my, how he has grown!

On the left, is a picture of "Spike" at approximately 7 weeks old. As you can see, he was a scrawny looking little thing when we first brought him home.
On the right, is a picture of "Spike" today, at approximately 7 months old. He has grown into quite a handsome guy.
However, some things you just don't grow out of. He is ALWAYS mouthing about something.

Looking for a new love!

I have been searching for a new love. No, not a new lover. I have a wonderful husband who has been the love of my life for the last 30 years and he doesn't need replacing. I am actually looking for a parrot.
I had several birds a while back, all of whom I was tremendously fond of. But, due to circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to find more suitable living arrangments for them. I found good, loving homes for them with people I trusted to care for them and sadly said my "good-byes"
Now, I am in a position to give a comfortable, loving home to another parrot and I can't find one. I would prefer to adopt an unwanted or mistreated parrot, so I have been searching the internet diligently for an organization in the area that might be able to help me find one. The problem is there aren't any.
I am finding that the ones who do exist require a life history, and a pint of blood in exchange for the adoption of their rescued birds. It is becoming increasingly obvious to me that it will be easier to find the right parrot at a pet store than to try and adopt one.
The whole purpose of adopting , in the first place is to give a second chance to a bird that has been abandoned. Also, most of the shelters tell you that you should adopt rather than give more profits to unscrupulous breeders and irresponsible pet stores, but they make the process of aquiring a parrot so difficult that the only option available is to purchase one outright.
I understand a certian amount of screening to make sure that the potential owner is familiar with the very special needs of parrots. I definately understand that so many people get them because the are beautiful and affectionate, not to mention extremely intellegient, then when they discover the amout of time and patience it requires to keep them safe, happy and sweet. These well-meaning but ignorant people quickly become tired of them and push them into a back room or never get them out and give them the attention they need. Then, when their beautiful and usually expensive pet begins to exhibit bad behaviors they want to get rid of them. Some people will turn them loose, not realizing that a hand raised parrot has no skills to survive in the great outdoors and will often die of starvation or from exposure to the elements.
I am knowlegeable about what I am getting myself into. I know that birds require daily interaction and a firm but gentle person to care for them. I know that parrots can be extremely demanding at times and excrutiatingly noisy, at times. I am prepared to deal with all the trouble to have another love like my "Jada".
Why do we beg people to adopt rather than buy and then make the process so difficult that it is easier to buy?
When my little "Hershey" died, I started looking for another small dog. I tried to adopt a female terrier from a rescue organization. They did a home inspection. I wasn't concerned. My house was clean, I had a fenced yard, "Sami" was running around being his charming self. The first thing I was told is the little female could not eat the food that I was giving "Sami". It was very high quality dog food. Then, the woman picked the food bowls up off the floor and gave me a "look". They walked around the house, with the female I was trying to adopt and another large dog, that I hadn't expected to come with them and whispered to each other. When I showed them the fenced back yard (freshly mowed and perfectly clean) they announced that the fence was too high from the ground. there was a 4-inch gap at the bottom and I would have to get the fence properly repaired before I would be allowed to take possession of the dog.
I was extremely angry at the attitude, I showed them the $100.00 check that Jerry had written for the adoption fee, I tore it up and politely invited them to leave my house. A few days later, Jerry saw an ad in the paper for yorky-poos. And we bought "Snickers". He is now 3 years old, loves me endlessly and is spoiled rotten. I related this story just to say, I will never set myself up like that again. I will not invite someone into my home to criticize. If I cannot find a parrot who needs a home and has halfway intellegient people doing the interviewing, I will wait and buy one. Yes, even from the despised pet store that promotes the indescriminate breeding of birds. Why? Because I miss having a parrot and I will get another one, one way or another.
Thanks for listening!

A RELAXING EVENING

Well, here I am after a hard day at work, coming home and cooking dinner, then relaxing on the couch. As you can see, every one is happy to have me home. "Digory" is sitting on my shoulder, "Spike" is perched on my hip, "Sami" picked out his spot on my left leg and "Snickers" (not wanting to crowd me) picked a cozy little nook , beside me on the couch. I am so glad my kids are all grown, where would they sit.
Oh! "Digory" is the newest addition to my happy little family, he was an "after Christmas" gift from my sweet husband. Lucy and Jacob really love him. He is very sweet and small. He also is very young, I expect he will grow quite a bit.

Hard Candy Christmas

That is the title of a Dolly Parton song. And the way I feel this year. Even with car trouble, working, little money and my Soldier away from home, Christmas was still sweet. We had Krysta, Cotton and the grandbabies over for Christmas Eve. Jacob and Lucy really know how to "make the season bright" We had a nice dinner and a lot of laughs. It was really good to get to sit down with Krysta and Cotton and visit for a while. I called my Mom this morning and let her know I love her. And I woke Aaron up, I found out that just because it is 9:00 here in Texas doesn't mean it is 9:00 in Washington. As a matter of fact, it is only 7:00 there. Any way, I had to talk to Aaron later, when he was actually awake.
On my way home from work, I heard a song on the radio that made me cry. It was a country song about Christmas. The guy sang about children, gifts, lights and decorations, then he sang the first few words of the chorus, "All I want for Christmas is a soldier, coming home."
Needless to say, I boo-hooed half the way home. I really missed my son. I feel so bad for him. I know he must be so lonesome for his family. He has never been away for so long and especially at Christmas. I'm not sure if I was sad for me or for him. Maybe both of us.
When I got home from work, my sweet husband had cleaned house and cooked for me. He grilled Bacon-wrapped Elk Medallions. YUMMY!!!!!! No kidding, they were great!! What a great guy. Who could possibly be sad when you know you are loved this much!!!
Like Dolly says,"I'll be fine and dandy, Lord it's like a hard candy Christmas, I'm barely gettin' through tomorrow, still I won't let sorrow get me way down."
And we still have the gift of love, that is the whole reason for Christmas. And God's promises to see us through. Thank you Lord, for the gift of your Son and the promise eternal salvation. Thank you for my beautiful family, my adorable grandchildren, my loving husband. Thank you for a good job, a warm home and plenty to eat. Thank you for caring friends and our new and wonderful church family.
Than you for this past year, thank you for new beginnings. In Jesus name, Amen

Okay, I'm caving in to pressure and updating my blog for those who are interested. We had a great Thanksgiving. As you can see, it was quite a spread. We had everyones favorites. We also had all my favorites. Jerry, Krysta, Geri, Aaron, Tish and of course, Jacob and Lucy. Cotton was even able to join us. We went to Missouri and picked Aaron up, Nov. 21, the ride home was excrutiatingly long. Aaron went to sleep, I had an awful time trying to stay awake and I felt terrible because Jerry was driving and he was tired too. We finally made it home around 3:oo in the morning. I didn't have to be at work until 2:00 in the afternoon so I was able to get some sleep. It was definately worth it to have everyone together for the holiday. Aaron leaves for Fort Lewis, in Washington, this Wed. I have really enjoyed having him home and I'm going to miss him when he leaves. I am so proud of him and what he is doing with his life. anyway, I will try to put some more family holiday photos on here for you later, Mom. Hope every one had a great Thanksgiving.

Priceless!

1 pound of lean hamburger $3.00
2 medium sweet potatoes $1.50
1 loaf garlic bread $2.00
1 Cherry cobbler $2.50
Whipped cream .89
_________________________
Cooking a simple, quiet dinner for two.
PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How Old is grown?

How old is grown?

At 12 years old, society considers a child old enough to be left at home alone, while their parents are at work. If there is a younger sibling in the house, they are left to care for the little one. Does that mean they are grown?

At 16, the law says, we can send our children to Driver's Ed, get them a license and hand over the keys to a large dangerous machine. They can get a job and a bank account. Does that mean they are grown?

At 17, if a child commits a crime, they are arrested and tried as an adult. Unless of course, they are caught buying or in possession of tobacco products, then they get a ticket and their parents are required to go to court with them. Mom and Dad are held responsible for making sure they attend court ordered classes. Obviously, they are not yet grown.

At 18, they are old enough to sign up for the military; they are trained to kill, given guns and taken thousands of miles away from their families. They are old enough to vote, old enough now, to buy cigarettes and get credit cards. But, they are still not old enough to buy alcohol. If they are caught buying or consuming alcohol, again, they are issued a ticket and their parents are required to go with them to court. Most of our children are still seniors in high school at this time and we, as parents, are responsible for their attendance. We can be issued citations for too many absences. Are they grown, yet? Of course not.

At 21, they are old enough to buy alcohol, attend clubs, make major life decisions and more than half, still live with their parents. Grown? Not really.

If our children stay in school, full time, we can carry them on our health insurance until they are 23 years old. Additionally, it usually falls to the parents to pay for or aquire funding for their education. Grown?

If they manage to drive safely, not get any tickets and not get into any accidents, their auto insurance rates will decrease by the time they are 25 years old. Is that the age when they are considered grown?

So, how old is grown? My opinion, grown is when you are mature enough and responsible enough to hold a regular, full-time job, buy your own car, pay your own bills and make responsible decisions about your life. Grown is when you realize that your parents raised you the best way they knew how and did without many things so that you would not have to. Grown is when you come to terms with the fact that life is not just one big party and sometimes it's downright difficult.

The Bible says, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11

For parents, the Bible tells us,"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Maybe then, we can consider our children grown.

For the record, I am very proud of my four GROWN children.

Spideys

At least, this one was in the street. The last one was in the dining room!

Little Helpers

We went driving this morning and stopped at several garage sales. I bought a huge box of fabric for $10.00. Then I found a box of lace. We got it for $2.00. After that we got 45 spools of ribbon for $5.00. When we got home, Candy and Spike were more than happy to help me sort through the loot. I love helpers!

Lera Mae Wynn

Age: 16

Thoughts from Lera Mae, at age 84.

I'M GETTING OLD

I remember how, when not so long ago, that I picked cotton, cut wood and washed clothes on a rub board. I was blessed with eight children, and raised seven of them to be grown. Five of them were boys, Oh My! They were sweet, so were my girls, and I still kept doing anything I wanted to. I spaded up garden plots and grew tomatoes and peppers. I cut grass with a sling blade, and it didn't seem so bad. I still had time to enjoy my children and as they got older we did things together. They would fold their clothes and rake grass. But now, they are all grown and gone from home and I can't seem to get anything done. No yard work, and I like getting in the dirt. I sew a little when I can get the needle threaded. Either, the eye is too little or the thread is too big. I'll figure that out someday. I do the laundry and wash dishes. I've always had dishpan hands. But worst of all, I can't hear too well, and I forget. The doctor says that goes with aging, but it makes me mad, just real mad at times. I'm thankful that I can still read my Bible and listen to the TV. I know I turn the remote up loud sometimes but I don't read lips, and I need to hear my sermons. Most of all I am thanful I still have my family. They have brought me a lot of happiness, so when I don't hear too well and don't remember like I should, just be patient and please don't scold. Just love me and remember, "I'm getting old".

I love everyone of you Very, Very Much.

I just got home from attending my brother, Roger's funeral service in Shreveport, LA. Although the reason for my visit was a very sad one for all of our family, I was blessed while I was there. My Mom, my stepdad, my little sister,Beth, my brother, Frankie, my step-sister, Vickie and of course, their families and all of my aunts, uncles and my Grandma, were all very happy to see Tish and me. It was an interesting visit for Tish, since she has grown up without ever meeting most of this extensive and extended family.
I found a couple of old photos, and thought this one might be very interesting. Especially, to Krysta. We know know why our little Lucy is such a little ball of fire. Not only does she favor me at her age, but she also has an amazing resemblence to your Grandma Margaret, when she was 2 1/2 years old. Note the hair.
The picture on the right is my mother, with her grandmother. I am trying to see if we can find a picture of my grandmother at that age, then we'll know for sure, the Woodard gene has been passed down for 5 generations. Or maybe that is the Wynn gene, since my Grandma's maiden name is Wynn. Never-the-less, after our visit this week, I am convinced that the hard-headedness that I am accused of and apparently passed on to my oldest daughter and my granddaughter came from one 84 year-old spitfire in Shreveport by the name of Lera Mae.
I love you Grandma, and you are perfect, still, in every way. I am so glad that you are healthy and bossy as ever. I know that your faith and your hard head is what has kept you going all these years and I admire you for raising 7 children to be such a loving and closeknit family, especially the little curly headed one, you named, Margaret.

So serious and soooo cute. That was last year.

This year, he is all grown up.

He goes to school now.

I'll bet he is going to be a dynamo at his first soccer game of the season. I can't wait to see him out there.

Way to go, Jacob. Grandma and Grandpa are very proud of their Mighty Munchkin!

Teaching Jacob to Hunt!

My son-in-law is a great guy. In Jacob's eyes, he is bigger than Shrek, more powerful than Superman, and more righteous than the Lone Ranger.
The thing is, my son-in-law is also a funny guy, one of his favorite subjects is "me". It is not often that I get an opportunity to pay him back. However, I had a conversation with my star-struck granson the other day about their latest hunting trip, and this is what he said,"Me and Daddy went huntin' the other day. My Daddy can shoot anything. We got lots of birds. One bird flew over. Daddy said, "Watch this, son, I'm gonna show you how to shoot that bird." Daddy aimed his gun and fired. The bird flew on by. "Son," my Daddy said, "you are witnessing a great miracle, that there, dead bird is still a-flyin'." All kidding aside, Cotton and I have a strange and wonderful relationship. He's strange, and I'm wonderful. But, he loves me anyway.

Maybe, it's just me. But, I can see a little "Grandma" in my little Lucy. What do you think?

I Love Surprises!!

I got a present in the mail. The Dragon on the right is the mascot for Aaron's company. The dragon on the left came in the mail Friday. I have been collecting dragons for a long time. Aaron saw this one and thought I would like it. Of course, I love it. But, the cool thing about it is that it is green and gold, like his mascot. I talked to him tonight for a little while and he didn't even realize they were the same until I pointed it out to him. He has bought me dragons as gifts for some time now, but this one, I think is the most special. I am really proud of my soldier. He starts his school for Chemical Operations, tomorrow. I know he will do great.

When it rains it pours!

That's what Jerry said, tonight, when he called me. I thought it would be something about my family again, never dreaming what he was about to tell me.
Tom and Lynn are friends of ours. Jerry and Tom ran the sound system at our church in Little Elm, together. They also work together and have the kind of friendship where you confide in one another and support one another through the various trials in your life. Lynn and I don't know each other that well. But, I consider her a friend. We all love good fried catfish and have had several couples dates.
Tom had to rush Lynn to the hospital today. After examining her, the doctors told Tom the tragic news. Lynn had severe bleeding on her brain. They can't stop the bleeding. She is not expected to live through the night. Almost all brain activity has ceased. They are just waiting for her heart to figure that out.
The last time, I saw Lynn, she was sitting across the table from me, making jokes over a plate of fried catfish. It just doesn't seem real.
My only real consolation is that I know she is a Christian and that she already has a place set aside for her in Heaven. Her crown is waiting.
My selfish side wants all this tragedy to stop. First, Tish's best friend, Sage, loses her mother to a long debilitating disease, then my brother is hospitalized with a brain tumor, I still don't know any more that that and then a good friend is taken away unexpectedly by an anurism. Add to all of that, I still haven't got to play with my grandchildren and life seems pretty miserable.
But, I don't want to be miserable. That is why I have Christ in my life. He is the one who gives me the strength to deal with all of this. He is the one who gives me peace and hope when there is no where else to turn. He is my Lord and my salvation.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
"Therefore, having been justfied by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perserverance;
And perserverance, character: and character, hope.
Now, hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5

I grieve for my family and my friends, but I will not despair, for my Lord and Savior is with me and I have the Holy Spirit to comfort me. There are so many words of comfort in the Bible, it would take me all night to write them down here with my typical "hunt and peck" method of typing but there is one more that I would really like to share, "Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:4-5

Pray for my family and friends that God will help them through these trying times.

A New Heartache

The night before Halloween, 1977, my Dad died. I was 17 years old and had been married all of 10 months. Two weeks earlier, Jerry and I had recieved a frantic call from my Mom. She said that he had collapsed in the bedroom after taking some medication that he had recieved from the doctor for migraine headaches. She had called for an ambulance but they refused to transport him for some stupid reason. We rushed to South Dallas from Irving. Jerry carried my Dad down a long flight of stairs and put him im my Mom's car. We put my two younger brothers in the back of our little pick-up truck and headed to the V.A. Hospital with him. They found a large inoperable tumor on his brain. He died two weeks later. I had a really rough childhood. Dad was an alcoholic and was extremely abusive. It took me years to forgive him for the hurt that he caused me. But, we were trying to make things right, and then he died.
Today, Jerry called me at work, he had gotten a phone call from my Mother in Shreveport, La. My brother, Roger, collasped at work . They rushed him to the Hospital. He has a tumor on his brain. That is all I know.
I am the oldest, Roger is two years younger than me, Frankie was the youngest until Elizabeth was born, she is twenty now. Growing up, Roger was definately the middle child. He was very tempermental and easily angered. He would fight anybody. But, he loved me. He never got angry with me. After Dad died. Roger and Frankie went wild. Without going into detail, I stayed away from them as much as possible. Just last year, I saw Roger again for the first time in probably 25 years. He had grown up, he is married to a really sweet Christian woman and life is so much better for him. We talked about getting together. We never have. And now, I sit here thinking about what is going on with him. I think about all those lost years and how much I love my brother. I think about the pain of my Dad dying and how that must have affected him at the ripe old age of 15. I think about how I wish we could take all those years back and start over. I love you, Roger. and I am praying for your recovery.

the serenity prayer

Lord. give me the strength to accept the things, I cannot change.
The courage to change the things, I can
and the wisdom, to know the difference. Amen.
It has been nearly two months since my daughter and my grandchildren have crossed the threshold of my home. I can only pray that at some point. Love and forgiveness will heal the wounds that were opened by thoughtless words in the heat of a passionate argument and my world will be complete again with the laughter and chattering of little voices while we create the magic of homebaked cookies to share with Daddy and Papoo. It's time to let old hurts heal and look toward a bright and happy future as we all intended when we left our home of nearly 20 years (total) to start a new and exciting adventure close to the ones we love the best.

Wish I could have been there.

Jerry and Tish went to Missouri to see Aaron graduate from Basic Training

They brought back some really cool pictures.

I am really proud of my son.

Hairy personalities!

Pretty Candy, thinks she's the queen.

Spike, telling me, that he is hungry.

20 pound, Candy, tattling on poor little Spike.

This is Snickers, my yorkie/poodle mix. he has a super funny personality.

This is my funny boy, after he came in from playing in the rain.