I'm ashamed to report...

that no, I am not smarter than a 5th grader! I think I started missing the questions when they got to the 3rd grade Geography. Yeah, not my best subject!

Recently I had to sub for the 6th grade English/Grammar teacher at my son's school and I DID. NOT. KNOW. the answers to the questions these kids were asking about their worksheets! Hello?! They all loved me though and thought I was hilarious! Sometimes when they come to the office they say, "Hey, Miss doesn't know 6th grade grammar!"

Speaking of kiddos...

My friend Tracy, over at I Am By Grace, wrote a hilarious post about her son today and the letter "U". Go on over and check it out!

Also, hubby wrote about what his 2nd graders thought "exalted" meant. Check it out here...

And finally, one of my favorite bloggers, Antique Mommy, wrote a funny story involving her son and their most recent trip to the grocery store. Pirates need groceries too! Read it here...

I will be M.I.B. (missing in Blogville) for the weekend...heading to Atlanta to attend a funeral and spend the weekend with my mom...just us girls!

Just life in the fast lane...

Speaking of fast lanes---has anyone else noticed how the left lane has become the new "right" lane? Is it just me, or is everyone in the left lane poking along?! Gee whiz...give me a break! When I'm behind the wheel, I literally have ZERO patience! I'm Italian, what can I say?!

I finally closed the deal on that historic home this past Monday. It turned out to be what we call a "dry closing"...where they all sign paperwork, but it doesn't fund until the wire transfers and overnighted checks, etc. come through. So, I leave the table with no check in hand. Oh well, I've waited this long...what's another couple of days?!

The wrist is feeling better, although it's still swollen---it actually feels better when I don't wear the brace. And, on top of it all, I think I broke one of my toes in the fall. Holy cow! Who'd a 'thunk a broken toe could cause so much pain?! I have 9 others, can't they compensate?!

On a sad note, our dear family friends (my mom and dad's best friends, who also were my Sunday School teachers when I was in the 6th grade, we went to school with their kids, etc.), the ones who have been such a help to my mom since my Dad's death...they just lost their son (44 years old) yesterday. He was at work, hadn't been feeling well for a couple of days with jaw pain and then he started having pain in his arm. One of his friends was taking him to the E.R. and he slumped over, dead from a heart attack, before they arrived at the hospital. So, so sad. Please remember them in your prayers. The funeral is Friday morning. It's unnatural to bury one of your kids.

It caused me to pick up the phone and schedule that physical with the doctor that I've been putting off. He told me last summer when I turned the big 4-0 that I needed to have cholesterol checked, etc., but I just haven't done it.

One more thing...hubby actually blogged AND cut grass over the weekend! I've talked about how much he loves food...check out this funny story here...

Hope ya'll are having a good week~mine's been too busy...life is hard, but God is good!

Another "trip"...

In light of the recent "trip" I took this week in the form of a fall, I decided to take another "trip" down memory lane. I've had several people ask and email me about my Dad---especially the new friends I've made in the past couple of months. So here are some posts about my Dad.

This post is one I wrote when he really started to decline. It's called "Man in the Mirror" and my Dad's mission called my mom about publishing it in their quarterly magazine (unfortunately they ran out of room on their obituary page).

This post has photos of me and my Dad from my wedding.

This is one of my favorite photos of me and my Dad when I was a baby.

This post is when he asked me if he was dying (this was just two weeks before he died).

These posts are from his death and the two weeks that followed. If you start at the bottom of the page, it will be in order. Some of these posts are very "raw" in word and thought, but it was what I was experiencing at the time.

Maybe that will catch some of ya'll up on this extraordinary man that was my father.

Judges, your scores please...

Can I just start this story by saying thank goodness, we don't have "instant replay" in real life!

Early this morning I had to go meet a contractor at "the house"...you know, the one that took forever to sell, the one with all the weird things that kept happening, etc. I was running a few minutes late, so I was already flustered. I met the contractor at the back door, proceeded through the foyer with contractor in tow, then out the front door.

Now let me just pause for a moment and remind you that this house was built in 1870. There is a pathway of cement pavers that lead up to the front porch, that are in need of some repair...some look as though they've been there for over a hundred years, broken and uneven.

I had an armful of files, my Palm Pilot, my car keys, and the house key with the keybox while I marched down the front porch steps and onto the walkway. Then, before I knew it, I was heading for the cement...hand and wrist hit first, followed by a hard hit to the knee and then what felt like a tummy tuck roll to the ground that would have made Mary Lou Retton proud! What a sight that must have been to these two construction guys...all before they even had their morning coffee!

Files went flying...paperwork went everywhere, my Palm Pilot bounced across the pavers, keys flew out of my hands and in one quick second I jumped back up to my feet, brushed myself off, gathered my things, all the while responding to these men with an "I'm fine, just fine!" "Wow, what a way to start the day! I'm fine, really! I am!"

Oh my word. The embarassment--the pain. When our business was finished, I got back in the car and thought, "wow, I'm really not fine!" My knee was throbbing (think Fred Flinstone when he would drop his bowling ball on his toe!) and my wrist was hurting even worse...and starting to swell. Ugghhh...not good.

Anyway, long story short (too late, right?), hubby took me for an x-ray and I have a fractured wrist. Yeah, fun day.

When I talked with my good friend, Liz (fellow realtor), she said, "See! I told you that ghost didn't want you to sell that house!"

I'll have the nuggets, polynesian sauce, and a box of tissue

Gary is on Spring Break this week and unfortunately it didn't coincide with Zack's Spring Break a couple of weeks ago, even though we did get to escape to Orlando a couple of days. So, his Spring Break is going to consist of alot of piddlin' (southern term) around the house, doing yard work, etc. Today he has spent the day with me and has been my chauffeur---which I love, cause I can talk on the phone and look thru files to my heart's content without worrying about the driving part!

Anyway, we decided to eat lunch at Chick-fil-A (one of my all-time favorites). We got our food, sat down and were enjoying our lunch and the conversation, when a few minutes later, hubby looked up from his food and saw me sitting there with tears streaming down my face. He kept saying, "hon, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

It was a few minutes before I could tell him that a sweet, older gentleman had just sat down at the table over his shoulder. He had on a dark suit, was fidgeting with his sunglasses, caught my eye and flashed the sweetest smile, which I politely returned. Then I looked down at his hands and noticed they looked just like my Dad's hands. The floodgates opened and I couldn't control the tears that were spilling over as I longed to hold my Dad's warm hands just one more time.

A few minutes later, what appeared to be his adult son, joined him with their food in tow. I thought how fortunate for these men to be sharing this time together, and I prayed quietly that it would be extra special for both of them.

Grief is a strange thing. It comes and goes, and literally overwhelms you when you least expect it. I pray that I never get "used" to it, nor forget the softness of my Dad's hands.

If only I could learn to just stop flapping...

Driving home from church today, it was very chilly and the wind was so blustery! I was fighting to keep the car in my lane inbetween the gusts of wind, when I noticed a hawk flying parallel with the interstate. It intrigued me that for as long as I watched him, he didn't flap his wings, but instead was just gliding along, riding the wind currents. I couldn't help but think that the same wind that I was fighting, this hawk was using to keep him from working harder as he was just riding it out...effortlessly.

I realized that during the strongest "winds" of my life, when I feel as though I'm being tossed about, I continue to flap my wings harder, thinking I can control the situation and steer myself out of the storm. But if I would just ride the wind currents, "I" wouldn't have to do anything but glide. Sometimes I just need a little reminder to stop...to be still...and allow myself to glide in the sheltering arms of my Father.

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

An Amazing Worship Leader...

I just found Travis Cottrell's blog and I am so excited!!! My hubby and I were first introduced to him several years ago at a Worship Leaders' Conference in Hilton Head, South Carolina where he was a guest with Don Moen. It was one of the most amazing evenings of praise and worship. I fell in love with Travis's music, his voice, his style, but more importantly, his sold out passion for serving the Lord.

He currently travels with Beth Moore and leads worship at the LPM conferences. Check out his blog here and check out his web site here! You won't be disappointed!

Bless You Limit

Yes, there is such a thing. Can you even imagine someone that would have a "Bless You" limit? Well, believe it! It's my hubby.

Unfortunately this year, I have been suffering with allergies like never before! Today I had a miserable sinus headache and came home around 2:30, took Benadryl and went to bed. My throat feels like I've been gargling pollen too. Yuck! I have the customary watery eyes and sneezing that comes along with the lovely allergy season. But when I sneeze, it's not just once or twice... it ends up being about 10 or 12 times in a row. With the first couple of sneezes, I get the sweet "bless you, hon!" Then it becomes like a song that he's annoyed with singing... "bless you" .... "blessssssssss you"... "bless. you.!" each time getting more and more agitated.

Oh gee, hon, I'm sorry I'm sneezing so much I'm about to throw my back out or get whiplash! I'm sorry I'm causing you to use unnecessary energy and words by having to 'bless me'.

My sister's "remedy" on the pollen is to eat lots of honey. Ummm, okay. She says "you know, like the flu shot gives you a little bit of the flu to build your immunities, eating honey will help cause, you know, the bees and all, you become immune to the pollen." Alrighty, then.

This reminds me of a true story that happened a few years back---I was doing an inventory at a local Jewish Synagogue and the Rabbi was in the church where we were working. He sneezed and I looked up and said "bless you", which he laughed about and said, "well, that's funny, a Christian blessing a Rabbi---I usually don't get that!"

[Sidenote:] the picture above is what one gets when you google "Priest's blessing". It made me laugh, so I had to post it. Where is that Priest? Is he the money priest? Throw some of those blessings my way!

Blog WITHDRAWALS!

...get...to...keyboard...quick
...need...to...type...and...
check...in...on...
blogger...friends...

Ahhhh! I have been SOOOOOO busy! I haven't had a chance to post or check in on all my blogger buddies in so long! Okay, it's only been 3 days, but it FEELS like a long time!

I've been knee-deep in home inspections, appraisals, and all the other hundreds of things a Realtor has to do to get to closing! Plus, I'm working both buyer and seller, so I have DOUBLE the work---it's all good though, glad to finally have sold this one!

Hope everyone had a good Easter! I'm off to another appointment, but will be checking in on all of you in a bit!

Our Father's Love...a mother's son

I remember seeing the Passion of the Christ when it first came to movie theatres and just sobbed through so much of it. What became so real to me in the images of this movie was this mother, Mary, who carried this child, watched him grow, loved him with the kind of love that only a mother knows, protected this child as only a mother can, and then watched him die on the cross--I'm sure all the while feeling so helpless. The look on her face and in her eyes will forever be etched in my mind.

"Behold, your son"...even though He was God's son, He was Mary's little boy. There are no words to describe a parent's pain when their children suffer. I can only imagine the hopelessness she felt, and the disciples felt, as He lay in the tomb.

This was their Savior, their Master, their eternal hope, but also a friend, a brother, a son. He took on the sins of the world, past, present and future, as He suffered and died on that cross. He did it for me, He did it for you.

That's how great the Father's love for us is...

Worthy, I'm Not

He likes me! I got the great Billy Mac, otherwise known in these galaxies as Obi-Wan-Blog-Expert to critique my blog. Go here to read his critique, and if you're interested, get on the list for him to critique you.

Thanks, Billy Mac!

This is Ghost Rider, requesting fly-by

I am soaring high today! After months and months of "negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full" I finally got clearance for all systems go! (Okay, if you're not a Top Gun fan, then none of that will make any sense to you!) All one or two of you that have been reading my blog, know that I've had this historic home for sale for quite a while...18 months worth of a while. Well, Hallelujah! Praise Jesus! I wrote an offer on it yesterday and it was accepted today! We are scheduled to close the end of this month.

To add to it, I was two years overdue for my mammogram, so I had an appointment today. No, that was not the fun part. And, having her tell me, "oh no, your chin got in the way of that one, we'll have to do it again." What? Come on, lady! I'm not Jay Leno for Pete's sake! Plus, how could my chin get in the way, it's tucked neatly behind my shoulder which is pressed against the back of my knee cap! Seriously, I think I could go and try out to be a contortionist for Ringling Brothers Circus after that little adventure.

Head clown: um, yes, what kind of experience do you have twisting your body into unnatural positions?

Me: annual mammograms.

Head clown: you're hired!

Okay, where was I? I drifted off into storyland for a minute there. Ahh, yes, mammogram. After the 20 minutes of what seemed like an eternity of waiting for results, I got the "everything looks fine! See you in a year." Thank you Lord!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go practice stretching and twisting my body in preparation for next year's mammogram. [Schedule your's today!]

A small world, indeed...

I clicked on a new link from my friend, Lisa (The Preacher's Wife), of a blog she's been reading entitled The Jungle Hut. The title alone intriqued me, so I thought I would venture over and give it a look-sey!

I discovered in looking through the posts and photos that this missionary's husband had on a shirt with the same logo of the mission my Dad belonged to and was later a Director. I got in touch with her and she shared with me that she knew my dad (he passed away last October) and that he was one of the ones that impressed her husband the most when they first joined the mission. I was thrilled and for some reason, the floodgates opened! Go on over and check her out...it's amazing the sacrifices missionaries make for the cause of Christ.

It's so great to start the day with warm fuzzies in your heart!

Paying It Forward...

My friend, Lisa, over at The Preacher's Wife, has tagged me with the Thinking Blogger Award. Let me just say, first of all, thank you! And secondly, I would definitely have tagged her with this because she has such great insight and such nuggets of wisdom, but I will follow the rules and pay it forward!

Once tagged with this award, you are to write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think; link to the original post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme, and proudly display the Thinking Blogger Award logo.

It's hard to narrow it down to just 5, from all the wonderful blogger friends I have made, but here goes...

I stumbled on Beachkat's blog last year and have been a fan ever since. This woman is a cancer survivor and is the "poster child" for living in the moment! Her inner strength and positive attitude inspires me to not take life for granted. She has a heart of gold and is the kind of person that makes you feel like you've been friends for as long as you can remember. She's who I want to be when I "grow up"! Head on over and check her out...you won't be sorry!

A whirlwind of activity is how I would describe my next friend, Melody, over at Kids, Cakes, Dishes, Laundry! She amazes me with shuffling the schedules of her beautiful kids, baking the most gorgeous cakes and cookies you've ever seen, and doing her best to keep the house clean on top of it all! She has quite a fun sense of humor and I'm always intriqued to read about another way she's over-extended herself! Click on over and try to keep up! Bottle that energy and sell it, girl!

I welcomed Nspired by Faith on her first ever post, linked her, and have been a frequent visitor ever since! This girl is new to Bloggerville, but writes like an old pro! She'll surprise you with fun stories and then throw in a fastball of very thought-provoking wisdom that really makes you self-examine! Plus, one of her favorite movies is "Pay It Forward" (which is one of mine too!), so how could I not choose her for this award?! Stop on over and welcome her...I know she'll soon become one of your favorites!

Ohhh, the dilema between choosing MusicalJean and Tonja's Gatherings as my fourth nominee! I've always been a rule-breaker (much to my parents dismay), so I'm gonna choose them both. MusicalJean is usually up to her chin in a snowstorm, but the warmth that radiates from her heart is enough to melt the entire state of Pennsylvania! This woman gives and gives, and then gives some more. I am so touched by the way she love others, her students, her kids, her foster kids, her family---it's endless---it's never depleted. Stop on by and be sure to check in on her Story Saturdays too! Tonja's Gatherings is fairly new to Bloggerville. The wit and humor that are always evident in her posts, I'm sure are just a small portion of the happiness that surrounds this woman! I mean, check out that grin! Dontcha know she's up to something?! Count me in!

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my "other" half, Dianne, at Glasses of Grace. She and I share a brain, you know. There are times that we get on the phone and just giggle like little school girls for hours. She and I attended church together back in Georgia, sang in a singing group together (didn't know that, did ya?!), and were instant friends from the moment we shared our first conversation. She is the most selfless person I know. She has a wonderful heart, a sensitive discernment, and can serve up endless helpings of wit and wisdom. Go on over and check her out...she's got enough love to go around!

Now girls, you've been "tagged" so go on and pay it forward!