Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound……we all know the words to this old Christian hymn. It is popular with most believers because it seems to sum up in a few verses what we all seek as followers of a power much higher than we can explain in mere words….divine grace. The original hymn was written in 1772, by an Englishman named John Newton, but the last stanza wasn’t added until years later. It was actually included in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book; Uncle Tom’s Cabin and was written by a man named John P. Rees.

I’ve always loved this old hymn, especially the last stanza:

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.

It has been sung by all kinds of people from every walk of life, from Judy Collins to Leann Rimes. One of my favorite versions of it isn’t sung, but rather played….on the bagpipes. I used to work with a guy at AT&T who had been in a Gospel Group for a while. They had recorded a whole album of Christian hymns and the like which included their rendition of Amazing Grace. I purchased their album and used to listen to it all the time. I still have it lying around somewhere; perhaps I’ll dig it out and listen again…never hurts to be reminded of God’s abiding love and Amazing Grace.

I attended a funeral today of a man I never really knew, but it became apparent to me as my friend Donna and I pulled into the parking lot, that a lot of people obviously did. The cars were parked sometimes two deep and the funeral director of traffic motioned for me to go around to the front of the funeral home, which had no available parking either. We ended up parking next to a curb in between two small parking areas. My first thought was there was a funeral and a viewing going on at the same time. Not so.

How was it that this man, that I barely knew could be loved and known by so many. (Just to set the record straight, he was the husband of my “Red Hat” girlfriend Sheila’s sister, Laura) Jimmy was only 52 years old. A young man with so much life ahead of him, except that it was his time. I’ve heard that term so many times during my life…..his or her time. What does that really mean? I guess based on your belief, it could mean most anything, but to me, it just means that your time here on Earth is done. I have always believed that we are only here for a short time and that God has pre-determined that amount of time, even before we were born.

What I learned about Jimmy today was that he was an extraordinary man to the ones that knew him. He was a husband, father, son, son-n-law, brother-n-law, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. He liked to golf and watch Nascar Racing, was an avid Bulldog fan and could always be seen with a Skoal can in his back pocket. One of the great pleasures in his life in his younger years was his love for sports, especially softball. He loved his family and always taught his two girls to be strong and passionate about themselves and their goals.

He had touched many lives during his short walk here on Earth. It seems that he was loved by all who knew him. He will be missed by his friends and family, but above all; what matters most, is that Jimmy had “Amazing Grace”….

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

In Memory of James “Jimmy” Roan

November 16, 1955 / February 14, 2008

Mid-town Ma Belle's

One, well four to be exact, of the great pleasures I have is spending time with my very best girlfriends; Cookie (Queen Mother), Donna, Patti and Sheila. These four women and I form what the “Red Hatter’s” call the Mid-town Ma Belle’s. We all used to work together in Mid-town Atlanta for AT&T, hence the name Mid-town Ma Belle’s. They are four of the best girlfriends a person could ever have.

We have shared a lot of ups and downs with each other over the past 20 or so years that we have known each other and we always seem to have a good time together. I had the extreme honor of working with each one of these ladies during the course of my time spent in AT&T’s Engineering Department which is where we all met.

I guess the first one of these ladies I met was Donna. We worked on the same floor of the Summit Building together, but not in the same District. We always seemed to meet at the copy machine which was in a central location for the whole floor. As we were talking one day at copy central, I was telling her about my desire to find someone to carpool with from my side of town. That’s when she introduced me to Sheila.

Sheila was the District Secretary for Donna’s organization and was located on the floor just below us. As the carpool evolved, so did my friendship with Sheila. We spent many days meeting at the Lee Road Park-n-Ride and tootling Downtown together. We shared stories of our families, our likes, our dislikes and just things that most friends like to talk about on our trek to and from the city. Donna, Sheila and I became great friends. We spent most of our lunch hours either down in the cafeteria dining room which was in the Atrium of the building, or we walked to some nearby establishment like J.R. Crickets or the Varsity.

One day at lunch, Sheila brought a new friend, Cookie. She used to work with Sheila at another AT&T location and had just transferred into Sheila’s District. Great a new friend….she also lived on our side of town and wanted to join the carpool as well. Wonderful, not only a new lunch buddy, but another driver for the “Pool”. Cookie is the oldest of our group, kind of the “Mother” figure if you will, so it was kind of like having our own Mother in the car with us to give advise or listen to our perspective of whatever was going on in our lives at the time. She is so unique in a way that is refreshing and uplifting.

There was hardly a day that went by that you didn’t find the four of us, along with some of the guys from the District, going to lunch together. It was great to have such close friends to hang out with during the stressful work days Downtown. One day, Sheila, Donna and I decided that we were going to see a palm reader, Madame Belle. I don’t know exactly why Cookie didn’t go with us. Maybe it was that she didn’t believe in them and didn’t want to waste her money, or that we just decided not to tell her we were going. I made the appointment and the next day at lunch we went to see her.

Madame Belle worked out of a house just off of Piedmont Road. I was the first to see her. She was an older lady, kind of heavy set like me and was kind of dressed like you would imagine a gypsy woman to be. I had taken my wedding ring off early that morning so the lines from my band wouldn’t show on my finger, but it didn’t seem to matter to her. She knew I was married, that I had a young daughter and that I had a darkness in my life. Darkness, what did that mean?

I knew I wasn’t always the most pleasant person to be around. I had things in my closet that I was sure others had as well, you know, things from my past. She told a lot of things about myself, that I knew to be true and I wondered how this woman that I didn’t even know, knew them. Had she somehow done a background check and found out all of these things just based on my first name (that was the only name I gave her for the appointment)? Did she have a crystal ball like the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz?

Perhaps she truly was one of those rare people who could see into the future, or past, just by touching the palm of your hand. Which ever the case was, she had seen the “darkness”. She also told me that for an additional sixty dollars that she could remove the darkness. I told her, “I didn’t have the extra money, I had only come to see what palm reading was all about”, but she told me that she liked me and that she was going to remove the darkness for me, free of charge. OK, cool, I thought. What could it hurt.

I think Sheila was the next one in and then Donna. Nothing extraordinary for either one of them, certainly not an exposed “darkness”, but Madame did tell Donna that she would meet a talk dark, handsome man and settle down. Nothing much was ever discussed from our outing to the Palmist that day, but I can tell you that a few years later, Cookie introduced Donna to a tall dark, handsome man named Harold and they have been married now for about 14 years.

As for my “darkness”? Well, our outing took place in about 1990 and two years later, my Dad got very sick and passed away over a period of about five or six months. On the very day that Daddy went home to be with the Lord, I gave my life to my Savior, Jesus Christ. On that day, I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders. There were things that happened in my past between me and my Dad that you could call “darkness”, I’ve always wondered if the Palm reader had kept her word.

Patti and I had worked together at the Summit Building on the 31st floor in the same work group and didn’t even realize it until years later. She and Cookie and Donna were part of a “breakfast club” at the Promenade building where we had all moved to when AT&T decided to relocate all of it’s Engineering Departments from all over the United States to Atlanta. Sheila and I joined the “club” some mornings as time permitted and that’s when Patti and I discovered that we had both worked in Bob Wing’s group at the same time. To paraphrase Disney, it’s a small world after all.

Patti was the first one to leave, taking early retirement in July of 2000. I was the next one to succumb to the cuts of AT&T in July of 2001. A few short years from full retirement so I am still in the working class. Cookie's retirement came next as AT&T offered packages and incentives to decrease their work force. Donna was the next in line to receive her incentive package and a few months after that, Sheila was given her exit package as well.

So here we all were. Retired or semi-retired from one of the largest employers in the United States, separated from one another by the distance that we lived from each other. We didn’t have lunch or the “breakfast club” to catch up on our days anymore; life as we knew it ceased to exist.

One day Patti and Cookie had been talking on the phone and mentioned to each other that it would be nice if we could all get together and have lunch. After several phone calls and emails, we planned a date and one Sunday afternoon in October of 2004, we met, had lunch and made plans to see each other at least once a month when our schedules permitted.

So far, we have been successful at meeting that commitment, with few exceptions. We have had some great outings to different places all around Atlanta and the surrounding area as well as two long weekend trips to the beach; Panama City Beach, FL and Isle of Palm, SC.

We have included the husbands and even the kids on some of those outings and have had a ball whether we have the whole families with us or it’s just us girls. It is truly such a blessing to me to have such wonderful, close friends to share my joys and sorrows with. I leave with this final thought….a poem by Karin Schaefer:

The Gift of Friends

There are days when

bubbling from us comes

the innocent child within,

who giggles at the little things

and wears a silly grin.

There are days when

melancholy comes to
visit for a while;

the mind feels tired,

the body weak;

we have no strength to smile.

There are days when

joy abundant

grabs a hold of you and me;

wraps us up in all it's splendor,

lifts us up and sets us free.

There are days when

sorrow wraps us

in its cloak of grief and fear,

'till our hearts ache to the breaking,

till our eyes can't shed a tear.

There are days when

love bestows us

with its wonderment and light;

with its beauty and its mystery,

its power and its might.

And there are days when

life rewards us

and seems to make amends

by granting us a marvelous gift,

the precious gift of Friends.

To the Mid-town Ma Belle’s……I love you all!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

In a hurry, don't go to Harry's

On the other side of town, in the complete opposite direction from the “other” market is a delightful place called Harry’s Farmer’s Market. It seems too, that everyone on Earth knows about Harry’s, especially it’s location in Marietta, just down from, you guessed it….the “Big Chicken”. If you stop and ask anyone for directions in the Marietta area, you can bet that it has “Big Chicken” in it’s answer. What is so special about Harry’s….about a trillion different things.

Harry’s is actually owned by Whole Foods Market which was founded in 1980 as a small store in Austin, Texas, and is now the world’s leading retailer of natural and organic foods, with more than 265 stores in North America and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods acquired the Harry’s chain, including the old Harry’s in a Hurry, in the Atlanta area in October, 2001. Harry’s and Whole Foods sell the highest quality organic and natural products available. Their Motto: Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet.

After you pick out your parking spot and grab a buggy, you venture into what I would call the foyer area of Harry’s. There were all sorts of potted flowers, bird feeders and seed, wind chimes and even rain barrel’s to catch what we here in the South call a precious liquid commodity (most would think gasoline, which runs a close second to milk).

Upon entering the market, one can’t help but notice how fresh and alive it feels. People scurrying about picking out fruits, vegetables and nuts. The produce section was amazing. It had everything laid out in sections and was very appealing to the eye. They had produce that should be kept cold in actual cooler type open displays much like at the supermarket, unlike the “other” market that chose to apply ice directly to the veggies. While we were browsing through the produce stands, a commotion like nothing I had ever heard before, brought our attention to a mirage of Mardi Gras flocked grocery buggies parading through the isles. Not something you’d see everyday, certainly not just around the corner from the “Big Chicken”. Neat to say the least.

The next section of the store was the dry goods or grocery section. It had isle after isle of every type of specialty item you could imagine. It even had a machine that would ground flour for you right there on the spot….sold by the pound so you could buy as much or as little as you wanted. It had a section dedicated to Gluten Free items, which would be something that my sister, the FabGrandma, would absolutely love since she is Gluten intolerant. I even found some Gluten free pretzels on the chip isle.

In this same section, there was a whole isle of Olive Oils . Most bottles were affordable, but there were a few with quite hefty price tags. Perhaps in my next life, if I am born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I will get to try one of those. There was also a whole section, top to bottom, of every kind of mustard you could think of. Now I know where all the folks on the Food Network do their shopping.

Next came the frozen foods section, yes, even a Gluten free pizza or two, as well as organic frozen juices and the like. The butcher shop was next. Aged beef, fresh pork sausages, fresh marinated – grill ready kabobs, duck breasts and even quail eggs. A food lover’s paradise. We opted for an aged boneless Ribeye steak carved into what I call the Valentine’s cut – heart shaped. Paired with the fingerling and blue potatoes roasted with EVOO, shallots, garlic, sea salt and fresh ground pepper and coupled with the Habersham Cherokee Rose wine we selected from Harrry’s expansive wine and beer section, we had a meal fit for a king or queen as the case may be.

The seafood market was next in line. It was very clean and had every kind of fish and shellfish that a good connoisseur would want or need. It even had quart containers of fish stock, which I had never seen in a store or seafood market before. You could buy the fish whole or in filets and the shellfish came in or out of the shell. They even steamed it for you at no extra charge. On the way to the bakery section, we passed a little section of nothing but chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. All kinds of different “percent” chocolate as it is sometimes labeled as well as specialty chocolates from around the world.

Entering the bakery department almost took my breath away. I am such a sweet-aholic, not a word I know, but my word just the same. I was like a kid in a candy shop. What should I buy? Should it be something with chocolate on it, in it, or just chocolate all the way through? Perhaps a Champagne cake or Tiramisu, even fresh fruit tarts…..oh decisions, decisions….what’s a fat girl to do. We opted for the Champagne cake since it was the lightest looking of all the delicacies…it didn’t let us down.

The next section was the cheese and dairy. We didn’t spend too much time in those sections but we did pick up a nice selection of smoked Gruyere and a small slab of my favorite, Havarti dill. They will go nicely with either one of the other bottles of wine we selected: Riondo Prosecco (a light-bodied Sparkling wine from Italy) or Affentaler Riesling (a lovely German Riesling with a delightful gold monkey on the bottle).

There was a whole isle dedicated to hot cocoa and tea. I picked up a canister of White Tea infused with Pineapple and Guava from the Republic of Tea, one of my favorite brands. Their Blood Orange and Cranberry is very good too. Around the corner was a whole section of “Fast Food”. Not your every day fast food. A whole barrage of cooked items such as rotisserie chicken, baked pecan crusted tilapia, grilled spinach and crab stuffed salmon, a variety of vegetables; too many to mention, a fully stocked salad and soup bar and even sushi.

There was a floral department and a whole section in the front near the registers that we didn’t even go through dedicated to health and beauty aids, shoes that soothe the soles of your feet and candles and incense to soothe your inner soul. Yes, I would have to say, that if you are in a hurry, Harry’s definitely isn’t for you…we spent about 4 hours wandering through the isles, but all in all, it was one of the best Saturday afternoons I have spent in a long time.

Before I close, I do have to give honorable mention to the Apple and Cherry stuffed Whole Chicken breast that we purchased for our Sunday dinner. I also had purchased some golden beets in the produce section that I cooked along with the Parsnips from our outing at the “other” market and some carrots that I had in the fridge; adding sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of sugar as well as a whole stick of “real” butter. I added some baked sweet potatoes and my last bag of Zipper peas out of the deep freeze. I shared the meal with my Mother who had eaten parsnips as a young girl growing up in Detroit and wasn’t too fond of them. In her words, “I was taken by surprise”. Well, music to my ears….until next time, my motto is: Skinny cooks can’t be trusted!

Monday Afternoon Field Trip

Over on the other side of town, past the city, just beyond the horizon is a little place that the whole world knows about, at least if you live in Dekalb County, Georgia, called Your_Dekalb_Farmers_Market It’s a World Market founded in 1977 and still run by Robert Blazer and his wife Barbara and son, Daniel. It has grown from a 7500 square foot produce stand into a 140,000 square foot, true world market serving up to 100,000 people per week.

I have wanted to go there to see what the hoopla was all about for quite some time now and today, Alan and I took the afternoon off and ventured over to Decatur. The first thing that caught my senses was the odors coming from the fresh fish market. Of course, we ventured into the market on the fish/meat side of the facility so it was pretty hard not to miss the distinct odor of muscles, oysters, king crab, lobster, squid, grouper, mackerel, and yes, even live tilapia swimming in a tank; just waiting for someone to come along and scoop them out with a net, just to end up on the dining table with a pecan crust and roumalade sauce…..mmmmm, perhaps on my next trip. Rumor has it that they have over 450 different types of seafood, including fish, to tantalize your taste buds.

The first thing we decided to do was hit the Market Restaurant since it was lunch time and we hadn’t eaten. We were both able to get a decent lunch with meat and vegetables and tea for $8.00, total. Not too bad given the inflated prices we have to pay for everything now days. While we were in line, we noticed how diverse it was. There were people from all walks of life and nationalities. There was one guy in particular who didn’t seem to speak much English or understand it, for that matter. He had gotten to the end of the line and decided that he needed to get something he missed. Well, let me tell you, a few people in que started badgering him and telling him that he needed to go to the end of the line, which was back to the entrance door by this time. Needless to say, I didn’t go back for the broccoli I missed….I just didn’t feel like it was worth the tongue lashing that would have ensued.

After lunch, we started down the isles. First through the bakery, fruit and pastry shop, past the coffee & tea, into the nut butters and on to the International foods. They had any and everything you’d ever want to find in one place. There was the wine & beer shop, spices, fresh fruits and vegetables even a fruit that I had never ever seen before. It was in one of those stretchy mesh bags in a freezer container. It had spikes and weighed about as much as a nine pound bowing ball. It would have made a nice weapon if you needed to defend yourself. One punch and they’re out cold with spike marks to boot. I couldn’t tell you what it was called, but it was scary.

I was able to get my Blood Oranges that I have been looking for since Ina Garten made the Blood Orange Margarita’s on her Food Network Show a few years ago; Barefoot Contessa. You can find her and her fabulous recipes at http://www.foodnetwork.com/ I made the Margarita’s my own by adding a few more ingredients such as temple orange juice, Tropicana Healthy heart OJ and a few splashes of Angostura bitters which is used to flavor and add a dry zest to cocktails and cooking. Two thumbs. I just love my Margarita’s ;)

We ventured back through the fish market, but decided that we’d pass on our Omega 3 fix. The next stop was the meat market. Everything looked really good. They even had Bison, but the one thing I was looking for was Elk meat. I didn’t see any, so I guess it isn’t in demand in that world market. We did pick up some fresh Italian sausages and some mild sweet Italian sausages which will be great on the grill.

We also picked up some fresh Italian prosciutto to wrap around our burger patties we made for dinner. We put a piece of provolone cheese in the center of each one and pan fried them instead of cooking them on the grill like we normally do. We had picked up some fresh white corn at the market too so we grilled it in the shucks and opened some Leisure peas. Great meal.

The last shop we ventured through was cheese and dairy. We picked up some fresh cheese ravioli and some spinach and cheese ravioli along with some of the Market’s own fresh made tomato sauce. We plan on lightly frying the ravioli in some EVOO, that’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil for those that don’t know, and serving it with the tomato sauce. I’m sure it will be a fabulous meal too.

I can’t close without telling you about the fabulous dessert I made. I am a huge Paula Deen fan as well as Krispy_Kreme doughnuts so when I found her recipe for Bill Nicholson’s Krispy_Kreme Bread Pudding with Butter Rum Sauce, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. You can find the recipe on Paula's site at http://www.pauladeen.com/recipe_view/411

Well, just so happens that if you travel back to Douglasville, via Ponce De Leon Avenue, you go right by one of the oldest and biggest Krispy_Kreme Doughnuts in the whole Southeast territory. Of course, the car veered to the left just as we got to the Krispy_Kreme so you know I had to go in and buy a box of glazed doughnuts so I could make a half recipe of the pudding.

Let me tell you, if you like bread pudding and Krispy_Kreme doughnuts, then you have got to make this for yourself. It is by far the best bread pudding I have ever put in my mouth. I will never look at Krispy_Kreme’s in the same light again. Paula would say, "best dishes from my kitchen to yours", but my motto has always been, "skinny cooks can’t be trusted"….

Reflections of 2007

Reflections of 2007

As I sit here and think about what 2008 is going to bring into our lives; mine, Alan & Stefanie’s, I just had to take a few minutes to reflect on all of the changes that have made an impact on my life and that of my family – both immediate & extended – in 2007.

One of the most joyous things that happened for me personally was the fact that God allowed me to experience all of these changes all year long by giving me breath each morning, for which I am eternally grateful. While I am on the subject of being thankful, I would like to thank Him also for all of the people that come into my life, each and every day, whether they are family or friends, and it is one of my hopes in 2008 that He will bring us all closer together.

One of the first things I got to experience in ’07 was finding some of our family that have been separated from us, for whatever reason, through this wonderful thing we call “Myspace”. Eric, Tracy, Nikkie & Ashton & last but not least, Alyson (on the Sewell side of my life). While I have only gotten to talk to Eric & Tracy through email, I am very thankful that we have been able to talk to one another. It is my hope and prayer that one day, I’ll be able to have a face to face meeting with them. I love them very much and I want both of them to know how I feel about them. I would like to know them better and one day, I know that God will allow that to happen. Separated from us, but never forgotten.

My next encounter with “on-line” searching brought me Nikkie. She is my brother Bobby’s daughter whom we lost contact with upon his death in March of 1979. Who would ever have imagined that she would keep her name - Nakeesha Starr Stroud - a one of a kind name for a one of a kind person. We got to meet her in June along with her son, my Great-nephew Ashton. God is so awesome. Not only did he bring Nikkie back to us, He brought her two fold. It is my hope and prayer that we will get to know more of Nikkie & Ashton. I want her to know that she is valued to us, not just because she was Bobby’s daughter, but because she is family - a Granddaughter, Niece, Cousin. She was separated from us, but never forgotten.

The next encounter with this “on-line” experience has brought to us, the Sewell’s, Alyson Brianne Kilthau (always a Sewell to us). A meeting that has taken place, so far, with her Father, Greig, and hopefully with the rest of us in the near future - a meeting that I knew God would allow to happen when the timing was right. I guess it’s true when they say, good things come to those who wait. We want Alyson to know that she is loved and has always been in our hearts. It is our hope with Alyson that we can pick up on the bond that held her & Stefanie so close so many years ago only to be broken by the pains of divorce. Separated from us, but never forgotten.

Another thing I got to experience was helping my Niece Emily deal with some issues that she has carried with her for a long time. It was truly amazing to be a part of God working through her to help her overcome things that had been haunting her for a long time. It was wonderful to be a part of her Baptism and watching her grow in the Lord. Thank you Emily for sharing that with me.

Next, I’d like to say how thankful I am to the 4 new “S”’s in our lives: Sarah, Sandy & Scott and Samantha. I’ve been fortunate to meet all of you but Sarah and I hope that 2008 will bring the opportunity for those of us who haven’t meet you to do so. You’ve been a pleasure to talk to “on-line” and I know that it will be great to meet you face to face. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again, welcome to our family.

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention the newest, small additions to our family. Charley Kay Tucker, born July 17th, Owen James Parson, born September 19th, & Brayden Edward Stroud, born October 24th. All cute in their own right and as far as ranking goes, it makes them my 13th Great Niece, 14th & 15th Great Nephew’s. We’ll have to rent a hall somewhere if we ever ALL get together at the same time. Children are a gift from God - we are truly blessed.

I can’t let 2007 go by without mentioning my girls - my “Redhat Girls” as those of you who are near and dear to me know them as. For those that don’t know who or what they are, they are only my four best girlfriends in the world. We all worked together at AT&T and share a very close friendship. We try to meet at least once a month, every month, and we take one long weekend trip to the beach together, once a year. I wouldn’t trade the friendship that I share with each of them for anything. They help keep me sane in a somewhat crazy world and I love them all. I’m very thankful to have Cookie, Donna, Patti & Sheila in my life.

2007 brought many chances for me to spend time with my second best friend in the whole wide world, my Mother. She is one of the grandest things in my life and I wouldn’t trade a moment of my time with her for anything. March brought the success of her colostomy being reversed and a complete recovery for her. She spent her summer as usual, gardening, canning and taking care of her ½ acre lot, she actually only cuts the back yard anymore, but it keeps her busy. Alan or some of the Grandkids cut the front since it is too steep for her and a mower. November 26th brought her to a significant milestone in her life - 80 years old. She was sick on her birthday and had to ride in an ambulance to the ER to find out she had a UTI (urinary tract infection). We had a surprise birthday party for her on December 1st. I picked her up in the biggest white stretch limo we could find - could you imagine - being 80 years old and having your first birthday party, first ambulance ride and first limo ride all in the same week. I love my Poochski with all that I have. I’m going to miss her one day - a long time from now I hope and pray.

In winding down, my attitude of gratitude brings me to Stefanie - my first and last born, one of the loves of my life - my 24 year old young adult of whom I am very proud. She is one of the reasons I get up in the mornings, not that I have to do anything for her - it just gives me great pleasure to know that she is an extension of who I am and that God choose through all of His children and gave her to me. How awesome a responsibility to raise a person from infancy to adulthood and only have your hopes and prayers that they will turn out to be someone of honesty, integrity and above all loving. It’s still not easy being the parent of a full grown woman…it still has it’s ups and downs, but all in all - I wouldn’t trade a moment or a memory of Stefanie for anything or anyone. Thank you Stefanie for who you are. We love you very much and as we have told you many times before - we will always be here for you. It is our hope and prayer that 2008 will be your year. Make it work for you.

Last, but certainly not least, Alan. My Bestest Friend in the Whole Wide World. Fate brought us together - our love keeps us together. He knows everything, and I do mean everything, about me and loves me anyway. What a lucky person I am to have found the person that was created just for me on the first try. So many people spend their whole lives searching for what I have had for almost 27 wonderful years. He’s everything to me. “He’s my falling star, my line in the sand when I go too far, my swimming pool on an August day, he’s my every minute of every day.” He is “THE” reason that I get up in the morning. I could never imagine going through my life without him. Alan - I love you farther than my arms can reach.

So as for 2007, those are my most memorable moments. We’ve had a lot of garbage to deal with too, but I have been trying for a long time now to not let the “garbage trucks” of my life dump their trash at my door. I have always been a person of truth and integrity and I have realized that life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. I am going to love the people who treat me right and forget about the ones who don’t. I believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy but then, nothing worth having ever is.