2011 PINK



Garrett & Taylor-2010



Happy New Year! December was a rush time for us. We went to Branson MO on a road trip. We ended up stranded in Lexington KY because of snow, but only for a couple of days. We were at my mothers and it was nice to be there an extra day or two. She is busy looking for things to give away or sell. Her house is so large and she has been saving stuff for so  long. She doesn't want us to have to go in and clean things out after she is gone. Her health is pretty good. She turns 81 this year and is still involved. She is an artist and she draws and paints, Watercolor, Acrylic, and Oil. She has a huge Barbie Doll collection and wants to sell it, but no one wants them right now. I told her to hold off and see what happens when the economy picks up.

After we got home, it was a bevy of Christmas Parties and then I went to NC for the week before Christmas to decorate the Beach House. During all this, my computer was acting up. The USB plugins were not working so I couldn't use my mouse. Darn, I hate the little mouse pad on the computer itself. It is difficult for me. I sat on the phone with Sony help for hours. I cleaned up and backed all my data on CDs. I could still use the computer so I took it with me to NC Verizon Wireless Purgatory. I was actually able to get on occasionally while I was there. They must have updated some of the towers. I didn't even turn it on for 5 days, it stayed in the bag and I just got so much done.

I love to decorate the packages with Wire Ribbon Bows and it was something I could make when I was resting in between more strenuous tasks. I made two aprons for Rhonda to give away and she brought me another one to decorate. I put buttons, findings, and wrote with acrylic paint on them. They were for some of her teacher friends and Rhonda said they really loved them. Then I got busy making crochet dishcloths for her to give to other friends. I don't even remember how many I made, but I do know that it was very theraputic for my hands.

The grands, Garrett and Taylor stayed with me some and we made cookies. Taylor even stayed overnight. She is so scared of so many things. She has always been frightened of so much, even as a baby. Her staying overnight with just me and without Garrett was a big deal. Something was working on me that night and I couldn't stay awake. I sat down in Ray's recliner about 6 p.m. and dozed off. I knew when she tried to wake me up, but I just couldn't stay awake. I woke up at 1 a.m. and wrapped gifts until 5 and sat back down in the recliner with my coffee and fell asleep again. She had fallen asleep on the sofa, so I didn't want to go to bed and leave her alone incase she woke up before it got light outside. Anyway, she wants to stay with me again.

I went to visit Hazel, my first husband's mother. I have always told her that I didn't divorce her, only her son. She it very nice and helps Rhonda with the twins a lot. She always spends Christmas Eve with us and we look forward to time with her. She turned 83 this past year and is still active. She loves sports and never misses a basketball game or a golf match on TV. She has always been supportive of me, even when I was going through the divorce. The children went to live with her when Rhonda was 16 and was sneaking out the window at night. We lived in Dallas and I was so scared she would get pregnant or get into drugs. It was supposed to be for a year, but they were doing so well in school and had lots of friends they didn't want to leave, that I let them make the decision to stay. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I couldn't get child support because my former husband went on disability and wouldn't sign the papers for me to receive payments for the children and I just didn't make enough to support us all, even though I was working 60 hours a week. Being a woman without a degree is very difficult if you are the only bread-winner. Of course, he signed for his mother to get the SS for the children and probably back pay for the time that I was trying to support them without help. Anyway, he passed away a few years ago and I have forgiven him now that I have my family back. God took care of retribution.

Off track again, LOL! I embroidered little sock monkey ornaments for the grandchildren. I put their initials on them in red. I purchased them at Cracker Barrell. They were so cute and something they can see every Christmas to remember me down through the years. I want them to remember me and tell people how much I loved Christmas and loved the giving part much more than the receiving part. I cannot explain the joy that I feel when people open gifts that I have chosen for them. Not to mention, this year I had a new grandson, Dillon. His mother, Sharon, is my new daughter-in-law. She is so sweet, my son really picked a winner when he proposed to her. I am so proud of them both. They have been taking a class at church, Dave Ramsey's Financial Plan. Since they got married last summer, they have been able to pay off all their credit card debt and cut them up. Jeff says that if you pay cash for everything, you don't have to worry about your credit score. They are going to take each of the vehicles and make double payments or triple and get them paid off as soon as they can. They have savings and are not doing things unless they save up for it specifically. I think this is wonderful. Both of them are so grounded.



Here is to your good health and wealth in 2011! Just remember, God is Good, All the time.