism. Within the Archdiocese of New Orleans (which includes not only the city but the surrounding Parishes as well), 35.9% percent of the population is Roman Catholic. The influence of Catholicism is reflected in many of the city's French and Spanish cultural traditions, including its many parochial schools, street names, architecture, and festivals, including Mardi Gras. One of the greatest things about New Orleans is that its a 'soup bowl' for different faiths and religions, many of my close friends while there were Catholic. It kind of made me sad that on Ash Wednesday I was the only one without ashes on my forehead, but it sure made it easy for us to eat out on Friday nights during lent, because we new everyone was headed to the Seafood Restaurants.

By now, on I-10 we are in New Orleans, and we can see off to the left the 'city'....

On this visit we wanted to ride through Lake View, West-End, Bucktown, Metairie, then downtown New Orleans, etc.. see the steps we use to make many times a day when we lived there. We did this before we checked into the hotel downtown, mainly because Ben was still asleep and we didn't want to wake him up by stopping.

On the weekends we enjoyed going to West End Park on Lake Pontchartrain. It has a seawall, much like the one on the Misissippi Beach, but no sand. We would could sit on it, put our toe in the water, feel the breeze. There were picnic tables, and one lane was closed for walkers, bicycles or roller blades.

We are parked on an inlet in the harbor area, this is the NEW New Orleans Yacht Club... many of you may remember this area flooded, the club being on fire in many of the 2005 Katrina news reports. To see those news reports and now see this... its makes your heart smile!

So much of this area has been revitalized, so we saw very few changes, at the same time we could see that the area had been hit and work is still in progress!

This is a picture taken from West End Park, the very long bridge in the distance is called The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway a 24-mile long bridge which consists of two, 2-lane spans running parallel across Lake Pontchartrain connection Jefferson Parish on the South Shore and St. Tammany Parish on the North Shore. Each weekday over 42,000 cars cross Lake Pontchartrain on this bridge. I even traveled it on a daily basis when I worked on a 'class action' 9 month project in Bogaloosa, LA. You don't cross it when its foggy, bad weather or high winds - so those days I didn't have to work! What an experience right there in itself to cross the World's Largest Bridge every day as part of a work experience!

With the talk of all these bridges, can you imagine the day when there were no bridges and the only way to get to New Orleans was by boat, lots of history about this place.

Well more than anything is the food experience in New Orleans.....

About this time in our trip/visit Ben woke up and as he would say it was 'potty time and snack time'.... We made that stop at one of our favorites in Metairie, 'Morning Call Coffee Stand'. When we lived in Metairie Cafe Dumond was a lil far and complicated to get to downtown, so we went where the locals went, since we were a local then. But first Ben's Mommy and daddy had to get into a maybe fun discussion about how to get there, did we go all the way down West Esplanade from where we were or get on Veterans Memorial Highway then turn down Causeway Blvd and get on Severn behind Lakeside Mall? We got there. There are some things you never forget.

Appealing to an eclectic and colorful clientele, Morning Call offers a unique and traditional experience. The rich chicory coffee is brewed using the time tested “french drip method” which allows the coffee to build intensity and body. Whole milk is heated to a near boil then mixed with the coffee to form the quintessential café au lait.The beignets, also referred to as “French market donuts” are hand rolled and cut before being plunged into hot oil. The result is a light, delicate treat that is liberally dusted with powdered sugar and is well-known as an irresistible New Orleans creation. Originally located on Decatur Street in the world famous French Quarter, Morning Call, prospered for over 100 years before moving to its present location in the burgeoning parish of Jefferson. Here you sprinkle your own powdered sugar on.
I love FIRSTS.

Like I said earlier, we were engaged while Tim was living in New Orleans... right next to the 'Morning call' is 'Designs in Jewelry'... this is where Barry helped Tim pick out my engagement ring, our wedding rings and more later.... we loved this place and it was a different set of priorities during that time in our lives. It was great to see that Barry is still in business at the same spot!

The fondest memories I have of our time in New Orleans was living in a duplex townhouse in the Bucktown area of Metairie. Bucktown use to be a string of fishing and hunting camps lining the 17th Street Canal and Lake Pontchartrain. The canal provided a harbor for fishing boats. The people who lived along the canal and out on the lake were squatters who made their living from fishing, crabbing, hunting and trapping, as well as from the rental of boats, the sale of tackle and bait, and the entertainment of vacationers. Steamboats docked at the entrance to the New Basin Canal (now Pontchartrain Blvd.) and at the terminus of the Jefferson and Lake Pontchartrain Railroad where Bucktown is today. The railroad ran along what is now the Orleans-Jefferson Parish boundary at the 17th Street Canal.

Deanie's Seafood restaurant is a Bucktown landmark. I love the the new potatoes (boiled in crab juice) that are plunked on the table when you arrive and the almost ridiculously high piles of fried seafood that follow, and you know a tall 'glass bottle' of Barq's Rootbeer to go with it all.

After living here in the 'suburb' land of Germantown for a while now, I look at this townhouse photo and think thats an 'odd' looking structure, but not then, New Orleans has its own signature. I enjoyed it for many reasons, it was more like a house, than the apartment complex we had been living in, had a little covered patio, a very small yard area in the back and on the side. Remember this is further south then even Gulfport, so its where I really enjoyed my pot plant garden. As you can see we could pull up to our front door just like these new tennants, and it had a washer and dryer hook up, quarter days were no more (those of you in a younger generation have no idea) We were within blocks of Lake Ponchatrain and the 17th Street Canal, and we got the most awesome breezes from the lake and enjoyed walking along both, on the paths that had been made for exercisers. Within blocks I could run up to Delchamps (for those of you who grew up in Bayou View know what I'm talking about). But the number one memory is the adoption of our two cats, Celeste and Tommy while living here, Tommy has gone to cat heaven, but Celeste is still following every step I make. I remember Celeste getting stuck up in the tree across the street, we called the fire department to get her down, another time both cats got black tar all over them when our land lord re-tared the roof.

310 Lilac, Metairie, LA, still know the address! I enjoyed our neighbors in the duplex next to us, Flo an older lady on one side, and a couple related to her on the other side. Now - my neighbors names I have forgotten!

Now we aren't out in the country here in this photo, not by a long shot. Tim and I lived in an apartment complex right after we married... near the Clearview Mall and East Jefferson Hospital. The apartment building was really pushing it when we lived there, but it was an overal 'clean/nice' place. Many of our first over night guests will remember visiting us here. It was the best place to be during Mardi Gras Season, we could throw a rock to Veterans Memorial Highway, no I meant 'they' could throw cups and beads to us, all we wanted.

This is what I always called the Crescent City Connection, the lanes that refers to twin cantilever bridges that carry U.S. Route 90 Business over the Mississippi River in New Orleans. The westbound span, which carries motorists into the city's Central Business District on the Eastbank. But I'm not sure, that these lanes are really what I called them... but they did get me into the Central Business District where I worked on Baronne Street. This was not my experience when going or coming from work, much MORE traffic, another con that I never got adjusted too stand still TRAFFIC on a daily basis. I really liked where I worked, so I did the traffic like the other locals did.

As I said before Tim worked for Texaco Natural Gas on Poydras, this was his building, so he made the same commute I did until his office moved out to St. Rose. For a short while, we worked about 3 blocks from one another, we often met somewhere for lunch, walked to get there.

We noticed that it now has the Regions name on it.

Driving into the city you can't help but see the Superdome. I worked only a block or two from it, visited the mall area around it often during lunch, which housed a food court and Maceys.

I couldn't believe this little place was still there, same name and everything. Ditcharo's Restaurant on Carondelet, one block from where I worked on Baronne. The office would order their lunches, and some guy would deliever it in the basket of his bicycle to us. This restaurant offered a variety of daily specials in addition to their regular menu. Specials typically included Etoufee, Creole, Catfish Acadian, and poboys. This is where I worked when I was a paralegal.... the attorney's name Frank J. D'Amico, Jr. Much of my time I lived in New Orleans went here, what an experience and I'll leave it at that for now, this is a post in itself. There are some people there I will never forget, Nancy, Marilyn, Lisa, Ann and more faces I remember but not the names right now. At the time, the main office was on the 2nd floor and my office was on the 3rd. Old warehouse type building with cypress wood floors, walls and brick walls.
I couldn't believe what I saw immediatley when we got to the hotel room, Frank's face on the New Orleans phone book, now he is the 'Strong Arm'.
We never did make it out to St. Charles Parish to look around while we were visiting. We had bought a house in the Ormond neighborhood in Destrehan the year before we moved to Memphis. It was an awesome house, we were preparing to start our family, but as you know God had much better plans. I'll end here, this post is much longer than I intended but its an introduction that needed to be made.

Update on the birdhouse

2009-08-22T09:50:00.003-05:00

Paw Paw emailed us this picture of the birdhouse, he says hes gotta put a roof on it. Ben loves it.

Hot but Cool (Part III)

2009-08-15T20:58:00.003-05:00

For a 3 & 1/2 year old boy whose mom and dad leave him with his grandparent's for the afternoon, what better treat than to make a birdhouse with his Paw Paw? Ben has always liked tools, fixing things and following his Paw Paw around 'helping'. Lets not forget spending time in the 'storage room'. 'Paw Paw even has a tv that gets my shows.'

You may know my dad, but you may not know his deepest secret (shhh don't let it out) he is sort of 'artsy'. Meaning, he can really do anything he sets his mind to, and he is very good at it, he is left handed too. His weekly golf buddy told me he was the best left handed golfer he had ever seen. Look at this birdhouse he and Ben built together.... (This was on our list to do before we left home)

Maw Maw worked on the 'team' too - she came up with the idea of taping the roof together...

This little fellow was truly proud of his bird house! They didn't get finished, Paw Paw said he wanted to put a perch on it, and he needed to paint it... Ben came up with many different colors, but Paw Paw made him pick two... right now I think it could be blue, green or red. Next visit we will see what happens to it?

Hot but Cool (Part II)

2009-08-13T18:20:00.006-05:00

What better way to cool off on a hot day.... than go down a water slide....

Hot but cool (Part I)

2009-08-13T16:41:00.011-05:00

August is really the last month of the Summer that you can squeeze in a vacation, and that is what we did, its also the last of the hot humid weather, especially in the south as in close to the gulf, especially while we were there too. For our vacation this year I really wanted to visit with my family, my parents, some 'old' friends, eat some of our coast favorites and just be on the the coast. Do something familiar. So, we decided to skip a tourist town we had never visited before and head on to Gulfport and New Orleans. We made a list of things we wanted to do, most that Ben would enjoy, some we did and some we didn't, with a plan to end the week in New Orleans. During my growing up years I would make day trips there with my parents or friends, then ended up living there after I married Tim. Through all of those years I had never stayed the night in a French Quarter hotel, so we did. Both Gulfport and New Orleans had both been my 'home' but during our visit we saw both from a different point of view, like I said it was 'hot' there but they are really 'cool' places to visit.

Gulfport Beach:

Gulfport West Side Park:

Poboy's at the Shooner:

Lynn Meadow's Discovery Center:

The art project for the day was Circles... mix orange and blue together and what do you get?

Gulfport West side Sprinkler Pad:

Did anyone see the monkey?

Random Thoughts

2009-07-29T22:49:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd just share some random thoughts and update you on the goings on around here this Summer.

As in my previous post, Facebook has opened up another part of my brain, and so its been fun to remember... last night I actually went through a drawer full of letters back in the Summer of 1988 when I was serving as a missionary in Nebraska. It really is funny how things change, what we use to think was important, is minor now or what was good we didn't realize then it was GOOD. Although, one note from my dad... ' I didn't play golf today because of the heat, you know its hot if I didn't play'... some things never change. I enjoyed the sweet letters from my mother, she shared a lot of news going on with everyone in our community, my dad as he was preparing for retirement, my brother and his family, and how her days were spent babysitting my nieces at the time. Before I flew off to Nebraska I had been 'bugging' them to buy a VCR (remember this is a 'new' electronic at the time) At the end of the Summer, (they must have really missed me)one letter said that dad was going over to Rex (electronic gadget store at the time) to look at the VCRs, did I want something simple or one that did everything - she couldn't remember. I'll close for now with 'memories' and pick up later with it.

Ben is growing, getting bigger, I can hardly pick him up and hold him. There are still times, that he wants me to.

The best thing that was accomplished this Summer was that my 'Lil' man is potty trained, even at night! I was so excited 3 and 1/2 years ago to start using a diaper bag, now I feel kind of naked without it. But, just as I was excited about the diaper bag then, I'm just as excited that I can now go back to using a purse. I'm free, no strollers, no extra bags.... etc... but at the same time can't help but want to go back a little bit, do I want to adopt another?

The most fun I'm having now is with the dialogue between Ben and I. He asks so many questions, 'why' is the most asked, I could probably write a blog post on 'why'. There is much more to just 'talking' that goes with dialogue, there are the expressions, tones, giggles. His questions are certainly out of curiosity, with that comes touching, investigating everything (this afternoon at the purse store he pulled all the purses off the bottom shelf just so he could look at the light underneath. He also found a curling iron on display and was trying to pick everything up with it, the sales clerk just got another one and they played together like they were swords) He just does all of this, not holding back, regardless of the consequences that may be enforced upon him. He never wants to sleep because he is afraid he might miss something. He has a way to work you, his smile, and he is fast. Sometimes I call him the 'politician'.

He has admired the Sketchers shoe commercial on TV, especially the ones that light up, today he got a size 10, next shoe size will be BOYS. He wore them later this afternoon, he told everyone about them that crossed our path, if he didn't tell them he showed them by the way he was making the lights come on.

This afternoon during rest time, I was trying my best to get him to stay in his room. I could hear him climbing up on top of his dresser, he pulls out a drawer and climbs to the things on the top. I told him not to do that, he yelled back 'I'm getting my bible'. I mean, what can you say to that? He came out of his room with the bible opened, showed me where it was opened, he said 'this is John 1:15' I said, Oh really, 'what does it say?" He said 'Welcome'.

In a previous post I was so excited about the love he had for his 'God Box' he made in Sunday School. Tonight he completed his chore again, the silverware into the drawer. He was so eager again to help out, he said I love chores, yes yes yes... chores.. I'll do it... and then he stopped and said "what is a chore?" I explained it to him and he said 'I love chores'... he has the best little attitude! Once he finished, I gave him his quarter, I said 'you can put it in your 'God Box', you can put it in your bank for Disney World or you can put it in your pocket to spend later'. He said 'I'll put it in my pocket forever, forever, forever and forever. ' I guess there goes the 'God Box'?

We have certainly been blessed with our Ben, but we also face some challenges with parenting him, he is on fast forward until he goes to sleep at night, and fighting it at that. We will start classes at RIP beginning next month, as this will be about a 6 month commitment for the 3 of us, two nights a week.

This Regional Intervention Program is located on the campus of UOM and has been serving families with young children since 1969. RIP is an internationally recognized parent implemented program in which parents learn to work directly with their own children. Experienced RIP parents provide training and support to newly enrolled families. The program is available to families in which there are concerns regarding a young child's behavior, and is coordinated by a professional resource staff person. RIP's most important component is parent implementation. This means that parents learn to work with their own children, support one another and operate the program. Parents learn by repeated direct practice followed by supportive feedback. Beginning behavior management training in areas such as identifying problem behaviors, child development, and positive discipline strategies. Advanced behavior management training in all of the above areas as parents help teach skills to newer parents in the program. Classroom programs teach children behaviors that will help them be successful in school and childcare settings. Social skills training teaches children strategies to get along together.

As this parenting class starts up, Ben will go back to his regular Mother's Day Out three days a week, he calls it his old school. This fall will be a busy time for us.

But first, as we close out the Summer, we plan to leave this weekend on our vacation. Guess where we are going? Gulfport. Its going to be great to spend some time with my parents at 'home', but we are also going to enjoy the coast from a 'tourist's point of view'. On our way back to Memphis, we are going back through New Orleans. We have hotel reservations downtown for a couple of nights. We plan to go see the places where we lived and eat a few of our favorites. We are looking forward to spending Saturday with friends, last time we spent time together in New Orleans, we were newlyweds, now they are a family of 5 and we are 3! I'm looking forward to seeing Beniget powdered sugar smiles that belong to little people. Can't wait to take those pictures with my camera.

Please pray for us as we close out the Summer and enter into a new routine. I'll be away from the blog for a little while, but check back soon, probably sooner than you think.

Facebook

2009-07-29T21:31:00.007-05:00

I feel like I've been neglecting my blog ever since Facebook entered into my life. At first I wasn't that interested in it, but then I started, and then one person after another person... I now have 386 Facebook Friends. I've wondered have I actually had 386 friends in my life over a period of 40 years? I think I've gone back through every chapter of my life and searched for those who have crossed my path at one time or another, of course not everyone is on Facebook, but I've found some pretty significant people. Its been great to remember the good times.

I’m on Facebook because of the people. I love hearing updates from family and friends. I like checking out pictures of old classmates, or seeing pictures of my friends' or cousins' activities and their children or reading insightful notes from people that show me a whole different side of their life.

I will admit I love to take pictures (of Ben). I love to look at my pictures. I love to look at other people's pictures. I love pictures. That is my favorite part of Facebook. I could look for hours at someone' s pictures, even perfect strangers. So for me it’s great to meet someone at church or at Wal Mart and know what’s happening. It’s eradicated all the awkward conversations. I can immediately say, “Hey, I saw you went to Destin this Summer with your family. How was it?”

I hear from people about faith, about family, about the things that are happening in their life, its an amazing dialogue. I'm doing it to connect, to connect with a live person. Whats been great is to see the 'pics' of the reunions made because of Facebook, I've even had a few myself. I've laughed and cried at some of the things we have all 'remembered' about ourselves, and the roads some of us have gone through to get to where we are now.

Life in 3D is much more appealing, but its also pretty awesome to see how everyone rallies and encourages one another when things aren't going so well, or someone compliments you on something well done or good in your life. I love that aspect of the community.

God's Box

2009-07-24T16:45:00.003-05:00

Ben's Sunday School project this past Sunday was this little green box in the picture below. The teacher told me that this was a box that the class made, they would bring it back with them to church after they put money in it for God. Here at home we just started calling it 'God's Box'. He was very careful with it this week, made sure it was in a safe place where he could see it.

Ben has always been a good helper, he wants to help me do things. I was unloading the dishwasher the other afternoon, he came in the kitchen and said he wanted to help me. I said well OK, I'll give you a job I had when I was a little girl. I took out the silverware basket, and set it in front of the kitchen drawer that holds our silverware. I said match everything up, and then put it all in the drawer. He did well, he would ask me about where something went if he wasn't sure, the best thing, he did not quit until he had put everything up. I told him this would now be his chore and every time he did it I would give him a quarter.

He finished, I gave him his quarter. I said you can save it for your trip to see Mickey Mouse or you can put it in your pocket to spend at the store later. He said where is God's Box... we found it, he put it inside and its been in the box since then.

Ben is truly my gift from God.

Ben's First Smiley Face

2009-07-24T16:42:00.001-05:00

This is it! The first smiley face he drew all by himself.

First Swim Lessons

2009-07-24T16:18:00.002-05:00

Ben's first swim lessons
July 13th through July 18, 2009 (hit and miss with the rain)
Teacher: Ms. Holly Self

This was an introduction to the water for Ben, he was able to learn some great skills to help him get swimming. Ms. Holly did so well with him, working with the 'busy' Ben, to get him focused to learn and just 'do it'. He told me the day after he finished, when we were getting ready for church, that he was afraid at swim lessons. I told him when momma took swim lessons, I was afraid too. That's why we take lessons so that we won't be so afraid.

This was the first time I experienced the 'proud momma' stuff. What a great feeling!

Mud Island River Park

2009-07-20T00:16:00.003-05:00

While Paw Paw was here visiting with us, we went downtown to eat at 'Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken'. NOT, my momma's fried chicken with rice and gravey is the most famous. After eating, we decided to check out Mud Island. We rode the tram across the river to get there, the views of the Mississippi River were great.

At Mud Island, you can trace the twists and turns of the Mississippi River following the River Walk. Learn about the shipping of cotton on the river and the musical history made in cities along the river, from New Orleans Jazz to Memphis Blues and Elvis. The Mud Island Amphitheatre on the island hosts concerts in the summer. To get there, we rode the monorail, featured in the Tom Cruise movie "The Firm." (one of my fav movies)

The kids love to walk along in the water, we didn't really come prepared for that, but with a boy it doesn't matter. Many of the kids their had their bathing suits on- they knew what they were doing.

Paw Paw brings gifts and sugar

2009-07-19T17:10:00.004-05:00

Maw Maw didn't come on the trip, but she sent a bag full of good things for Ben.

There was a little of everything... Spaghetti Os, Raisins, Coloring books, sticker books and marshmallows... and when it was all over with... he looked in Paw Paw's bag for more...

Ben teaching Paw Paw how to color.

Star Marshmallows..

The next morning, when they made a trip to Lowes to pick up some handyman supplies, Ben showed Paw Paw where the Donut Shop was... can you believe they went there and Ben got the exact donut he wanted... imagine that? :)

I think grandparents and sugar both go together. They are both sweet.

Paw Paw & the C130

2009-07-19T12:31:00.004-05:00

Where I grew up, there were sounds of airplanes all the time - with the Gulfport Training base and airport being just around the block from my house. This was also where my dad made his military carer, which he retired from. Close by there were more in Biloxi at Keesler Air Force Base, where the Hurricane Hunters make their home. I have the sounds of C130s and jets LOUD jets memorized in my head forever. During my childhood when my dad was in the middle of his career, I remember the sounds being so loud that we would have to stop a telephone conversation or even put our hands over our ears.

I experienced, and still benefit today the benefits of being a military dependant. One today is this military 'hop' that my dad takes from Keesler AFB to visit with us. This C130 taxis off from Keesler AFB in Biloxi on 'drill weekend', picking up and dropping off reserves. They stop in Jacksonville, AR (near Little Rock) where they pick up several reservist, and then onto the Millington Airport (near us) to pick up more. Its nice, because they allow others to ride on this flight.

On the return trip, he was the only one on, so he got to ride in the cockpit. He got to the see radar as the pilot 'dodged' the bad weather.

Oh, and yes we had a very good visit.

Psalm 139

2009-07-14T23:41:00.001-05:00

Psalm 139

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;[b]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.[c]
21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

The CAT Days of Summer

2009-07-09T22:43:00.002-05:00

I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where it can get REALLY hot and humid in the Summer. Probably not much worse than Memphis sometimes, but in comparing with my parents we seem to have cooler days more often.

When I was younger, in the Summer, probably more like August/September, when the 'storms' were really beginning to brew in the Gulf of Mexico, we'd be outside sitting in the evenings right before dark, (I would be playing with the neighbor kids), when the temps were cooler, momma would say something like 'these are the DOG days of Summer'. I always kind of wondered what she meant, but now I understand why, only from a different view.

For some reason, my cats never leave the house in the Winter, but come warmer temps and even HOT temps, they will hardly come inside. I looked out the window this early evening, my cats were in their usual Summer spots, and I thought about what I would usually hear my momma say this time of day when I was a child, and I thought to myself now I get it... "THIS IS THE CAT DAYS OF SUMMER"....

A little helper with Tim's Birthday...

2009-07-09T22:22:00.004-05:00

Tonight we celebrated Tim's birthday, with a little help from you know who?
Get ready set go....

Digital Photo Key Chain from Ben himself... I wonder whose pictures will go in it?clothes.... shirts and pants from Momma.... Maw Maw & Paw Paw even sent the first package it was a shirt too! Ben doing the "Pig" dance to the musical card, the tune was 'I believe in magic.... " It said something about making all your wishes come true on your birthday... hmmm?

I'll have to explain the pig dance, or did I? We created it at Corkey's restaurant while waiting for our table, the music was loud and he was dancing like crazy. To get to Corkeys we passed up Buckley's which has a cow sign on it.... He said he wanted to go to the cow restaurant, so I told him we were going to the pig Restaurant, and so we arrived at Corkeys which had a pig on the sign. So, ladies and gentlemen was the creation of the pig dance!

My how things change when you have kids!?!?

Even how we celebrate our birthdays, the old way was boring, this is much more fun.

Happy Birthday Tim!

2009-07-09T20:44:00.003-05:00

We both have aged a little since this picture was taken......

New Orleans Zoo, before we married.

I enjoyed celebrating with you tonight. Its nice to now have a little one to help you unwrap those presents and blow out the candles since you've matured another year, isn't it? I wonder what awaits you this year? I hope its all good.

Happy Birthday and I'm thankful for you.

Love,

Jayme

Dinosaurs

2009-07-07T21:23:00.002-05:00

Today we visited the Pink Palace Museum. We visited the Dinosaurs, the exhibit views the mechanical monsters with a touch of science and a touch of fantasy. (I can still hear the dinosaurs yelling in my ear) We also saw specimens from the cretaceous period (and somewhat before) along with actual fossils from the Tennessee Coon Creek Science Center, one of the most important Cretaceous ocean sites in the world.

We also viewed "Under the Sea" at the Imax located in the museum. We traveled to some of the most exotic and isolated undersea locations on Earth, including South Australia, the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Traingle islands of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. We really came face-to-face with some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea. We Explored the beauty and natural wonder of the oceans and learned about the impact of global climate change. It was narrated by Jim Carey, the serious side of him.

Ben kept asking in a voice heard by everyone, 'where is Nemo', 'why aren't the fish talking', 'what is algae', 'flow fish are my favorite', 'hey those are dragon fish', 'how do you get out of here', 'I want some popcorn', and last but not least, my favorite 'I have to poo poo'. Thank goodness every seat was filled with another child.

4th of July Neighborhood Parade

2009-07-07T21:11:00.003-05:00

Every year our neighborhood has a parade for the kids. "Rolling Block Party". They decorate whatever kind of 'wheels' they may have or want to ride in. The fire truck and police car show up to help lead the parade.

Here is Mr. Ben in his wheels...

This little guy was admiring Ben's 'pinwheels'. His bicycle looked pretty sharp too.

Tim got a little exercise 'running' in the parade with Ben. When Ben left he was driving his jeep alone, but when he showed up at the end, he had this cute little chick in the jeep with him. She is our friend Ella.

Nothing like the girl to be getting the a/c and radio all adjusted.

After his nap, we all had a good ole American hamburger, watermelon, then he and his daddy went to the park to jump in some inflatables and ride the train. Later that night we walked down the street to Bonnie and Thomas' backyard to watch the fireworks with them and their family.

Long Naps

2009-07-02T13:12:00.002-05:00

This week Ben has been taking long naps. I think what has been going on is he is growing and needed the rest. I couldn't see it until I looked at these pictures I took this morning. You know he turned 3 and 1/2 Tuesday! I'm loosing my baby. Also, I'm pretty sure the potty training is a done deal. That means no more pull ups, no more diapers... I only have to take a purse out with me when we go somewhere. I feel naked, and there is something about loosing the baby... change, which I've been thinking a lot about lately. Maybe that's another post, but for now, we will continue to take this ride on the train and see what the next stop is.

For those of you who didn't know this is a train that Ben makes with these chairs. He is driving the train, which pretty much sums up how he fits in our family. Below he is talking to the puppy dog, he told me to wait one minute because the puppy dog wanted off at the station.

I think I'm at the station right now, wanting to get on for the next ride. Lets see where this train takes us.

Anybody know?

Mr. Fix It

2009-07-02T13:07:00.003-05:00

I can hardly wait, I know my day is coming! Ben is going to fix things for me and build things for me. This morning he was asking me what was broken that he wanted to fix everything for me. Now that is what makes a mother happy.

Isn't he cute?

God will take care of you

2009-07-01T22:42:00.002-05:00

God will take care of you

May your heart
find peace and comfort
in the knowledge
that you are never alone
God is your stronghold,
and with him as your guide
you need never be afraid
Cast all your cares on him..and believe.

The world according to Ben

2009-06-26T18:48:00.005-05:00

We made it official today, we decided to greet Summer in at our house, so we FINALLY put air in the frog, put water in it, this morning I bought some goggles and water guns. After we got the air in the frog, I told him to go inside and get his swim trunks on. He said he wanted to swim in his body. I said what??? Then he started taking his clothes off OUTSIDE.... I kept telling him to get his swim trunks, so he went inside and got the swim trunks on, came outside but kept saying he wanted to swim in his body and then at the same time he was trying to pull his trunks down.. I finally got what he was saying??

He kept having fun throwing all his toys in the water. Looks kind of like toy soup.

Here are some other things he has said lately. I've been trying to write them down so I don't forget.

-I was trying to get him to do something and he wanted to do what he wanted to do instead, he had a plan and everything. I said who made you the boss? He said God.

-He spots jeeps all the time where ever we are. We were talking about them. He said Unka Joe has a Mustang. I said its a convertible, no top. He said Unka Joe makes it into a car.

-He was telling me about riding in the Explorer with his dad to school, he said there was a truck in the Explorer and when I was a child dad bought me a truck to play with.

-When we were outside playing today. He wanted to occupy my chair. I told him to get up please I needed my chair. He said why? I said because I'm an old lady and I need to sit down. He said naaa your a new lady.

-Last night after brushing his teeth, he rinsed his mouth with water, he said that water was magic.

-He wanted to walk instead of ride in the buggy at the grocery store this morning. He always begs for me to let him walk instead of ride, he promises to keep his hands to himself and not run away. But, we know how short lived some promises are. I tried to explain to him that when I was little I rode in the buggy at the grocery store and my mom pushed me. He said when he was a baby, he pushed me in the buggy.

-After swimming today, and I had his clothes back on, he said, 'if you take your clothes off you can't be yourself but if you have your clothes on you can.'

- Last night I made cornbread muffins, after I put them in the muffin pan, he said mommy your a genius.

- One morning I was helping him get dressed when he said he was nervous. I said why are you nervous, you are only 3 years old? He said I had a happy plate and ate all that food.

-We do this thing at different times with different things. He said I like your cheek, he said I like your cheek better, I said yours is the best, etc. etc. ... we went on for a little while like this. Then he said you are jealous.

Stay tuned for more to come.

Ed Ellison Remembered -Batesville Daily Guard

2009-06-24T15:17:00.004-05:00

‘Ed’ Ellison Remembered

“It’s clear that my father showed alot of love to me by spending time with me and showing me how to appreciate the good things in life.” — Tim Ellison

Batesville Daily Guard, Wednesday, June 24, 2009 (Front Page)
By Janice Fae Mitchell
Guard Staff Writer

Edwin “Ed” Ellison enjoyed playing on computers, watching ball games, traveling and especially cozying up to his favorite pet, Cheri, the Alaskan cat. “My (family) left Cheri with us while they went to Egypt,” his wife, Ollie, said. “He didn’t really want her in the beginning, but after three weeks she was his cat. And she really, really misses him.”

Ellison died Thursday in Batesville. He was 80. Although he worked as an announcer at KBTA radio station over a 50-year period and was owner of Ellison Insurance Agency, he was probably best known for making deliveries around town for The Medicine Shoppe, Ollie Ellison said. There were so many flowers sent with six or more signatures on them, possibly clusters of people who Ed delivered medicine to, she said. It was his favorite thing to do, work at The Medicine Shoppe.

Anna Lou Weathers, a neighbor, said, “I think most everybody in town knows Ed for his smile. He’d always say something funny or grin. You’d go in The Medicine Shoppe and he’d be saying something with a grin. When he’d deliver medicine, he’d have that big grin.” Weathers said Ellison was often called “Mr. Ed” and he was a good friend to her.

He was also known for being a good father to his son, Tim, and stepson, Gary Hayden. “My dad taught me many things. A lot was more from example than from words. He taught me to be honest, have integrity and respect God. He also taught me to have fun,” Tim Ellison said. He said his dad was good to him whether he was being serious or going along with one of his “silly ideas” with home movies featuring a banana “gun,” disappearing cars, an exceptionally long basketball shot or a kidnapped rabbit.

“My dad and I always had fun with puns, intentional malapropisms and other ways of twisting words. “When I was young he’d keep score for my Saturday morning bowling team. Part of the time he taught my Sunday school class,” Tim Ellison said. “When he was working at KBTA, he’d take me to the station and let me see the news coming in from The Associated Press. Tim said he remembers one time when his aunt, Betty Calaway, was taking his cousin, Karen, and him home after school. They stopped for some ice cream just about the time the power in Batesville happened to go out. They were sitting in the car eating their ice cream with the radio set to KBTA. “Dad was working at the station and had left the microphone on when interrupted by
the power outage. Just as the power came back on someone at the station asked Dad something and he replied, ‘Aw, I’ve got to get this cockeyed newscast done.’ He didn’t realize that went out!” Tim Ellison said. “He got tickled that night when I asked him why he said ‘cockeyed’ on the air.”

Ellison was brought up on a Mena farm by his farmer father and schoolteacher mother. He later attended Draughons Business College in Little Rock and graduated from Arkansas College in Batesville, now Lyon College, where he enjoyed theatre work. He also served with the 3595th Installations Squadron out of Nellis Air Force Base for three years and earned the Good Conduct medal. At some point he married Iris and they had Tim. The couple divorced and he later met and married Ollie in 1976. They met on a blind date through a friend of Ollie’s and had dinner on top of Ramsey Mountain. “And it came the biggest snow you have ever seen in your life and we had to stay all night,” she said. “But now, he was a staunch Methodist and I was a staunch Baptist and I was really concerned that I keep my reputation!” The police came up the mountain early the next morning, she said, and took them to their respective homes. “My neighbors across the street were very interested in my activities,” she said.

Ellison enjoyed attending the men’s Sunday school class and making the coffee for it. He was active in the church’s seniors’ group as well, the Sunshine Club. The Ellisons used to enjoy walks with their neighbors, the Weatherses. They loved to travel and went to Alaska to visit Gary Hayden and the grandchildren, Gabriel and Jaci, and Germantown, Tenn. to visit Tim and grandson Ben. They went to Hawaii, Jamaica, Colorado and Branson, Mo., where “Ed got up and danced on the stage.”

“It’s clear that my father showed a lot of love to me by spending time with me and showing me how to appreciate the good things in life,” Tim Ellison said. “If I can follow his example and treat my Ben the same way I will have accomplished something quite important.”

A Few Words About My Father, Ed Ellison

2009-06-23T12:04:00.003-05:00

A Few Words About My Father, Ed Ellison
By Tim Ellison

My dad taught me many things. A lot was more from example than from words. He taught me to be honest, have integrity and respect God. He also taught me to have fun.

When I was young he’d keep score for my Saturday morning bowling team. Part of the time he taught my Sunday School class. When he was working at KBTA he’d take me to the station and let me see the news coming in from the Associated Press.

One time my aunt, Betty Calaway, was taking my cousin Karen and me home after school. We stopped for some ice cream just about the time the power in Batesville happened to go out. We were sitting in the car eating our ice cream with the radio set to KBTA. Dad was working at the station and had left the microphone on when interrupted by the power outage. Just as the power came back on someone at the station asked Dad something and he replied “Aw, I’ve got to get this cockeyed newscast done.” He didn’t realize that went out. He got tickled that night when I asked him why he said “cockeyed” on the air.

My dad was good to me whether he was being serious or going along with one of my silly ideas with home movies featuring a banana “gun”, disappearing cars, an exceptionally long basketball shot or a kidnapped rabbit.

My dad and I always had fun with puns, intentional malapropisms, and other ways of twisting words.

I got emotional when I was thinking about what to say at Dad’s funeral. I got emotional when I was praying my son Ben’s bedtime prayers on Father’s Day, which was the first day I’d seen my wife and Ben since Dad’s death because my wife wasn’t able to travel due to recent surgery. Instead of including “Granddad” in the list of those I was asking God to bless I had to thank God for Granddad. That was difficult.

It’s clear that my father showed a lot of love to me by spending time with me and showing me how to appreciate the good things in life. If I can follow his example and treat my Ben the same way I will have accomplished something quite important.

Someone from the local newspaper where Tim grew up (and where his dad still lived before his death) contacted Tim Monday and asked that he submit some words about his dad for an article they wanted to write. I found this very touching and asked if I could put it on our blog. After interviewing Tim's step mother, etc., the article will appear in the Batesville, Arkansas Guard on Wednesday, tomorrow.

Father's Day at the Butcher Shop

2009-06-21T21:22:00.002-05:00

These two had a great time together today!

The steak was good too!

1-2-3 Skittles

2009-06-19T16:47:00.003-05:00

I think we are getting CLOSE with our potty training. I will forever be grateful to the Skittle. In the process we have used many a colorful sticker and character, but in the end it was the Skittle that has brought us in to home plate. Its always been 1 for pp, 2 for poo poo and now its 3 for telling mommy you have to go. Its number 3 right now that's securing it for us. He has been in big boy underwear for over a week now, dry naps and mostly dry nights, and two all day successes at Mother's Day Out. I'm hoping we move on to success and before long I know it will seem like diapers, pull ups and skittles never existed.

Ed's Funeral

2009-06-19T16:42:00.003-05:00

Ed's funeral will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. with visitation at 1 p.m. It will be at Crouch Funeral Home in Batesville, Arkansas.

Ed was an avid reader of "4 The Love of Ben". He enjoyed Ben very much and Ben loved him very much.

He will be missed.

Pray for Tim in his loss

2009-06-18T12:50:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of the boys hanging out when we visited with Grand Dad Ed (Tim's father) Memorial Day weekend. He had a hemographic stroke last night and will not recover. Tim is with him now at the hospital in Batesville, Arkansas. Tim celebrated with his dad his 80th birthday back in March. He and Tim were very close, and I couldn't ask for a better father-in-law. He lived a good life, all would say he was fun, made you smile or laugh if you crossed his path. He was a radio personality in his younger years... "Easy Ed"... and really he was. He will be missed.

Take time to eat chicken and have fun

2009-06-18T12:09:00.008-05:00

I had been feeling better and wanted to take Mr. Ben somewhere fun since we had been inside the house so much. We headed to Pump it Up but the hours changed for their open play and I didn't know it, so we made a diversion to Wolf Chase Mall. Lydia came with us to help me, she has been my 'Mother's Helper' a few mornings a week since I'm supposed to be in recovery. Having a very busy boy who likes to be very active you never know what its mother might have to do. I think we all had a good time.

After we ate our chicken and french fries for lunch from Chick Fila, Lydia exchanged the kid's meal book for some ice cream. Look at that big spoonful & that cute boy...

What? All in his mouth at once... Like I said he is active and will try anything.

Fun with Lydia, whoo hoo!

He jumped and climbed where ever and all over at the play area.

boy meets girl..

And he drove the train and rang the bell.

Lydia and Ben on the Dragon Horse.

Lydia is a special person to us, being that Ben started off his first few months at her house. Lydia's mom brought Ben from the hospital to care for him while his adoption plan was being made. Lydia helped her mom take care of Ben when he was only a few months old, so its neat to see how she has continued to be a part of his life, to see her grow too, see her compasion and committment. Her family remains special to us and what a special boy to be loved so much!

Empty Nest

2009-06-14T12:04:00.003-05:00

I've shared in some previous postings that we had a Robin's nest at our back door up high on the electric meter. It seemed really quiet outside in the back one day this week. I was afraid to admit to myself what might have happened and when I checked, yes it had happened. The nest is empty now. The baby robins were able to fly off and take care of themselves. It hurt a little to see them gone, but its OK because I know this is the way Mother Nature works. I guess this is what it will feel like when Ben leaves our nest. I know it won't happen that quick, but when I look back at our time with him I know its going to seem like a 'blink of an eye'.

Its such a nice nest, I hope they will use the nest again or even come back for a visit.

Ready for church

2009-06-14T11:42:00.003-05:00

Here are a few shots of Ben before church this morning. He really is a busy 3 year old boy. Last night we went to a restaurant to eat dinner, you know the kind where you order off the menu, as usual he would not sit still, regardless what his parents did. Whats new? I finally asked him why he could not sit still and he told me he needed the exercise. Not only busy but bright. I hope these pictures brighten your day as much as he does mine.

"My Brief Life as a Woman" via New York Times

2009-06-10T17:38:00.003-05:00

This article was posted by one of my Facebook Friends. It hit home with me since my entire life, since puberty has been driven by my crazy horomones. I know there have been times when those closest too me had no idea what was going on, well this was it, HOROMONES. I also understand this husband, because I too have had horomone therapy, including Lupron... BUT now I'm thankful for the knife which will put an end to much of that craziness. I'm curious to see how that ends up, but I hope for the better! I'm just glad this husband spoke up and tried to explain things to his other male brothers. Thank you.

June 2, 2009, 9:37 am
My Brief Life as a Woman
By Dana Jennings
Dana Jennings. (Lonnie Schlein/The New York Times)

As my wife and I sat on the couch one night this past winter, reading and half-watching the inevitable HGTV, I started sweating hard and my face got so fevered and flushed that I felt as if I were peering into an oven. I turned to Deb and said, “Man, I’m having a wicked hot flash.” And she said, “Me, too.” Then we laughed. You laugh a lot — unless your hormones are making you cry — when you’re having menopause with your wife. I was in the middle of treatment for an aggressive case of prostate cancer last winter, and it included a six-month course of hormone therapy. My Lupron shots suppressed testosterone, which is the fuel for prostate cancer.
When your testosterone is being throttled, there are bound to be side effects. So, with the help of Lupron, I spent a few months aboard the Good Ship Menopause with all the physical baggage that entails. It’s a trip that most men don’t expect to take.

The side effect that surprised me most were the hot flashes — not that I got them, I was expecting that, but by how intense they were. They often woke me in the middle of the night and made me sweat so much that I drenched the sheets. In midwinter I’d walk our miniature poodle, Bijou, wearing shorts and a T-shirt. I sometimes felt as if Deb could fry eggs on my chest. (It’s also a bit disconcerting when your hot flashes are fiercer than your wife’s.)
When it comes to hot flashes, ladies, I salute you. After my brief dalliance with that hormonal phenomenon, it seems to me it’s an under-reported condition. And it’s certainly under-represented in the arts. Where are the great hot flash novels or movies? How come there’s not a Web site or magazine called “Hot Flash Monthly”?

Hand in hand with the hot flashes came the food cravings. I lusted after Cheetos and Peanut Butter M&M’s, maple-walnut milkshakes, and spaghetti and meatballs buried in a blizzard of Parmesan. Isn’t it funny how cravings very rarely involve tofu, bean curd or omega-3 oils?
Then there was the weight issue. During the six months I was on Lupron I gained about 25 pounds. That was partly a byproduct of the cravings, but it also stemmed from the hormonal changes triggered in my body.

And I hated it, hated it, hated it. I had never had to worry about my weight, and I began to understand why media aimed at women and girls obsess over weight so much. It was strange and unsettling not to be able to tell my body, “No,” when it wanted to wolf down a fistful of Doritos slathered with scallion cream cheese.

When I wasn’t devouring a king-size Italian sub or smoldering from a hot flash, it seemed that I was crying. The tears would usually pour down when I got ambushed by some old tune: “Sweet Baby James” and “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor, “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” by Carly Simon and, yes, “It’s My Party” by Lesley Gore. Not only was I temporarily menopausal, but it appeared that I was also turning into a teenage girl from the early 1970s.
There were other side effects, too, like headaches and fatigue. But when I started drinking Diet Coke for the first time in my life, my son Owen couldn’t take it anymore. He said, “Dad, are you turning into a chick?”

So, what else did I learn during my six months of hormone therapy?
Even though I only got to spend a brief time on the outer precincts of menopause, it did confirm my lifelong sense that the world of women is hormonal and mysterious, and that we men don’t have the semblance of a clue.

And, guys, when your significant female other bursts into tears at the drop of a dinner plate or turns on you like a rabid pit bull — whether she’s pregnant, having her period or in the throes of menopause — believe her when she blames it on the hormones.

One more thing. I don’t really know whether menopause likes company — you’d have to ask my wife that — but I do know that it really, really likes HGTV and Peanut Butter M&M’s.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/my-brief-life-as-a-woman/

The Tab for Hotel Methodist University Hospital

2009-06-08T18:54:00.002-05:00

The Tab for my Hotel Methodist University Hospital visit last week came in the mail today. My tab for a 3 night stay was $48,000.00. I'm sure more to come for various amenities, services and visits.

I'm thankful this was an expense paid visit by Cigna.

Visit From the Mallard Ducks...

2009-06-07T09:16:00.002-05:00

This morning after Tim and Ben left for Sunday School he called and said he left the garage door opened so that I could see the ducks in our yard. These are the cutest, prettiest things I've ever seen. I gave them a couple of pieces of bread to snack on. Keep in mind that we live at least a mile from a body of water.

Windmills and such...

2009-06-06T09:22:00.004-05:00

While I was in the hospital dad bought this shelf, he found the various items on it throughout the garage and placed them on it. Bringing an overall better appearance to my disorganized garage. Not to mention being able to find what I need at the moment a little better, less stress for me when I get moving around better. They said the first thing Ben said when he came home, was this garage has been cleaned up.
This is a little utility room off to the side of my garage, which was piled and you couldn't enter. Needless to say dad worked on this one too. How about those white shrimping boots in the window, now that is some styling, and you can't find those in a Wal-Mart here in Germantown, only in one closer to the gulf. They go to the highest bidder.

Tim took Ben to see Bob the Builder last night at the Orpheum, here he is with his windmill.

Here are my little Robbins in their nest yesterday, up on my power meter. They have feathers now.

catching up

2009-06-04T19:41:00.011-05:00

I thought I'd upload the pictures I've had on my camera since our visit to Arkansas a couple of weeks ago. This might help me catch up so I can start blogging again:

No, hes not dead. When I woke up both nights at the farm house to use the bathroom I found Ben in between his travel bed and the dresser. This is what you call a snuggle bunny.

This is a 'new' way to grow tomatoe plants, that is in Arkansas.
Jumping at Grand Dad's neighbor's house.

>

Driving the tractor at the farm. A happy farmer...

A serious farmer...

Checkin his tractor out...

While we were in the barn looking at the tractors this cotton tail bunny rabbit came up and stayed with us most of the time.

This little train is what we call 'old'. Its been at the farmhouse forever and maybe forever past that. Its one of those toys grandmother had for the kids to play with when they came to visit.

Ben loves playing with it.

This is the robin nest I found on my meter box on the side of my house.

While I was in the hospital they 'hatched'... my brother took this picture. Isn't THAT pretty neat.

Me and my buddy the day I came home from the hospital.

My dad likes to take pictures too, the above is a picture of my mom and hubby in the surgery waiting area... looks like it is doesn't it?

I guess dad thought I might like to blog about my surgery, but they wouldn't let him inside the operating room.

Right before my parents left yesterday Ben took this picture.

But first I took this one.

My friend Janet brought these flowers to me, she picked them in her mother's yard. Aren't they nice, Janet is nice too.

The is Paw Paw's hat he forgot. He was so disappointed, he said it was one of his best wearing ones. When they stopped at my brother's house my nephew Todd replaced it with two more.

It says "Todd's Country Junction... Brandon, MS"

Yesterday afternoon he scratched his face with a branch that was sticking out of the fence.

Hanging out after school today.

My friend Jeannie brought me these Roses this afternoon, aren't they pretty? Friends really are the flowers of life.

I'm back, I think?

2009-06-02T21:12:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling much better, like myself now. I've got a long road of recovery ahead of me, but I feel like I've already been on the road for a little bit now, and it might just be a road and the feeling of not being able to do much on it.

I was excited about my date with the robot because I thought it would be simple, went into it knowing that there could be complications, that it might not work with me, or the doctors might need to make an incision to do their work, the unknown or more work than the robot would allow. Yes, they did need to make an incision, but only to clean up messy adhesion's and a very long narrow cyst, not to reconstruct anything that I thought they might have to preform, only to to remove what I did not need. Which is a blessing. I have not experienced anything out of the ordinary through this experience in my hospital visit or the few days I have been at home. Everything removed was b9. Again, blessings and thanfulness!

I experienced intense pain from recovery into my hospital room, wondering if they had 'really' given me anything for pain or not. I remember the hospital chaplain herself holding my stomach for me to help the pain. Once an hour had passed I knew they had given me something, she left not long before that. I still don't know her name. But do know now that same medication that relieves the pain at that crucial moment and few days, can play so many other games with your body when you are in recovery.

Then there was the nausea, reflux and indigestion, whatever. Cherry jello and beef barley soup are not yummy thoughts for me right now. I may never want beef barley soup again, but do think the way it made its way with me was key to my recovery process, it helped open the gate to move on, to get out of the hospital to start true recovery.

The hospital had pretty desserts, but what a waste because you didn't want to eat them anyway! But red paprika dusted grilled saucy fish with very thin white mashed potatoes is not a way to try to get someone to eat their first meal after major surgery. They had great Popsicles and good rolls, but it was the vending machines that got me out of the hospital, peanut butter crackers and sprite.

My room was nice, clean. Kudos to Methodist Univesity Hospital to how they run their show.
The basic clock where I kept up with time, days routine minute by minute delivery of drug requests was to my left up high on the wall. The bed worked well, the up and down buttons for the head of my bed were my favorite. I had no problems with them. I thought that my window faced the back part of the hospital, when my brother visited he confirmed it for me when he said I viewed the 'BBQ place' he's not from here, he was talking about TOPS on Union. The TV was a nice flat screen Zenith, great color, satellite cable that had its moments, caught up with CNN coverage, Dr. Phil and Oprah. The CNN coverage contribute to my not so wonderful dreams during my stay.

The Mobile assistants were very nice, accepting and not judgmental. I'm very thankful for that, it takes saints to do these jobs. No telling what all their eyes have seen. They don't even get upset or do anything much, just let them know when you are finished, whatever it may be.

My nurses were all nice, they did their best, I wish I could remember all their names. The male nurses always catch my attention, the ones I'll not forget...
at first we all use to think you'd have to be gay to be a male nurse - really they are not, but I had one that WAS...
another just a 'country' boy of all names his was Ben. The first day or night I got scooted too far down in the bed, he pressed some buttons on my bed and in one like big scoop he had me pulled up to the top of the bed, don't know how he did that. I never saw him again, missed him because I had to figure out how to do that on my own the next 3 days/nites...
another was Hispanic, he had a very caring compassionate face, but he didn't speak or understand English very well at all. It took him 6 hours to try to get me something to help digest the beef barley soup, instead I let my Mobile Assistant help me with the use of the garbage can.

Prior to surgery,...
the lead doctor, the specialist, his team of resident doctors visited with me made all their introductions. The nurse anesthe.(sp?) and I talked about having brothers, her war stories with the 4 she had and made me thankful for the one I had. The best thing about my early chit chat with her was that she allowed me enough time to pick a place I wanted to visit during the surgery. She said once they took me to surgery, had me in place that she would say 'its time to go there' when she started her 'juice". My obgyn was in all of this too, she sent me to the specialist, but she was to show up for the surgery and assist too only by this time she hadn't (prob delivering a baby)and didn't until I saw her right before "its time to go there'. She said hi Jayme and I asked her to pray for me... she did and held my hand until I went to the Caribbean. (the doctor and I were in a book review/bible study of "Captivating" at a church here in town for a few months together)

I didn't push my family to stay with me every minute while I was at the hospital, Tim stayed one night, mom stayed a few hours with me each day, dad had more fun doing things at the house he wouldn't have been able to do if mom was here.

I've been so thankful for my family.

First for my brother and sisterinlaw to come get Ben and take him home with them for a few days. He always has good time there, I knew he would be happy and in good hands.

Then my parents, its true you never stop being a mother. ( or a father for that matter.) Mom hung in with me all the way, doing everything she could do for me, the best she could at79 and her own health issues, but she is wore out and they head home tomorrow morning. I hope she will recover from this one.

Dad helped me get some things accomplished around here, he was a good buddy and helper for Ben.

Last but not least Tim, who has always been my nursemaid all the time, (we should have had that put in our wedding vows, but it makes it sweeter that it wasn't), he is very serious about work and doing his job there, taking care of the family in that way. He will take some time off here and there to do what he needs to help in the next couple of months.

Now family is one thing, they 'have' to be loyal to you, but friends are another story, and mine are sweet and God sent. Friends are the family you don't have, and so I'm blessed.

I've had some nice delicious meals already provided, flowers, cards, and its sweet to know I've got meals provided to my family until the end of the month, and many offers of help with Ben.

There is this emotion I've been having the last couple of days, its like that of no other, when you physically feel awful, but you feel so good because of so much love from others.

Ben is playing with neighbors across the street Friday afternoon while Tim takes me to the doctor, I'll type more later... more will be about Ben from now on!

Jayme's Surgery

2009-05-27T16:38:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone. It's me, Tim. Jayme's surgery went well. There were no major problems. She'll be in the hospital for perhaps 3 or 4 days. Ben went to her brother's house and her parents are here to help out. I just talked to Ben and Joe, Jayme's brother, on the phone. Ben was glad he got to "swim" in the front yard blow-up pool.

Jayme will be back soon.

medical leave

2009-05-25T18:31:00.003-05:00

I will be taking a short absence "medical leave" from blogging. I will be having surgery on Weds., and will return when I'm able to. Please keep all of us in your prayers!

Old

2009-05-21T21:18:00.005-05:00

Today after I picked Ben up from Mother's Day Out, we were in the car coming home, there was a long bit of silence, which is rare these days. But anyway, Ben spoke and he said, "mom are you getting old?" I said, "yes, you are getting old too, we all get old every minute." He said "no I'm not getting old, me and dad are not getting old, only you are".

This evening after supper we went outside, our little neighbor across the street, Luke came over to bring Ben something. He does this every now and then. One day it was a Robot, one day it was a Sponge Bob t-shirt and before Christmas it was THE JEEP. And that's not all Luke and his family have given Ben. Today he came bringing Ben the above airplane, it has a little guy that comes in and out, his knees even bend, but before Luke handed it over to Ben he said, "it was really old."

(I guess that means he doesn't play with it anymore and he wants to share it with Ben)

Ben loves it, has played with it all night, we may never move unless we can get the neighbors to move with us because old isn't really that bad, its just how you look at it.

Belly Buttons

2009-05-20T21:44:00.001-05:00

Ben and I had a discussion about Belly Buttons today. I told him I had an "iny" and he had an "outy". He wanted to know if mine would come out in a week?

Is Heaven in the garbage can?

2009-05-19T23:05:00.005-05:00

Ralph the cat brought me another Chipmunk, one for this week I guess? Only it didn't make it inside the house, which I'm grateful for, more than you will ever realize.

We came back home this morning after a trip to the grocery store and look what was waiting at the "Welcome" mat? Another Chipmunk! No Ralph in site but I know he is proud of himself for bringing this gift to me, I just wish I could be grateful but I'm not.

Later in the day we left to go to a revival service at our church, and Ben wanted to know where the chipmunk went. I said it went to Chipmunk Heaven. He kept asking questions about the chipmunk... but where did it go, how... did Ralph come back and get it... etc. etc. I guess there were so many questions at one point I also said I put it in the garbage can.... His serious reply was "is heaven in the garbage can". OK... I couldn't help but laugh and try to be serious... and I replied "the chipmunk's soul went way up in the sky to chipmunk heaven and I put his body in the garbage can". He said "way up up up up high in the sky?" I said way up high! Then he said he wanted his juice.