He didn't have to, but he did.....

I am often feeding a baby these days and it forces me to sit.  It's good some days when I use it for fighting Satan in prayer, but other days, I confess,  Facebook, intriguing articles, blogs and Insta waste of my time (or Instagram who have a normal relationship with it call it) suck my attention.  

I'm a firm believer that the moral decline in my country is nothing new and even though it saddens me greatly that states are being stripped of their powers, Presidents seem out of touch with well everything and everybody, our military are being disrespected and most recently the shock (not really) that Planned Parenthood is selling baby tissue to the highest bidder (I mean, people, they advocate abortion like it's routine medical procedure, a tonsillectomy of sorts, just further south in a woman's anatomy and we are surprised that they want to make money on the body's of these little life's they take....in the words of a character I actually am not fond of ....wake up 'merica) despite all this and so much more I know The Lord has this.  He is working and I'm going to be okay.  It may not be pleasant in future days but I am going to be okay.  

How do I know?  One way is that there is a lot The Lord did not have to do but did anyway.  

Yesterday, I took a walk by myself for a couple minutes (it was heavenly).

The Lord made a sky that changes color like a vast sheet of chameleon skin!  Pink, baby blue, midnight blue, purple, orange, red, white, yellow, gray and black keep our eyes guessing at what colorful canvas we might see as backdrop for our lives next!  

He didn't have to make a sky full of all those colors, but he did.  

Do you know how many insects are in the world?  No?  Me either!  But I can get an estimate of just how many are in the U.S. from Encyclopedia Smithsonian: 

" In the United States, the number of described species is approximately 91,000. The undescribed species of insects in the United States, however, is estimated at some 73,000. The largest numbers of described species in the U.S. fall into four insect Orders: Coleoptera (beetles) at 23,700, Diptera (flies) at 19,600, Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps) at 17,500, and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) at 11,500."

Did you read that?  Just in the US alone there are 91,000 known species but possibly 73,000 estimated waiting to still be discovered.  So in the age of globalization, and instant communication, there may be a six headed dragonfly out there waiting to be discovered!  Too bad I'm not a real fan of buzzing bugs but can you believe that many insects are in this country?  

God could have put just one kind of butterfly in the United States but no He blesses us with a collection of 11,500 butterfly's and moths we know about and countless more we may not!  Can you just praise Him for that?  To me it's amazing!!  

God could have just made us all look the same.  He could have made the entire human race have the same skin color, eye shape and facial structure.  But He didn't!!  He made our features to be a beautiful tapestry of woven differences that make the human race interesting!! 

If a master artist doesn't like his completed work or feels it is flawed he has the right to destroy it.  He created it after all.  Guess what?

God could have destroyed the earth with no hope of salvation, but he didn't!  He had a plan!  He could have destroyed his creation or never made it in the first place knowing it was going to fall, but he didn't!  He sent his son!  

He gave me a multi colored sky, thousands of creepy crawlers, beautiful differences in humans to love and study, and a precious son Savior to take away my sin.  

That's how I know He's got this.  He is in charge.  All I have to do is let Him be glorified!  

"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 

Who determined its measurements-surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? "

- Job 38:4-5

I will leave you with the words of one of my favorite hymns:

Verse 1:
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Verse 2:
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Chorus

Verse 3:
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Chorus

Verse 4:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"

I'm headed home some day.  I'll be able to see the sweet innocent children that the world didn't care for but God did....

Thank you Lord, how great thou art!!  

10 Reasons Why You Should Move to Memphis....

Okay, I get it.....

I'm actually leaving Memphis! I know, I know!  What qualifies me to write a blog entry for why someone should move to Memphis?

I am moving to Indiana...the Hoosier state.  I am researching what exactly a Hoosier is but that is a whole other topic for a whole other time and place.

Back to Memphis....

When we moved here 3 and 1/2 years ago, I am being honest when I say that my expectations were low for my enjoyment of the area.  I'm ducking the rotten tomatoes here.

I get it, Memphians, go ahead and throw a couple but then stop and hear me out because at the end of this, you and our city is going to come out looking totally fab!

When I heard that Fed Ex was bringing us to Memphis a couple things went through my mind.....

1. Buy a gun.....purple to be exact.  It's really a cool gun that I have NEVER shot!  I'm going to get my conceal and carry when I move to Indy, because since I still have no idea what a Hoosier is I may need some protection from one!  
2. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot there.  Back to thought #1....I kinda glossed over the fact that this was a long time ago and was a targeted shooting by a cowardly man.  
3. Graceland is there.  I told everyone as I was leaving that they needed to come visit me in Memphis and we can go to Graceland.  I was shocked how many Memphians have never been!  Guys, you walk the streets of the king and you have never been to his house!  It's cool and you should go once in a lifetime.  I was surprised at how much I learned and I left with a sad feeling for a life cut short.  So go, at least once.  No matter your opinion of Elvis, no one can deny his influence on music.  

So prior to stepping foot anywhere near the area I already had preconceived ideas of what my life was going to be like here.  

And then we arrived......that's where I could give you millions of reasons but I'll start with 10 to keep this in a good length for someone to actually read before you jolt back to reality and wonder what your kids are up to or that fact that you are at work and need to get something accomplished!   

So, without further delay, 10 reasons why you should move to Memphis, TN!  

1.  The people and southern hospitality! 

• Definitely #1!  People here are wonderful.  They smile at each other and greet one another and eat really good food (see #2!) together.  I am a Yankee transplant and I love those southern ways!  Thank you, people of Memphis for still interacting with people!  It is a beautiful thing!  One of my favorite children's books, "The Rag Coat," has a quote, "People only need People, nothing else!"

2.   The Food!!!!

• Everything from sushi to chicken to their famous BBQ, you will enjoy!  I mean what is not to like about BBQ nachos and a BBQ potato?  And the cooks down here!!!!  I mean, they will feed you and love on you till you are in tears!  

3.  Beale St!  

• Look, this is hard to explain.  It's awesome!  Just go.  Bucket list material right here!  I mean people do acrobatic flips down the street!  With children go during the day as I believe that they do not allow children past a certain time of night.  

4.  Spring in Memphis!

• It is just beautiful.  If you have azaleas, you could have the ugliest house in the neighborhood and for a couple of weeks your home will look like it walked out of the pages of a "Better Homes and Garden" magazine.  

5.  Music!

• From the guy on the street to Sun Studios to local artists to orchestra and symphonies, this place breeds musical talent like bunnies!  I am short on natural musical talent but big on talent appreciation and they have it here.  I think it is in their blood!

6.  IT is so family FRIENDLY!!!

• Shelby Farms, Beale Street Landing, Splash Pads, The Memphis Zoo and Mud Island, just to name a few.  Just visit!  It is amazing!  

7.  The History!  

• You can barely take five steps without hitting a historical spot in Memphis.  I live off of the Cherokee Trail of Tears.  You can visit plantations, Old Cemeteries, the Mississippi River and so much more!  We don't bluff!  Our Grizzles' saying is actually a play off of words.  This land was first occupied by Chickasaw Indians who felt that the bluff was a good place to live close to the river.  

8.  The Charm of the Landscape!

• I grew up in the Midwest and all I saw was corn on one side and soybeans on the other and every couple years they would switch fields.  Lots of cotton fields here which Emma and I think are just so cool!  Cotton fields and moonlight create something magical that you just have to experience in your lifetime.  Many homes here are brick and have porches and formal dining rooms.  It stays green for a long time in Memphis.  

9.  Grizzlies, SEC Football and sports!  

• What can I say?  It is just fun!  Basketball season and Football season are just a fun time to be here!  You are in a central location and close to many SEC college teams making traveling for games a breeze.  

10.  It's a giving city!  

• This ties in with #1 but with St.Jude's and Le Bonheur Children's Hospital you will be blessed with many opportunities to bless others.  They do amazing things at these places and it is just another testament to the people of this city!

Thank you Memphis!  We have loved it here and look forward to many visits!  

 

 

Thanks to the involved daddies......

Over the last few days as people are adoring Charlotte.....

and I mean seriously, I know I am her mother, but how could you not.....

This is her eating avocados for the first time.

Her giggles are like an Angel's voice and she snuggles in your arms in the most cozy way......

I digress.  My apologies!

So back to the people adoring Charlotte.  These "people" have been ladies and in particular ladies who have raised their children and are in the grandmother part of life.  They have been very sweet to me and encouraged me by telling me how beautiful and well behaved my children are.  All comments that boost this tired mama's spirit and give me hope that all the tough days will be rewarded and out of them will come productive, God fearing citizens.  

Excuse me while I say a little prayer for that!  

Dear Lord, please help my husband and I to raise these children to be productive citizens that love you above all else and do not jump off the bridge when their friends do.  In His name, Amen.  

I must take every moment to pray for my children when it comes to mind!  

I'm very sidetracked this morning.

These ladies, all remarked at how involved daddies are now a days.  How much they help the moms.  Absent from their remarks was any judgement.  These ladies did not act toward me like they were the real women who did it the hard way.  They were in awe of these men.  They marveled at their skills and ease of handling of one, two and sometimes many more children.  They told me that these men were good at the hands on child care and rearing that was not heard of in the time when their children were young.  

I found myself deeply respecting these women.  Being in the trenches of motherhood is hard. Sometimes you literally can not see the forest for the trees and there is no light in the tunnel, let alone being able to fathom the end of it.  Thank you ladies for serving your families in such a selfless way.  

I felt a growing sense of appreciation for my husband, and my children's daddy.  On any given day, my husband can be found; feeding, changing, disciplining, snuggling and supporting any one of our babies.  He also has taken certain tasks on himself, in a very "I will do this chore." kind of way.  For example, he deemed long ago that he would do bath time for our babies and young children.  Any night he is able, he takes that on.  And all you mothers know that by that time of night you are beginning to shut down and being relieved of some daily tasks is a huge blessing!  

So my point to all of this is just to remind all mommies to thank the involved daddies!  Apparently this new breed of fathers is a blessing from the Lord that has not always been the norm.  Not that fathers of time's past were not good fathers but that a good shift in society has made an atmosphere of where the benefits for the involved fathers are displayed and promoted.  Dads see that a father involved in a child's life turns out a better person product.  Absent fathers are an epidemic in this world that can lead to difficulties in a child's life.  That fact should make me want to sing the praises of my husband from the rooftops and hold him up as an example to emulate and copy.  

So, Tommy, I am standing on a rooftop and singing....wait, vocal song is not a talent the Lord blessed me with.....so I'm shouting (he totally gave me that talent!) that I am the most blessed woman.  I am thankful for the man that does dishes, bath time, mealtime, laundry, boo boo kissing, heart to heart talks, midnight feedings, cleaning and containment right along side me.  You are my hero and I am just thankful that the Lord made you the way you are and your parents raised you to be the man you are.  

Thank you!  

I love you!  

Facial Palsy Awareness Week....

There are so many worthy causes out there!  A few of my favs are:  

March of Dimes

Habitat for Humanity

Breast Cancer Awareness

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

I could go on and on, but I feel that I need to inform everyone of this disability.  I am not asking for money and I am not expecting you to walk in a race or run a marathon.  However, some day you may run into someone who is or has suffered a bout of Facial Palsy or more commonly known as Bell's Palsy.  It can wreak havoc on 1 in every 5000 people, and typically it resolves itself in weeks to a couple months, much to the sighs of relief of it's victims.  Little can be done for the sufferer.  They are given an antibiotic (as it is thought that Bell's COULD BE caused by an infection or brought on by) and a high dose of steroids and told to wait for your sinking face to normalize.  Others will try some alternative treatments that may or may not help.  

My nightmare began one Sunday morning during a visit to my in laws.  I was newly married and very excited about our start together.  I awoke and dressed for church.  As the morning wore on I noticed my face on the left side felt as if I had had dental work done and felt numb and swollen.  As the day continued into afternoon my face began to droop.  At first glance, it appeared as if I was having a stroke, but after a urgent care and ER visit it was diagnosed as Bell's.  I was told that in a couple weeks I would be back to normal.

My eye did not shut, my mouth drooped and could not be coaxed up to smile in line with its sister side and my whole left side of the face felt numb and fatigued.  After CT scans, MRIs, steroids and antibiotics doctors were surprised when I had not recovered fully.  Finally, one nuerologist delivered the destructive blow.  He deemed me one of the few who do not fully recover from their episode.  

I began to sink in more areas than my face, I missed my smile and the ability to sleep with a totally closed left eye.  Depression set in as I felt like the ugliest person in the world.  People with Bell's are not vain!  You see, most people, pick themselves apart about their various physical traits but most people like their smile.  I liked my smile and it was never coming back!  

As time has worn on, I've learned to deal with this.  In fact, most of the time I do not even give it a second thought, but it creeps in every so often.  When I'm taking a picture I get panicky and self conscious.  You get in an all out anxiety attack when special occasions such as weddings or event with the children need to be lovingly documented.  I will always miss this smile:

....but.....I've moved on!  There are many more deadly and disfiguring things that could have happened to me.  I say that not to minimalize the trauma that Bell's Palsy can cause, as it can cause severe trauma to a person.  I have just learned to keep it in perspective and to appreciate my health and work to improve it so that I deal with less physical trauma in years to come.  

So, you have heard some basics about Bell's Palsy....and now you know.  My job here is complete for today's entry.  

Better check myself.....

I've been gone for a while....

Busy, I suppose.  But when it comes down to it, I miss writing and wish I would make it a bigger priority even when things get crazy in my life.  Let me catch ya up in just a few lines.....


I was pregnant......

I had a Charlotte.....

And now I drink obscene amounts of coffee!!!

The End

Well, that's not really it, and if it was, you would not expect a blogger to say it in so few words.

I've had some hard days.  Going from two to three has thrown me for a loop.  Charlotte is my answered prayer and little angel from heaven, but she is a finicky little thing and with the demands of the other two, I have lived in a constant feeling of failure to all of them.  One day I want to be superwoman and get a lot of items checked off and the next day I am curled up on the couch snuggling Charlotte and content to never move again.  Charlotte in the mean time would prefer that I feel the latter everyday and on my productive days tends to protest loudly and at times quite frantically that I get my backside in my rocker and pay homage to her adorableness.

Today, in a moment of, "I can't do this!", I thought to pray for strength and then the fleeting thought of the Lord doesn't understand or care how hard this is popped into my head, surely from Satan himself!  I immediately rebuked myself!  The Lord created me, my children, my husband and fussy, sweet babies and he knows all of them better than I do!

When Tommy and I joke around and I try to convince him of my awesomeness (in a playful way), he comes out with the phrase, "you better check yourself."  I had that moment this morning!  God told Job that very thing when Job questioned him.  And it was in those chapters that I found my answer! Does the Lord understand motherhood?  Absolutely!

"Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?  Do you observe the calving of the does?  Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time when they give birth, when they crouch, bring forth their offspring and are delivered of their young?  Their young ones become strong; they group up in the open; they go out and do not return to them."  Job 39:1-4

If God has the mountain goats and their little ones in check and in his care, then I think he has me, the adopted child that he sent his son to die for.  He knows me, he knows my failures and shortcomings and he knows my triumphant moments.  He knows my ugliest moments and yet, he choose to bless me anyway, with a home, husband, children, salvation, and a host of other blessings that I do not deserve.  Reminds of another verse that references sweet little animals...(apparently I'm a sucker for biblical references to baby animals and furry or feathered friends).

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. (or about royally messing up your kids.  This is my biblical insert, not found in the original version!) Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow or reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?"  Matthew 6:25-26

If the all powerful and all knowing creator and master of the universe knows and cares about the mother goat and her kids, then I can rest assured that he cares about this mother soul and her kids! The Lord, thankfully, did not strike me dead for my questions of him this morning, just as he was patient with Job.  I appreciate that grace and mercy.  Also I appreciate the fact that the message to Job spoke to me as well today.  I best check myself, and remember for everything I question to the Lord, I am talking to an all knowing being who's ways are greater and higher than my own and who's thoughts are unfathomable to my little grey matter lump!

And now I need to go drink more coffee....

But we all need a smidgen and a pinch of furry cuteness first!

Chinese Water Torture...nope....just my wife.....

I am often struck by the tidbits of convicting evidence against myself and my actions as I browse Proverbs.  Some of the Proverbs I know instinctually by heart now as the Lord has been working on my heart from childhood but sometimes one will pop up and just hit me square in-between the eyes.

"A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.  House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord." Proverbs 19:13-14

Do you remember the controversy over water boarding?  It is a form of persuasive interrogation.  It makes the one being interrogated feel as if he is drowning by laying his head at a downward angle and then pouring water over his head.  Another form of water torture used in both China and Spain was Chinese or Spanish water torture.  According to Wikipedia: 

"Victims were strapped down so that they could not move, and cold or warm water was then dripped slowly on to a small area of the body; usually the forehead. The forehead was found to be the most suitable point for this form of torture because of its sensitivity: prisoners could see each drop coming, and after long durations were gradually driven frantic as a perceived hollow would form in the center of the forehead."

I don't know about you but somedays when Tommy returns home I can be a constant dripping of rain.  It goes a bit like this: 

Me: "Hi Babe!  Welcome home!  How was your day?"

Sometimes I let him answer that question and other days I start in not as a dripping but as a full gush of rain water almost as if I was a downspout!  

"Your son did this."  drip drop.....

"Then I had to fight this all day with Emma." drop drip.....

"The washer is not spinning out aaaaagain!!!" drip, drip, drip.....

"I can't figure out how to fix the chain on JT's bike."   drip, drip, drip, drip, drip.....

"I'm exhausted and after this I need to get out of here for a while and by the way I was going to fix this for dinner but I didn't get it thawed because of all the above stated issues!"  Gush, gush, gush, gush......

And before I know it my husband is literally drowning and I am not being the prudent wife from the Lord mentioned in the next verse.  Prudent means acting with or showing care and thought for the future.  How can I be more prudent?  How can I show more care and thought for my husband's future even if it is just the comfort and peace of his upcoming evening?  

Daniel used prudence and discretion when the king was angry and furious......(Daniel 2:12-14)

Hmmm......

Solomon places a high value on giving prudence to the simple and discretion to the youth as a beginning reason for his Proverbs.....(Proverbs 1:1-7)

Solomon also says for simple ones to learn prudence and fools to learn sense......(Proverbs 8:5)

Hmmm.....

Could it be that I could use more sense, in how I approach reporting on these events I rushed at Tommy.  Could I use more discretion in my timing, by maybe letting the man come in, get a drink of water or tea and change clothes before I bombard him with my overflowing needs, wants and gripes?  

Maybe I should give that I try.  Maybe that would at least be a lifesaver against the flood waters I just brought upon him.  

A Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, 
Thank you so much for your wisdom of the home and family, especially for husbands, Lord.  We praise you for your great design in the man's purpose in leading his family and guiding.  Father, I ask that as we walk daily to strive to be a helpmeet to him.  That we use discretion, and sense in how we bring things before them.  Just as we come to you humbly and with care please help us to approach our husbands with honor and prudence.  

In Your son's name, Amen.  

Throw Back Thursday......

I have heard often that in order to know where you are going, you must first know where you came from.

I wonder if the person who first coined this phrase was perpetually lost?

Because I know a little of where I came from.  Enough to pique my interest in family history and such, but outside of some goals, hopes and dreams the only place I know for sure I want to go is Heaven!

Throw back Thursdays have become popular on Facebook and I know that more than likely some of my readers shrink away from them for that very fact of their popularity.  I happen to enjoy seeing pictures of school friends how I remember them, and vintage and retro pics of family members gone but not forgotten.

I had some very important people in my life and the fact is that very few are alive that knew them, remember their funny stories or recall what they did in life.  I feel it's important to make sure future generations starting with my children know these special people and if that means that cyberspace becomes a method of preserving some of those facts and memories than so be it.

Meet Grandma and Grandpa Conover or to the world Herbert Lawrence Conover and JoAnn Hodson Conover.

As a little girl, I honestly thought this was the most beautiful wedding dress in the world.  I loved the fifties shortness (meaning not floor length) of the dress and the neckline.  Let's just say that I have spent many a you tube video on how to get my hair in that pin curl style my grandma is sporting to no avail and some honest, good natured embarrassment.   My grandpa standing tall,  handsome and accomplished.  WWII veteran and college graduate (first one in family and only until I graduated!).  It embodies vintage perfection in my mind.  

My worry and concern comes from what I see during one of my favorite past times.  I love to browse antique shops.  One of the dime a dozen items is old photographs.  They collect in old enamelware bowls and old sewing boxes and become part of the landscape of a vendor's booth.  They have no identity and no purpose outside of scrapbooking, and people's moderate interest of days gone by.  It would hurt a part of my soul for this above photo to end up in a miss mash of old photos and relics of no body knows who.  It would be hard to know that these two extraordinary people were glanced at but not appreciated or remembered.

Herbert a.ka. "Herb" a.k.a "Gopher" spent most of his childhood years growing up in this building that at first glance appears picturesque and cozy:

This is the Highland County Children's Home in Hillsboro, Ohio.  It apparently burned sometime in the   1960's or 70's and is no longer there.  

My grandpa started out life as a baby with two parents in a home.  But when my grandpa was just an infant his father was holding him on his lap one day and bent to put on his shoes.  Grandpa's mom told him to put Herbert on the sofa or you could topple and fall and crush him.  So my great grandfather did just that and in a twist of fate when he went to put his shoes on, he collapsed out of the chair onto the floor and immediately died.  Apparently, or was thought from an aneurysm.  Poor great grandma Conover was soon after in an asylum and apparently was never recovered enough to interact with her children much after.  So this orphanage was where Herb grew up.  He never talked about it much.  He had some woman who maternally helped him in life and I am so glad because what I know of early 20th century orphanages made me upset to think he spent his childhood in one.  Whatever happened in this house, made my grandfather, loving toward children to the point where spoiling was just a norm.  

Fast forward a bit he enlisted during WWII and fought on the Pacific front, managed to be demoted in rank at one time (rascal he was), won a purple heart and survived!  Even was able to see this while he was there: 

Here is the rascal (as he would often call himself) in a battalion photo I found online.  He was a Marine, through and through! 

Fast forward again and my grandpa married my grandma and they had my daddy.  My grandfather worked for the Air Force as a civilian and went to Viet Nam and Korea several times.  He was made of tough stuff and myself and my sisters were his pride and joy.  There is not a day that goes by that I do not miss this man and wish I had just maybe an hour more to ask the questions I never thought to ask as a child.  But until I meet him again, I will remember him like this:

Grandma Conover has always fascinated me.  I would stay up late with her and ask her questions about family history and old family stories.  She greatly loved family heritage and history and I suppose she was able to pass that on to me.  There were some things she did not discuss one was a mysterious love interest that was rumored to have passed away before she met my grandfather.  But again this was just a story to me.  The other is why she stopped flying.  Yes!  This pretty woman:

....at one time piloted her father's plane.  Apparently was ready to go solo when friends of her's crashed and were badly injured and paralyzed.  She never flew as a pilot again.  The above picture has "JoAnn Hodson in Columbus" written on the back.  I liked that because it had to have been taken before her marriage somewhere in Columbus, OH where I was living at the time I found the picture.  

My grandmother was the first born child of my great grandparents, Wilbur and Cleda Hodson.  Cleda had had a miscarriage the year before and my great grandma was pregnant with grandma in fall of the following year.  It apparently was scary at one point.  Listen to Cleda's words as she explains how my grandma almost didn't make it into the world.  

"The next fall, Wilbur said, "it's going to frost tonight, so we better get the pumpkins out of the garden."  He (Wilbur) told me to stay on the outside of the fence and he would hand them to me over the fence.  He let one slip out of his hands and it hit me on the stomach.  'Oh', he said, 'now I've done it.'  But December 14th JoAnn was born and she was the pride of the Hodsons."  ~an excerpt from "Bits of Remembrance of Little Things in My Life" by Cleda Hodson

This woman (JoAnn) apparently was notorious for teasing and annoying her little brother.  Once when they were getting ready to go somewhere one evening she would act like she was coming out of the bathroom from getting ready and as soon as her brother (Dale) would get up to go and dress she would dash back in.  Finally, Dale tired of this and he grabbed her and promptly put her over his knee and  spanked her.  My great grandmother felt she deserved it and did not intervene!  This story which I had not recalled for many years gave me a chuckle today and showed my grandmother's ornery side.   

I do remember very clearly the love she showed me and the pride she had that I was her first grandchild.  

I'm the cutie in the lap of the lady in the chair.  That is my great, great grandma Murphy.  I have been a very privileged little girl in that I have known and can remember a great, great grandmother, two great grandmothers and two grandmothers.  What a blessing!  I had two great and two grandfathers in my life and their memories as well.  

Why do I feel compelled to put this on my blog?  Because, even though as a child you are tempted to almost canonize into sainthood these grandparents, I would not be here without them.  They inspired me, they challenged me, they at times angered me and through it all I have a clearer path for my future. 

While I realize that this all may have been a bit deeper than your normal "Throw Back Thursday," don't you also have those saint like people in your life who you in your childlike innocence never imagined did anything ever wrong?  

Keep their memory going......

I would love to hear about them!  In the comments tell me about your special Throw Back Thursday person or persons!  They are a part of your timeline and if you read this then I think you are special so share with me and together we can make sure none of our special people end up as decor in some antique lovers home!  

Speaking of.....grandma Conover loved antiques.