New Years Eve

I would wish you Happy New Year, but, I have no voice. Oh, yeah....I am writing not talking, so I can wish you a Happy New Year. I have been working days this week and I have one more to go before my big one day off on Friday.

I do not know where my voice went. Somewhere between the hospital and home I lost it. I have only just started to feel bad tonight. I would call in sick tomorrow but since it is a holiday, if I do that it will be unexcused, and I will not get paid time off. Yes, it is awful. The people who abused the sick days are the cause we are all suffering. Enough of that....

As I sit here thinking of all the cute little sayings I could be saying, all that comes to my mind is sleep. I think I need sleep. So, I will sleep through the passing of the old man as he leaves us, and hope that the bouncing baby of the new year will not have colic, but instead will grow up to be our pride and joy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

With the trio above around, it will be a Wonderful, Wacky, Wild New Year!!!
So, come on 2009. I welcome you with open arms.....

Christmas Memories

After all the excitement of opening all the presents, I noticed Lily had slipped off to her room with her baby and F*ncy Nancy. She decided the two would be sisters. Then she wanted to have them open their presents. She is such a caring little girl, and she loves her new babies...

My Christmas

I love Christmas!!!

It seems as if my Christmas goes on for days and days. You may have noticed all the different stories I have written about.

Christmas Eve I spent time with my youngest son. I have told him in the past that he will always be my baby, and I bring it up again when talking about my Christmas...

We baked Santa cookies in the afternoon so that Santa would have a snack while on his long journey. We started baking these cookies years ago when the boys were young. In the later years with everyone having so many other activities the cookies sometime don't get made. However, after seeing Kevin teaching his son and daughter how to ice the beard, and then his hat, it made me see that I need to make time next year forthis tradition. I think it is one that should live on and be memories for my three grandchildren to have of me.

After a Christmas Eve Dinner of Chicken Pot Pie, we opened a few presents, hung their stockings and opened the Advent calender. It was then time for Meme to go home. I needed to rest up for the next day....

Christmas Day was filled with opening presents, playing with the gifts that Santa brought, preparing yummy food for dinner, opening more presents, playing and cooking some more, taking pictures for memories of all the presents being opened.








This is where I will stop for now and write more on my story of Christmas later...like tomorrow, maybe.....

One Christmas Celebration

I have not posted in a couple of weeks. I could say I was busy getting ready for Christmas, but, only one person saw my little attempt at decorating. That was Lily and she did not seem impressed.
The Christmas was disjointed somewhat. I had my Christmas with Brian, Shannon and Max on December 14th. It was soooo much fun. We had good food, opened presents, and I got my Christmas stocking filled again! It is a favorite for me. I love reaching down to the toe and getting a goodie.
The best part was seeing the smile on the faces of Bri, Shan and Max as they opened the present I gave them. It always warms my heart when Brian is happy. This first born son of mine is a man of few words, so when he talks, I listen and hang on every word. Really, I do. He is a wonderful cook, way better than his mama, so he really liked the blender (thanks Shan) I gave him, and told me how nice it was and how he was enjoying it, so this mama is happy.
After the presents we played games, had dessert and just generally had fun being with family.
The picture of Max with the present I gave him were sent to me by his Mama....thanks Shannon....

Mama Gooch and PawPaw's Great-Great Grandchildren

We have a Christmas celebration every year at my niece's home. My brother and his family, my cousin DiAnne and her son and his children, and me and my family. It is a special time for me, and as I saw them gather for our annual picture of the kids, I thought of my grandparents and how they would be so proud of these little ones.

Green

I have been reading about being "green". Ways to clean your house green. Ways to drive green. Ways to doctor yourself and your kids green. I started to think about my daughter-in-law and her mom. They have been green for a long time. Gift wrapping paper green. We always laughed because Patty gathered up every scrap on paper and saved it for future presents. The next year you might see that paper again. Just think how wise she has been. Hey, I save those gift bags...I'm green, too...
This post may seem like I was being funny. I wasn't though. I am very serious...

Time to Decorate the Tree

These beautiful pictures were taken by my daughter-in-law, Shannon.

What? Why?

Sometimes you want to just write about the deep feelings of our life. Other times I just want to laugh and make others laugh too. I am so tired at the moment that my brain is numb. As I drove to work this morning at 6:30AM, I had to slap myself to stay awake. If I am so tired, why am I writing at all, and boring you at the same time? Because I want to stay in contact with you all. I have had friends ask me about my blog, what I write about and such. just think, this may be the first post she will read. She will think I am a little off.

Well, I admit that the only reason I am writing this dribble is to make Teresa laugh and say.....What?????

Blessings

A dear friend of mine has just gone through a very trying time. It is so hard to feel so helpless when something happens to a friend you have known for years. We have shared some of our most private moments in our life. We have been there for each other when we really needed it. So, when I was feeling nothing but despair for her, I found this little message in the "Choose a Blessing" bowl in the cafeteria at work...


There is no situation so chaotic that God cannot from that situation create something surpassingly good. He did it at the creation. He did it at the cross. He is doing it today. H.C.G.Mouley

She is slowly coming along. Slowly. We have added another link to our friendship. Making it stronger and stronger.

Lunch Date

Lily invited me to have Lunch with her today. She was so excited when I told her I would be able to go. It was her Thanksgiving Finger Food Feast. When I got there, the room was filled with excitement. Instead of all the children working quietly, they were all chatting and cutting out their turkey feathers. They were making turkey hats. I found myself smack down in the middle of it. Miss A asked me to help by cutting out strips for the head band, and stapling the feathers and turkey head to the headband. Well....have you ever had about a class full of 1st graders pounce on you? Each one was stepping in front of the others. I had no way of telling who was really next in line. All I heard was, me next!!! or I've been standing here a long time. I found that I am creatively challenged...

Soon it was time for lunch. We had fruit, chicken nuggets, meatballs, cookies, and oh was it all yummy. Lily ate more than I have ever seen. After came a rowdy game of Fingo, aka Bingo. Miss A had five prizes. On and on we played, and four kids won. Every one was trying to win the last prize when Lily yelled out F-I-N-G-O!!!!!! Only thing was so did four other kids. Miss A had a shocked look on her face, she said "uh-oh, what do we do???". The problem was solved when she let four kids get to go into the goody bag.

It was time for me to go, but Lily wanted me to go to recess with her. This if something I had not done for in fifty-one years...I did pretty good, I even jumped off the monkey bars. When we heard the three bells, all the kids ran back in the classroom and lined up. Miss A said, ok, kids, it is time for recess. What??? Great!!! They all laughed, and Miss A thought a minute and decided it was really time for art.

I have never felt so loved. Lily was very happy her Meme came for lunch with her. I will have to do it again, and Miss A said I could.....

CUTE DRESS...WHO MADE IT?

Oh, yes, I made it. Pretty face, pretty dirty...

HE LOVES THE COLD !!

PRINCESS!!! DON'T BITE THAT APPLE!!!

We Interrupt This Blog

HANDS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANNON

We celebrated Shannon's birthday tonight at Los Comprados. I probably did not spell the name correctly, but, we had Mexican. We had to sit in two booths, so the three kids sat in a booth alone. They really felt big. They even behaved very well.
The news of this post is her Gift. She got a bag of wood. No, she has not been bad. Kevin, Amy and I gave her the wood for her Fire Pit. Now the weather has turned quite cool here in Memphis, so I see many nights by the fire, roasting marshmallows or having
'smores. That sounds like fun. yum, yum....
Now, why I have a Christmas picture here is a puzzle to me. I could not find the other pictures. So, Christmas it is...

YES HE DID

I am very excited for our country. I have remained quiet about the campaign. However, I am very happy today. I have respect for John McCain for all he sacrificed for his country. But, he lost me with Sarah Palin. I admired Obama's steady, constant walk forward, keeping his eye on the future of our country. I really believe he will be the President for ALL the people...

I will now return to my life as a grandmother.....

PREMATURITY AWARENESS MONTH

November is Prematurity Awareness Month. One in eight babies in the United States are born premature. As an NICU nurse I want you to sign a petition to urge the federal government to increase support for prematurity related research and other measures to help find causes of premature births and improve the care, treatment, and outcomes of preterm infants.

This is a very important issue to me. Thank you for your concern for my babies.
Go here

I Am Still Here

I have not posted lately because C*mc*st shut off my service...I thought I had paid online, but I guess I paid incognito. I found this out at midnight when the clock on my box went from 12:01 to ----. What???!!!! Why has my time piece quit working? Oh, no!
I must NOT have paid the bill....Now, how am I going to know what time it is when I wake up every 30 minutes all thru the night? Which is what I do every night, especially if I have to work the next day. But, that was the least of my troubles this week. I went up in the attic to find the hot water heater sitting in about 5 inches of water, then the heater made an awful rattle when I tried to turn it on during an unseasonal cold spell, and then with the dishwasher full of filthy dishes, it decided to quit working also. I am waiting around for the fridge to go on the fritz. Now, I don't have a negative attitude, just a realistic one. Oh, wait, I have already had three things break. You know things happen by the threes. So, whew!!! I'm safe....

I did go vote in the middle of all this...I only waited two hours. I met a lot of interesting people, so it was fine. Remember to vote Tuesday. Our vote counts, so head on out to the polls and VOTE.

From the Mouth of Babes

I think Art Linkletter was right. Kids say the darnest things.

Max and I were listening to a children's CD from our favorite chicken place. All of a sudden he asked me to skip one of the songs. It was a story where one of the characters loses his best friend. He dies. It makes Max sad. He said, "Meme, why would they tell a little kid a sad story like that????" I told him, I did not know. And, I really don't know why....

On a lighter note. Forrest was in the bathroom, sitting on the potty, when he reached for the toilet tissue, when out of the blue he said, "Meme, you have the softest toilet paper!!!" I mean, what has this poor boy been using??? I need to speak to his parents!!!

Lily and I were getting ready for sleep. Books had been read, backs had been tickled. Things were winding down, when out of the quiet that comes just before sleep, this little voice asked, "Meme, what do you and Shelby (the dog) do when I am not here???" I thought, nothing...nothing really. My mother always told me that the first few hours after the boys and I left were so lonely. I now know how she felt.....

Girl Time

Lily had a fall break for two weeks. I insisted on calling it spring break. She goes to the University campus school, so she goes eight weeks and off two with a ten week break for summer instead of twelve. Since her mom did not have the two week break, Lily and I had some girl time. I arranged my day off during the week so she spent the night twice.

For quite awhile now, she has wanted to move from a "baby" carseat to the "big girl" booster seat. However, she only weighs 34 lbs. and she needed to weigh 40 lbs. to do so. To add salt to the wound, her baby brother does weigh enough. She was very excited when the red circle store had pink booster seats for 30-100 lbs. You would have thought she had gotten all her Christmas wishes granted. She finally can ride in style!!!

I am still here, just tired. I just finished two 12 hour shifts. One day off and back again for 12 more hours. I do not know how long these sixty one year old feet can take it. The floors are HARD. I mean rock hard. And the babies just keep on coming. Sorry to complain. I will have a happier post tomorrow. I hope, anyway....

Good Bye Rocky

Kevin, Amy, Lily, and Forrest's cat, Rocky, died Friday. He had cancer and died
quietly. Today we buried him in the back yard beside Sam. He had just recently became an outside cat and he loved it. In fact, he actually became a friendly cat once he moved outside. Before he moved outside the only time he would visit me was when Kev and Amy were out of town. It was as if he knew I was the one with the food, so he was going to treat me kindly.
He did love the last few weeks before he died. He would come up to me and rub his little body along my legs and purr. One time I could not find him and was concerned he had drifted off. I called him several times. No Rocky. Finally I heard this soft meow. He had been hiding in the shade under the grill cover. I laughed at how he tricked me.
We buried him with his feeding bowl, and Lily and Forrest laid flowers on his grave.
He and Sam are together again...

Shannon

I have written much about my grandchildren, and my boys, but, have not told you about my daughter-in-laws. Shannon is my oldest son's love.

When I first saw Shannon, she was sixteen years old and sitting at my kitchen table along with some other kids. As I remember I immediately noticed her and knew without being told, that she was special. To my son. As you mothers of boys know, when that happens you are happy, for your son. And scared for yourself. Your baby will start the painful withdrawal from mom to his new love. It is hard for a mother. However, thanks to Shannon, it was much easier than I thought it would be.

Shannon blended very easily into our family. After graduation from high school, and after one semester away from Brian, she was back home in Memphis. Her parents had moved out of town, so I felt very much like her substitute mother. She and Brian would
come home from college each weekend (to do laundry) and on more than one occasion I would find her asleep on the couch in the den. In fact, if she ever sat down, you could be certain she would be asleep in no time at all.

Shannon has been a very dear "daughter" to me. She has been a support to me through out the years. Whenever I am down, in need of just having someone, she is there. She seems to have the knack of knowing when to help. She visited my mother in the nursing home, has jumped in to clean my house when I couldn't, even washing my hair when I was in the hospital. Now that's pretty darn nice thing for anyone to do!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you all about her. She is a remarkable mother to Max, and loving wife to my son. What more could a mother want for her son?


I won't be so serious in the future. I will talk about the sunny, light hearted side of her later. She took the picture of herself here. And she is usually smiling, instead of the serious girl you see... you can find her here

Making my Brain Mush

The new fall shows are starting. I am deep into Grey's Anatomy. I am wrapped up in Dancing With the Stars. Why do I mention all this on my blog? It is making me angry because I do not want to have my evenings revolve around these shows. I need to be doing other things...but for the life of me I cannot remember what they are???

My Sweet Girl

Lily is a very sweet girl. She loves to have sleep-overs with just us girls. We read all about Fancy Nancy, Cinderella, Belle. We play with Polly Pockets or Barbies.
She tells me secrets, and we share girl stuff. We sing, and laugh. It is just like when I was young and my cousin and best friend DiAnne would come spend the summer with me.

I know that right now I am her best friend, but, it will not always be. Soon, her school buddies will replace me. That's the way it should be, and I'll scoot over. But, for now I'll cherish being her best friend....

From the Look of It, He's Rich

Max is about to break the Tooth Fairy's bank...He leaves this buddy out for the wad of money he will get.

Gardening Memories

This is what my mother and grandmother called "border". Forever I thought that was its name. I still do not know its real name, but I think it is Bishop's Weed. This is one that I brought from my home in Paris, TN. It has gone with me from Crossover, to Maxima Cove, and now to my little home in Joffre neighborhood.

I like it so much. I love the varigation.

I like it because I watched my mother and grandmother growing it so many years ago.

Fall

I am so sad that summer is over. It really seems like it has been gone for weeks because my grandchildren have been back in school. Now though, it really seems like fall is close. The oaks trees have been dropping leaves and limbs lately, thanks to Ike. The grass is trying to die, and when I walk outside I step on acorns. It just makes me sad. I look at my flowers, and herbs I have planted in pots and say, who cares! Why can I not be excited that soon we will be cuddling up for the winter, wearing sweaters, and making soup??? I don't know, do you?

Being A Child

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY

On September 6, 2008 my daughter-in-law was forty. Now, personally, you could not prove it by me. She is young in spirit, and does not look at life in ages. At least that is how I see things through my youthful 61 year old eyes. Being mom to Lily and Forrest is keeping her young.

Happy Birthday Amy....so happy you are in my life...
I tried to cut Kevin out of this picture, but he is so darn cute he refused to be cut...

HAPPPY BIRTHDAY FORREST

Forrest turned four on August 30, 2008. As I write this I am turning 61.

We celebrated at Chucky Cheese. It was fun, fun, fun. There was dancing with Chucky.
We played lots of games and won prizes galore...We sang Happy Birthday and ate pizza and cake. The favorite gift was anything to do with Star Wars.

More pictures later...

August 15, 1970 & August 15, 1974

On these two days I became the happiest mother in the world. I had wanted to be a mother all my life.

When Brian was born, I was so happy to hear him cry, but even more excited to hold him. I remember looking him over and seeing that he was perfect. He looked exactly like his daddy. A beautiful baby boy. He was mine, and I wanted to be the best mother, and raise him to be a wonderful person. He is wonderful to me.

Move ahead four years and ten minutes later. I became a mother again to another beautiful baby boy. He looked like me. I was so happy. He was a happy baby, watching his older brother and was just happy to be by his side, even as a baby.

As we celebrate their birthdays each year, I am overwhelmed with emotion. These two little boys are men now with families of their own. Looking at them, I could think to myself, I was the perfect mother I always wanted to be. They are such remarkable men. However, they are the ones who have made me into the mother I always wanted to be. It is because of them, my life is blessed.

This year on their birthday I took the two of them to lunch. It was a special day for me to be with them, talking with them and reminiscing. It was like the days long ago when it was just the three of us.

The next day we really celebrated their birthday with Kevin cooking his and Brian's Birthday Dinner. We had Cuban Sandwiches and other yummy dishes. Shannon is the baker in our family, so she made the Yummy Birthday Cake. It was a lively day with our now much bigger family. We sang Happy Birthday, then we all gathered in the den and just did what families do. Laughed. Talked. Played.

After I got home I thought about how much my life has changed. From the time when they were babes, to their marrying the loves of their lives, to the birth of their babies. My life is so blessed.

Happy Birthday Brian and Kevin

This is the time of the year that I tend to get a little sad. I do not know why, because it is close to the time of my boy's birth. The happiest times of my life.
It may have to do with the fact that they are getting older, and then two weeks later, I get even older. Do you know what I mean?

So, in order to push away the blues.....look at what I've been looking at....

Max Where Did Your Tooth Go? Now they are both gone

The Arch

You cannot go to St Louis without going up the Arch. However, being the 4th of July weekend the wait was 3 hours. So, they climbed it themselves.

More Fun IN St Louie

As I mentioned in the previous post we had fun in St Louie. One of the neatest places for little kids and big kids too was the City Museum. There were metal cylindrical tubes that you could climb up to the sky or at least that is how it looked to me as I saw my granddaughter disappear from sight and become a dot. However if they continued to climb they came upon an airplane or a firetruck. I am telling you, she got her fill of climbing that day.

I love this picture. The way Amy is looking at my son shows how much they love each other and how they can have fun. We were in St Louis so I could get away for a weekend. The first vacation I had in three years. They were fun to be with and tried very much for me to have a good time. And, I did.

July 21, 1908

I did not know my father very well. He died when I was five. I remember a few things...him singing The Tennessee Waltz to me, me trying to open his mouth to find his chewing gum, and crying at the back door while the babysitter tried to comfort me. I remember him walking across the back yard to come to me. He was working and heard me crying. That's it. I remember him lying in the hospital, and his funeral. Not many memories. However, I always remember his birthday. I was wondering today if he ever thought about his daughter remembering his birthday's each year. Today would have been a big one.

My daddy would have been 100 years old today. Happy Birthday Daddy...

MakeUp Gone Wild

You know when you are painting your face?

You know, some people call it that?

Well. she. painted. her. face.

Forrest

This is the real baby...the baby of my little family. The baby of my baby. This is Forrest. Named after his great-grandfather who never saw him, but knew of the honor, and was happy about it.

Forrest was not one for words at first. In fact, he is the reason for the name of this blog. He has come alive with his words. He tells you stories, he talks about Luke and Dark Vader. He tells you all about his cars and trucks. He is sometimes so excited that I cannot understand him. So, I just nod and say, oh, yes!!!

He loves his family. He and Lily can play together very well. She will be talking
about princesses, and he lets her. He will just drive his cars all around her. He is definitely a mama's boy, just like his daddy was. There is nothing wrong with that.
One of the things he really loves to do is with his dad. Kevin will walk in the door
and Forrest will come up to him quietly and say "Will you play with me"? Then they
lie on the floor just like Kevin did as a little boy and drive cars around the floor for a long time.

Cool Clear Water