Greetings Dearests,
This has been a long but gratifying week. Tuesday while I was preparing for an estimated 125 people to come to our house for a band booster meeting and fundraiser kickoff I received a phone call. "Sister Steward is it true that Sister Denton died last night and the funeral is Friday?" "I don't think so, no one has called me but let me find out and get back to you." I called Brother Denton (my first mistake, I should have called the bishop) and asked how Sister Denton was. "She passed away last night." "I'm so sorry Brother Denton. Please forgive me for calling so early. Should I talk to one of your daughters?" "They aren't here yet, I called the Bishop last night I guess he hasn't had a chance to call you yet." "I guess not. I love you brother Denton. Is there anything I can do for you this morning?" "No, we're all fine. I'll have Denise call you when she gets here." "Allright, please tell your children how sorry I am. Good-bye." You can imagine how badly I felt calling that poor man at 8:30 am after the long night he had been through. I was not pleased with the Bishop. Although it is extremly hard to been mad at him as he is perhaps the kindest and most humble man I've ever known. I called him and asked "Bishop is there anything you need to tell me?" "Yes Sister Steward, Sister Denton passed away last night and the funeral will probably be Friday." You all would be so proud of me, I didn't even razz him about not calling me. I just asked him the usual questions. Who do you want to feed? Where is the visitation and funeral? What else can I do? Do they have her burial clothing? He didn't have any specifics yet but said he would call me later. I stressed how important it was for him to move quickly as it is necessary to get the food planned (for the family) and arrange daycare for the grandkids for the funeral. He promised he would call me asap. So all day I'm cleaning and talking on the phone. I've never been gladder to see Charlotte in my life. She made two crockpots of chili for me (did I mention that the band booster mtg was also a chili-hot dog dinner?) set up all the tables outside and ran to the Hondahaven to get ice for me. It was a crazy day. I was sooo glad when it was over. I think we did some good networking however. The rest of the week was spent working on the funeral preparations. I didn't know Sister Denton that well. I liked her but didn't have a history with her. It was probably for the best as I was able to be a shadow. To comfort without needing comfort. I asked Brother Denton several times if I should come over but he kept in contact with my counselor (they do have a history) and he would always say "It's pretty hectic over here." I totally understood. I am a stranger. I didn't mind one bit. Death is a strange business, everyone reacts differently. I know men pretty well, emotions are not their favorite things to deal with, especially older men of a certain generation.
The Denton's have 6 childern and are very close and took very tender care of their father. Thursday morning I met the 3 daugters and 3 daughters-in-laws to help dress their mother. I believe you go through things to prepare you for other things. Fifteen years ago I helped dress my mother-in-law along with my two dear sister-in-laws, Vicki and Gwen. It helped me so much on Thursday. When I walked in those poor girls were lost. I can not tell you of the sweet and tender feeling that permeated my heart and that room. I tried to be gentle and carring with their mother. We all worked together and some tears were shed but on the whole everyone of the girls were very brave. The visitation was that night and I asked the R.S. President from the neighboring ward to supply food at the funeral home (many women just wanted to do something). This woman was loved by everyone. I saw people cry that Ive never seen cry.
Behind the scenes, my sweet young compassionate service leader managed to arrange all the food for the family's luncheon. I gave her a task with a stipulation. I asked her to only ask southern women to cook the vegetables. I said "I want people who cook with bacon grease to make the veggies." All of you not from the South please don't be offended. It's not a regional thing as much as a consideration thing. If it were a Hispanic family I would insist on only Hispanic cooks. Food at funerals should be comfort food, not healthy. This is an old southern family. My girl came through. The food was good and on time. Remember how I didn't just love the women in this ward? I can honestly say I no longer feel that way. These women pulled together and helped when needed (even the young ones). I love that about them. I find myself thinking about them individually in the middle of the night. What a sap I'm turning into. But seriously I feel things I can't even write in words. I get the whole charity being the pure love of Christ feeling now. I am actually grateful for this calling. Go figure. The funeral was beautiful and made me want to live a better life. Thank you Sister Denton.
All my love,
Tracey:)
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thank you Danny Thomas and Chilli's!
Greetings Dearests,
Just a quick note to ask everyone that gets this to PLEASE eat at your neighborhood Chilli's tonight because 100% of all receipts tonight will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital right here in Memphis. This is unheard of in the food industry. It cost 1.5 million dollars a day to run St. Jude. Never is any child turned away because of inability to pay. All research is given and shared to the children of the world. Danny Thomas founded this hospital with a doctor friend to prevent this heinous disease from cutting our precious children down in the prime of life. In 1962 when the hospital was founded 6% of children diagnosed with cancer survived. Today some cancers have a 98% cure rate. Our dear Abby Jones is one of those survivors. If you are able to go you should go early as it is very busy as you can imagine. But if you would like you can eat at lunch or take it to go. Please call or email everyone you can think of to pass this on. You will be blessed. I promise:).
Also, I'm at 198! Whoopie!!!
Forever your girl, Tracey
Just a quick note to ask everyone that gets this to PLEASE eat at your neighborhood Chilli's tonight because 100% of all receipts tonight will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital right here in Memphis. This is unheard of in the food industry. It cost 1.5 million dollars a day to run St. Jude. Never is any child turned away because of inability to pay. All research is given and shared to the children of the world. Danny Thomas founded this hospital with a doctor friend to prevent this heinous disease from cutting our precious children down in the prime of life. In 1962 when the hospital was founded 6% of children diagnosed with cancer survived. Today some cancers have a 98% cure rate. Our dear Abby Jones is one of those survivors. If you are able to go you should go early as it is very busy as you can imagine. But if you would like you can eat at lunch or take it to go. Please call or email everyone you can think of to pass this on. You will be blessed. I promise:).
Also, I'm at 198! Whoopie!!!
Forever your girl, Tracey
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Be Prepared
Greetings Dearests,
First I would like to say a warm thank you for everyone that reads this blog. Your kind words lift my spirits and encourage me to seek higher levels of self. I really love all of you. William Shakespeare wrote "I am wealthy in my friends." I feel as rich as Bill Gates. (The expression used to be 'as rich as Roosevelt' but seriously I'm not eighty.:)
On to health news. You will be pleased to know that I have lost 32 pounds and my blood sugar hovers around 113 to 116 which is very good for me. It was 156 and then I cut out almost all carbs and that helped alot. I exercise on the treadmill every day except Sunday and I don't hate it as much. I'm up to 30 solid minutes at 3.1 miles per hour. That may not sound great but trust me it's alot for a fattie. I weigh 201 now. I can't wait to get under 200. Sadly I haven't been this size since we went to visit Brad and Rachel in New York just after 9/11. It feels great! When you are overweight for a long time you don't know what a normal size person weighs. The other day at a lunch group I was sitting with a bunch of young married girls @ church and one of them asked me what my goal weight was and I said about 130 lbs. They all said they would also like to weigh 130lbs. I was shocked . I (never the shy one) asked one how much she weighed and she said 165. She had just had a baby 3 weeks earlier but is a long distance runner. She looked great to me so I said "Well, on second thought 165 might just be fine." I remember years ago when we first moved to Memphis I got to 128 and I was always hungry. When I weighed 137 to 139 I felt perfect. I think that is my goal. I just want to feel good and keep my blood sugar stabilized. (Okay, secretly I want to be an old hottie.)
Every night before I go to bed I make sure the phone is in the cradle next to my side of the bed.
I do this because every morning Charlotte calls me @ 6:35 when she gets to school after seminary to let me know she's allright. Tuesday was a crazy busy day and I was exhausted when I went to bed so I forgot the phone. Wednesday morning I hear the phone ring through a haze. I am not a morning person and I can't just jump out of bed. I could hear Charlotte on the answering machine but couldn't hear what she was saying. As I was trying to get out of bed Dave's cell phone rang next to his side of the bed. This isn't unusual as this is the shift change for AAA and sometimes the headquarters in Nashville call Dave because they can't get through to his drivers. I didn't think anything about it until I heard him say "Okay Baby, okay, are you allright? Is anyone hurt? I'll be right there." As you can imagine my heart sank to my stomach.
For two years I've had that stupid phone next to my bed waiting for just that phone call. Everyday I wake up five minutes before she calls because I can't sleep I'm so worried about her. The one day I forget the phone and oversleep is the day my baby needs me the most. She is okay but I'll tell you what, I've never been gladder to have paid $500.00 for a driving class than I was yesterday. Here's what happened. Evidently a delivery truck was lost on the road to school and he hit his brakes hard looking for where to go. There were four kids from seminary
behind him. Kaitlyn Carter(weird huh?) then Charlotte then two more kids behind Charlotte.
Kaitlyn did not hit him. Charlotte did not hit him but did hit her brakes just like Max Maxwell taught her in class. The other two kids were following too close and did hit her and both got a ticket. One totaled her father's car and had only had her liscence two weeks. What a pisser. Dave said their insurance just doubled. Ironically Abby Jones (my dear friend Beth Jones' daughter) had an accident in her car on the way to seminary yesterday. She hit a curb and bent the rim and got on the interstate before she relized how bad it was. So her dad came and drove her to seminary and she was riding with Charlotte when the accident occured. Abby told Beth that Charlotte did everything right. Charlotte is now a superhero in Abby's eye's. Beth told me later that truly someone was watching over Abby yesterday because if she had been in the wreck it could have killed her. Abby's reaction time is not like everyone else's. Since the radiation to her brain she has a deficit. (Abby is our brain cancer survivor for those of you who don't know her.) No one was hurt, a little shook up but the airbags didn't even deploy (which was worrisome to Charlotte "Mom we were going 45 mph!") When all is said and done it could have been way worse. You all could have been getting a very sad phone call yesterday instead of a blog today. I am thankful. I've always said Charlotte is a very sensible girl. I'm so glad I was right. It's funny how you worry about your kids in different ways. Beth said she wasn't ever worried about Zach like she does about Abby. If a boy breaks down somehow he doesn't seem as vulnerable as a girl. She tells me now she understands why I've been such a paranoid freek about Charlotte driving all that way to Arlington in the pre-dawn hours. It's just scary. I just trust that she's where she should be (and pray alot and pay for driving classes :) Well I started this blog at 5:45 am (because I couldn't sleep-wonder why?) so I better get started with the day.
All my love and fondest wishes, Tracey
First I would like to say a warm thank you for everyone that reads this blog. Your kind words lift my spirits and encourage me to seek higher levels of self. I really love all of you. William Shakespeare wrote "I am wealthy in my friends." I feel as rich as Bill Gates. (The expression used to be 'as rich as Roosevelt' but seriously I'm not eighty.:)
On to health news. You will be pleased to know that I have lost 32 pounds and my blood sugar hovers around 113 to 116 which is very good for me. It was 156 and then I cut out almost all carbs and that helped alot. I exercise on the treadmill every day except Sunday and I don't hate it as much. I'm up to 30 solid minutes at 3.1 miles per hour. That may not sound great but trust me it's alot for a fattie. I weigh 201 now. I can't wait to get under 200. Sadly I haven't been this size since we went to visit Brad and Rachel in New York just after 9/11. It feels great! When you are overweight for a long time you don't know what a normal size person weighs. The other day at a lunch group I was sitting with a bunch of young married girls @ church and one of them asked me what my goal weight was and I said about 130 lbs. They all said they would also like to weigh 130lbs. I was shocked . I (never the shy one) asked one how much she weighed and she said 165. She had just had a baby 3 weeks earlier but is a long distance runner. She looked great to me so I said "Well, on second thought 165 might just be fine." I remember years ago when we first moved to Memphis I got to 128 and I was always hungry. When I weighed 137 to 139 I felt perfect. I think that is my goal. I just want to feel good and keep my blood sugar stabilized. (Okay, secretly I want to be an old hottie.)
Every night before I go to bed I make sure the phone is in the cradle next to my side of the bed.
I do this because every morning Charlotte calls me @ 6:35 when she gets to school after seminary to let me know she's allright. Tuesday was a crazy busy day and I was exhausted when I went to bed so I forgot the phone. Wednesday morning I hear the phone ring through a haze. I am not a morning person and I can't just jump out of bed. I could hear Charlotte on the answering machine but couldn't hear what she was saying. As I was trying to get out of bed Dave's cell phone rang next to his side of the bed. This isn't unusual as this is the shift change for AAA and sometimes the headquarters in Nashville call Dave because they can't get through to his drivers. I didn't think anything about it until I heard him say "Okay Baby, okay, are you allright? Is anyone hurt? I'll be right there." As you can imagine my heart sank to my stomach.
For two years I've had that stupid phone next to my bed waiting for just that phone call. Everyday I wake up five minutes before she calls because I can't sleep I'm so worried about her. The one day I forget the phone and oversleep is the day my baby needs me the most. She is okay but I'll tell you what, I've never been gladder to have paid $500.00 for a driving class than I was yesterday. Here's what happened. Evidently a delivery truck was lost on the road to school and he hit his brakes hard looking for where to go. There were four kids from seminary
behind him. Kaitlyn Carter(weird huh?) then Charlotte then two more kids behind Charlotte.
Kaitlyn did not hit him. Charlotte did not hit him but did hit her brakes just like Max Maxwell taught her in class. The other two kids were following too close and did hit her and both got a ticket. One totaled her father's car and had only had her liscence two weeks. What a pisser. Dave said their insurance just doubled. Ironically Abby Jones (my dear friend Beth Jones' daughter) had an accident in her car on the way to seminary yesterday. She hit a curb and bent the rim and got on the interstate before she relized how bad it was. So her dad came and drove her to seminary and she was riding with Charlotte when the accident occured. Abby told Beth that Charlotte did everything right. Charlotte is now a superhero in Abby's eye's. Beth told me later that truly someone was watching over Abby yesterday because if she had been in the wreck it could have killed her. Abby's reaction time is not like everyone else's. Since the radiation to her brain she has a deficit. (Abby is our brain cancer survivor for those of you who don't know her.) No one was hurt, a little shook up but the airbags didn't even deploy (which was worrisome to Charlotte "Mom we were going 45 mph!") When all is said and done it could have been way worse. You all could have been getting a very sad phone call yesterday instead of a blog today. I am thankful. I've always said Charlotte is a very sensible girl. I'm so glad I was right. It's funny how you worry about your kids in different ways. Beth said she wasn't ever worried about Zach like she does about Abby. If a boy breaks down somehow he doesn't seem as vulnerable as a girl. She tells me now she understands why I've been such a paranoid freek about Charlotte driving all that way to Arlington in the pre-dawn hours. It's just scary. I just trust that she's where she should be (and pray alot and pay for driving classes :) Well I started this blog at 5:45 am (because I couldn't sleep-wonder why?) so I better get started with the day.
All my love and fondest wishes, Tracey
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Why am I always God's straightman?
Greetings dearests,
I believe that one of the other commandments (you know, the tablet Moses broke) must have been "Thou shalt not whine!" Remember in the last blog where I was muleing and puking about how much I hated my ward and hated my calling (job at church)? Well please listen when I tell you to be careful of what you pray for. So this is how it went last Sunday in the bishop's office. "Sister Steward we would like to extend a calling to you. We have fasted and prayed and would like you to be our new Relief Society President." My knee jerk response was a joke (of course). "You fasted and prayed?" "Oh, Sister Steward we take this very serious, yes you were the answer." Okay so he doesn't get the joke yet. This might be a problem as I will be working very closely together. For those of you not acquainted with all the Mormon jargon a Relief Society President runs the woman's organization in each ward. A ward is a unit of church where you go according to where you live. She is responsible for ALL the women temporally and spiritually. You can see why I questioned the bishop. I truly am where they got the expression "The Lord doesn't care about your ability or you inability, just your availability." I cuss like a sailor, I don't like people, I'm lazy, I don't know everyone's back story nor do I care to, I'm unorganized, I don't know how to E-Mail. Seriously, I'm a dinosaur. What was He thinking? I know what He was thinking, that this is the ultimate joke and I would get it. :) I do. Before you fire off a bunch of e-mails telling me all my good qualities, I know what they are. So does He. I'm stubborn as a mule and wont quit until I'm done. I'm a good listener. I throw a great party. I'm good with individuals. I love oddballs (and they love me). I know how to rally the troops. I know how to delegate, and my extended family's nickname for me is "The General". To Whom much is given.... I just hope no one gets offended easily. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
On a sad note, Dave had an arborist come and look at the trees in the back. My dear friend is much sicker than we had thought and needs to come down for safety sake. He said she could go any time and since the kids are out there all the time it is dangerous. So sad. Did I mention that I am also a reverse ageist? I don't trust him (the tree dude) because he is just so stinkin' young.
I have bras older than him. Is it his age or the fact that men just love to cut things down with chainsaws? Ah, the age old question.
Well I'm gonna go now. Wish me luck! All my love, Tracey
I believe that one of the other commandments (you know, the tablet Moses broke) must have been "Thou shalt not whine!" Remember in the last blog where I was muleing and puking about how much I hated my ward and hated my calling (job at church)? Well please listen when I tell you to be careful of what you pray for. So this is how it went last Sunday in the bishop's office. "Sister Steward we would like to extend a calling to you. We have fasted and prayed and would like you to be our new Relief Society President." My knee jerk response was a joke (of course). "You fasted and prayed?" "Oh, Sister Steward we take this very serious, yes you were the answer." Okay so he doesn't get the joke yet. This might be a problem as I will be working very closely together. For those of you not acquainted with all the Mormon jargon a Relief Society President runs the woman's organization in each ward. A ward is a unit of church where you go according to where you live. She is responsible for ALL the women temporally and spiritually. You can see why I questioned the bishop. I truly am where they got the expression "The Lord doesn't care about your ability or you inability, just your availability." I cuss like a sailor, I don't like people, I'm lazy, I don't know everyone's back story nor do I care to, I'm unorganized, I don't know how to E-Mail. Seriously, I'm a dinosaur. What was He thinking? I know what He was thinking, that this is the ultimate joke and I would get it. :) I do. Before you fire off a bunch of e-mails telling me all my good qualities, I know what they are. So does He. I'm stubborn as a mule and wont quit until I'm done. I'm a good listener. I throw a great party. I'm good with individuals. I love oddballs (and they love me). I know how to rally the troops. I know how to delegate, and my extended family's nickname for me is "The General". To Whom much is given.... I just hope no one gets offended easily. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
On a sad note, Dave had an arborist come and look at the trees in the back. My dear friend is much sicker than we had thought and needs to come down for safety sake. He said she could go any time and since the kids are out there all the time it is dangerous. So sad. Did I mention that I am also a reverse ageist? I don't trust him (the tree dude) because he is just so stinkin' young.
I have bras older than him. Is it his age or the fact that men just love to cut things down with chainsaws? Ah, the age old question.
Well I'm gonna go now. Wish me luck! All my love, Tracey
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
A Tree Grows in Bartlett
Greetings Loved Ones We have this amazing tree in our back yard. It is at least 60 or 70 feet tall. It blooms every year.
The amazing thing about this particular tree is it is crazy crooked. At it's base it curves like the bottom of a S. It really shouldn't be able to withstand anything. It defies gravity, it's full of pock marks from lightning I suppose and I just love it. I love that it clearly defied all odds and didn't just survive but it has lived a wonderful long life. It shelters the play area where my children laugh and swing and bounce on the trampoline as it did the children that lived here before. I can imagine fairies or gnomes living in it. It's that magical. This year I noticed it is dropping it's leaves earlier than all the other trees. I'm hoping it is because it has been so hot and dry this year or maybe it is the genus of tree that sheds early. I'm not sure, I just hope it's not because it is old and has fought the good fight and it is sick. I love lots of trees in our back yard but this is clearly my favorite because it reminds me of the book "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. I cry every time I read it to my children. I'm sure I will cry when and if my dear friend has to come down. But make no mistake we will leave the stump, it won't be ground down. There will be a reminder that a survivor once lived in that spot. It will give a place to just sit and watch the kids play whether mine or someone else's.
Speaking of my kids they are all back in school. I don't know why but I'm terribly lonely this year. The house is so very empty without them. I get alot done of course but it's just not as fun.
Did you ever think you would hear me say that. Me either. Getting older makes you appreciate the little things. (Like joints that work and Advil :) Big Dave bought me a treadmill. So I walk everyday now. I hate it. But I do it. Charlotte says, "You hate everything Mom.":) She's right.
Dave has always said I am anti-social. I used to argue with him but now I tell him he's right. I really don't like to meet new people. I hate our ward. I hate that I was perfectly happy where I was and now I am compelled to go with people I don't particularly like. Let me explain. Charlotte brought home a quote from school: "I like humanity, I just don't like people." Actually, I don't hate everyone in our ward there are some that I'm just crazy about. But mostly not. I don't go to church because of the people of course I go to worship the Savior. So I go every Sunday because I love to take the sacrament and feel His spirit when the speakers talk. I believe my children need to be there too. Also, I believe we all need to serve in one capacity or another so I teach the 17 & 18 year old Sunday school class. Obviously I haven't learned enough patience yet so I've been sent to the Gulag. I'm trying. I hate teenagers. I told them this when they extended the calling to me. They said "Try it Sister Steward you might like it." I Don't.
Here is a list of other things I hate. I hate when old people sit in the back row at church. Let the families with little kids sit there. I hate when young married Utards call Memphis "The mission field" when half the kids I know have served in Salt Lake and Provo. I HATE when people who call photographs "pitchers" make fun of the way I talk while mine is the language of Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, and Harper Lee. Charlotte is right, I do hate everything. Here's some things I DO like. I like that I still love church despite everything else. I like that I love my new hair color which is grey and silver. Yes, I decided to be my authentic self and go natural and I love it. It is beautiful. I saw Jamie Lee Curtis on an Activia commercial and her hair is grey and lovely. My dear friend Kathy Carter's hair is possibly the most beautiful hair I've ever seen other than my Great Grandmother Granny Lankford. I like that you love me even though I am a whine-pot. I LOVE birthday weekends. I will be 46 this Sunday. OMG! It must suck to have your kids look old. Sorry Dad.:( I like that I had to buy new clothes because none of my old ones fit. And believe it or not I like this new technology that lets me keep in contacts with all of you. (Dave and Kris laugh when I complain about computers.) Have a great day and know that I am thinking about all of you. Much Love, Tracey
The amazing thing about this particular tree is it is crazy crooked. At it's base it curves like the bottom of a S. It really shouldn't be able to withstand anything. It defies gravity, it's full of pock marks from lightning I suppose and I just love it. I love that it clearly defied all odds and didn't just survive but it has lived a wonderful long life. It shelters the play area where my children laugh and swing and bounce on the trampoline as it did the children that lived here before. I can imagine fairies or gnomes living in it. It's that magical. This year I noticed it is dropping it's leaves earlier than all the other trees. I'm hoping it is because it has been so hot and dry this year or maybe it is the genus of tree that sheds early. I'm not sure, I just hope it's not because it is old and has fought the good fight and it is sick. I love lots of trees in our back yard but this is clearly my favorite because it reminds me of the book "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. I cry every time I read it to my children. I'm sure I will cry when and if my dear friend has to come down. But make no mistake we will leave the stump, it won't be ground down. There will be a reminder that a survivor once lived in that spot. It will give a place to just sit and watch the kids play whether mine or someone else's.
Speaking of my kids they are all back in school. I don't know why but I'm terribly lonely this year. The house is so very empty without them. I get alot done of course but it's just not as fun.
Did you ever think you would hear me say that. Me either. Getting older makes you appreciate the little things. (Like joints that work and Advil :) Big Dave bought me a treadmill. So I walk everyday now. I hate it. But I do it. Charlotte says, "You hate everything Mom.":) She's right.
Dave has always said I am anti-social. I used to argue with him but now I tell him he's right. I really don't like to meet new people. I hate our ward. I hate that I was perfectly happy where I was and now I am compelled to go with people I don't particularly like. Let me explain. Charlotte brought home a quote from school: "I like humanity, I just don't like people." Actually, I don't hate everyone in our ward there are some that I'm just crazy about. But mostly not. I don't go to church because of the people of course I go to worship the Savior. So I go every Sunday because I love to take the sacrament and feel His spirit when the speakers talk. I believe my children need to be there too. Also, I believe we all need to serve in one capacity or another so I teach the 17 & 18 year old Sunday school class. Obviously I haven't learned enough patience yet so I've been sent to the Gulag. I'm trying. I hate teenagers. I told them this when they extended the calling to me. They said "Try it Sister Steward you might like it." I Don't.
Here is a list of other things I hate. I hate when old people sit in the back row at church. Let the families with little kids sit there. I hate when young married Utards call Memphis "The mission field" when half the kids I know have served in Salt Lake and Provo. I HATE when people who call photographs "pitchers" make fun of the way I talk while mine is the language of Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, and Harper Lee. Charlotte is right, I do hate everything. Here's some things I DO like. I like that I still love church despite everything else. I like that I love my new hair color which is grey and silver. Yes, I decided to be my authentic self and go natural and I love it. It is beautiful. I saw Jamie Lee Curtis on an Activia commercial and her hair is grey and lovely. My dear friend Kathy Carter's hair is possibly the most beautiful hair I've ever seen other than my Great Grandmother Granny Lankford. I like that you love me even though I am a whine-pot. I LOVE birthday weekends. I will be 46 this Sunday. OMG! It must suck to have your kids look old. Sorry Dad.:( I like that I had to buy new clothes because none of my old ones fit. And believe it or not I like this new technology that lets me keep in contacts with all of you. (Dave and Kris laugh when I complain about computers.) Have a great day and know that I am thinking about all of you. Much Love, Tracey
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Good news, bad news or It sucks to get old
Hello dear family and friends,
I know it has been a great long time since I have blogged. This summer has been very busy with all the kids @ home. We didn't go on our trip to the east coast like I had hoped. Remember when I said I felt so great about our New Orleans trip? Well, I felt just the opposite about our summer trip. The week we were going to be in D.C. they were in the grips of a horrendous heat wave Proof positive that you should always listen to that little voice inside your head. It has been a delightful summer. We had a nice long visit with Clark and Vicki. I just love having visitors, no matter how long or how brief. Last Sunday Big Dave's uncle Dick and Aunt Donna came for a visit. It was so nice to see them. It was amazing how much Dave's brother Bob looks and sounds so very much like Dick. They were only here for the afternoon and evening but any time spent with loving family is time well spent. Donna was especially sweet to my little ones and looked on (with interest) at every single paper from school from last year. My little kids are starved for grandparents as we live so far away from everyone.
My brother says he hates the way I write my blogs. Have you ever heard of a paragraph? So, I'm trying to remember to make my letters like the ones I learned to type the three years I was in High School. Yes, I took three years of Business Office Education (B.O.E. for short). Oh, it gets better. I was also the F.B.L.A. president. (Future Business Leaders of America) The largest club in my high school. Isn't that insane? Want to hear something even crazier? This summer I went from doing nothing but being a room mom to raising my hand to volunteer to be the band booster president @ David's brand new middle school. This was after I was recruited to be the Hospitality chairperson on the new PTA board @ Bon Lin Middle School. To whom much is given, much is required. :)
This is Charlotte's birthday weekend. My baby turns 18 on Sunday. Remember that beautiful baby that smiled at all my silliness? Remember that curly haired angel that sang "Jesus said love everyone" in church and made everyone cry. She is still the sweet girl you remember. She is going into her senior year. She plans on going to U of Memphis to become an elementary educator. She wanted a comfy chair for her bedroom to read in. She got one. Yesterday we spent a whole day with her girlfriends. We met @ 10:00 and went to see the Andy Warhol exhibit @ the Brooks Museum, then downtown to eat @ The Spaghetti Warehouse.
We were going to come home and swim with the guys she invited but none of them were able to come. So, we went to the 4:00 matinee of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Part II". OMG if I see one more angst ridden/coming of age movie I think I'll slit my wrist. The girls seemed to enjoy it however. Then we came home and had Blimpie's sandwiches and strawberry shortcake. They rounded the day out by playing a game of Hit or Miss. It was a fun day.
The biggest thing that happened this summer was we finally got the road to our driveway paved. Glory, Halleluyah! No more living in a dust bowl. We decided to pave it with concrete instead of black top. It cost more but in the long run will look better and last longer. That road tends to flood like crazy and we were afraid black top would just peel up. We went in with our 3 other neighbors so the whole cost wasn't on just one family. It truly is a sight to behold. Thanks Big Dave. He was the one that got it all going.
Well, the kids start school here on Monday. How I dread it. I just adore the lazy days (especially the mornings) of summer. This summer has been so wonderfully laid back. Not much arguing between the kids. I will truly miss them. I have to send them though, I don't want a tribe of trogladites.
Oh yea, I almost forgot about my title heading. Well the good news is I've lost 23 pounds!
I feel great and have more energy. The bad news is why I'm losing weight. On May 24th I found out I (along wth 20,000,000 other Americans) have type II diabetes. I am not on insulin but take Metformin for blood sugar, Lisinopril for blood pressure and kidney protection, Tricor for triglycerides, and 1200 mg of fish oil for heart health. I was devistated at first. then pissed off at myself then finally resigned. I've decided that perhaps this was the best way for me to get off my a** and do something for my health. I'm very thankfull I didn't have a stroke or a heart attack because my blood sugar was 650 and worse my triglycerides were 697. Very scary. But let me tell you to please continue to have those yearly physicals because I was fine last year. In one year this happened. Life is good. Hold as long as you can. I'm gonna go now. All my love,
Tracey:)
I know it has been a great long time since I have blogged. This summer has been very busy with all the kids @ home. We didn't go on our trip to the east coast like I had hoped. Remember when I said I felt so great about our New Orleans trip? Well, I felt just the opposite about our summer trip. The week we were going to be in D.C. they were in the grips of a horrendous heat wave Proof positive that you should always listen to that little voice inside your head. It has been a delightful summer. We had a nice long visit with Clark and Vicki. I just love having visitors, no matter how long or how brief. Last Sunday Big Dave's uncle Dick and Aunt Donna came for a visit. It was so nice to see them. It was amazing how much Dave's brother Bob looks and sounds so very much like Dick. They were only here for the afternoon and evening but any time spent with loving family is time well spent. Donna was especially sweet to my little ones and looked on (with interest) at every single paper from school from last year. My little kids are starved for grandparents as we live so far away from everyone.
My brother says he hates the way I write my blogs. Have you ever heard of a paragraph? So, I'm trying to remember to make my letters like the ones I learned to type the three years I was in High School. Yes, I took three years of Business Office Education (B.O.E. for short). Oh, it gets better. I was also the F.B.L.A. president. (Future Business Leaders of America) The largest club in my high school. Isn't that insane? Want to hear something even crazier? This summer I went from doing nothing but being a room mom to raising my hand to volunteer to be the band booster president @ David's brand new middle school. This was after I was recruited to be the Hospitality chairperson on the new PTA board @ Bon Lin Middle School. To whom much is given, much is required. :)
This is Charlotte's birthday weekend. My baby turns 18 on Sunday. Remember that beautiful baby that smiled at all my silliness? Remember that curly haired angel that sang "Jesus said love everyone" in church and made everyone cry. She is still the sweet girl you remember. She is going into her senior year. She plans on going to U of Memphis to become an elementary educator. She wanted a comfy chair for her bedroom to read in. She got one. Yesterday we spent a whole day with her girlfriends. We met @ 10:00 and went to see the Andy Warhol exhibit @ the Brooks Museum, then downtown to eat @ The Spaghetti Warehouse.
We were going to come home and swim with the guys she invited but none of them were able to come. So, we went to the 4:00 matinee of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Part II". OMG if I see one more angst ridden/coming of age movie I think I'll slit my wrist. The girls seemed to enjoy it however. Then we came home and had Blimpie's sandwiches and strawberry shortcake. They rounded the day out by playing a game of Hit or Miss. It was a fun day.
The biggest thing that happened this summer was we finally got the road to our driveway paved. Glory, Halleluyah! No more living in a dust bowl. We decided to pave it with concrete instead of black top. It cost more but in the long run will look better and last longer. That road tends to flood like crazy and we were afraid black top would just peel up. We went in with our 3 other neighbors so the whole cost wasn't on just one family. It truly is a sight to behold. Thanks Big Dave. He was the one that got it all going.
Well, the kids start school here on Monday. How I dread it. I just adore the lazy days (especially the mornings) of summer. This summer has been so wonderfully laid back. Not much arguing between the kids. I will truly miss them. I have to send them though, I don't want a tribe of trogladites.
Oh yea, I almost forgot about my title heading. Well the good news is I've lost 23 pounds!
I feel great and have more energy. The bad news is why I'm losing weight. On May 24th I found out I (along wth 20,000,000 other Americans) have type II diabetes. I am not on insulin but take Metformin for blood sugar, Lisinopril for blood pressure and kidney protection, Tricor for triglycerides, and 1200 mg of fish oil for heart health. I was devistated at first. then pissed off at myself then finally resigned. I've decided that perhaps this was the best way for me to get off my a** and do something for my health. I'm very thankfull I didn't have a stroke or a heart attack because my blood sugar was 650 and worse my triglycerides were 697. Very scary. But let me tell you to please continue to have those yearly physicals because I was fine last year. In one year this happened. Life is good. Hold as long as you can. I'm gonna go now. All my love,
Tracey:)
Saturday, May 17, 2008
April showers bring May flowers
Greetings Dearest Family and Friends,
So many things since my last post. First, a comment on the weather. We have had an inordinate amount of rain. Sadly, our neighbors to the southeast of us are still waiting. Alabama and Georgia are still in drought conditions. We should remember them in our prayers. As a result of the rain here, the flowers and trees have bloomed like crazy. The smell of the deep south, the aroma that inspired famous authors to write about their home is back. I haven't smelled anything like this since I was a little girl. It is intoxicating. You can smell it everywhere even on the interstate. It is a heady blend of Tulip Poplars (the state tree), Alyssum, and Honeysuckle. This is what it smells like in Heaven. I wish I could bottle and sell it to all the expatriates of the south, I would be a gozillionaire (to quote Forrest Gump). On the down side many a little league game has been rained out, much to Little Dave's chagrin. He is playing baseball this year. He is very good as any of you that have seen how fast he is can imagine. They call him "The Mongoose". It is delightful to watch him play because he puts his whole heart into it. He has been a little nervous because most of the boys have been playing since they were 3. He needn't have worried, he's as good as any kid on the team, better than some.
Is May as crazy for you as it is for us? My friend Beth Jones and I call it "Manic May". Do your schools do teacher appreciation for one whole week where you live? It just about wears me out (and breaks the bank). Then there's Mother's Day, my nephew Kris', Big Dave's, my mother's and Annie's birthday all within 2 weeks of each other. Let's don't even talk about graduation. One niece, one nephew- Jack , Charlotte's best friend-Lauren, Zach Jones and a whole slew of kids from Charlotte's High school all graduating. Annie's graduation from kindergarten is May 21:). Then there's relay day, I was at the school Mon, Tues, and Wend. I actually prefer relay day to field day. Relay day is in the gym, clean and sweat-free. Field day is just the opposite. David's graduation from 5th grade is this Friday. I can't decide if we should have a big swim party for the whole 5th grade for David or not. Someone did it for Charlotte's class in Germantown. We always have a swim party for his own class but never on such a big scale. Comments are welcome. Oh, the weather will be cloudy but 90 degrees. This last week of school is "Theme Week". Monday is board game day,Tuesday is beach day and so on, you get the picture. One more thing for me to remember to send so my kid won't be the only one without his or her beach towel. Who thinks this crap up anyway? I'll tell you who, people who don't have 3 kids at the same school that's who. I shouldn't complain, Charlotte will be one of those "people" one day as she wants to be a teacher. To round things out the kids piano recital in May 31.
We will be taking a historical vacation in June to the east coast. I love history and hope to instill it in my children. I watched "John Adams" on HBO and it was wonderful. It just got me jazzed to go even more. Also David studied about the Holocaust in school this year and it really touched him. He never talks about his school work but we heard alot about injustice for three or four weeks. We plan on going to Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. Then north to Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Wish us luck!
Well I've got to go cut the grass before it rains again. With much affection, Tracey
So many things since my last post. First, a comment on the weather. We have had an inordinate amount of rain. Sadly, our neighbors to the southeast of us are still waiting. Alabama and Georgia are still in drought conditions. We should remember them in our prayers. As a result of the rain here, the flowers and trees have bloomed like crazy. The smell of the deep south, the aroma that inspired famous authors to write about their home is back. I haven't smelled anything like this since I was a little girl. It is intoxicating. You can smell it everywhere even on the interstate. It is a heady blend of Tulip Poplars (the state tree), Alyssum, and Honeysuckle. This is what it smells like in Heaven. I wish I could bottle and sell it to all the expatriates of the south, I would be a gozillionaire (to quote Forrest Gump). On the down side many a little league game has been rained out, much to Little Dave's chagrin. He is playing baseball this year. He is very good as any of you that have seen how fast he is can imagine. They call him "The Mongoose". It is delightful to watch him play because he puts his whole heart into it. He has been a little nervous because most of the boys have been playing since they were 3. He needn't have worried, he's as good as any kid on the team, better than some.
Is May as crazy for you as it is for us? My friend Beth Jones and I call it "Manic May". Do your schools do teacher appreciation for one whole week where you live? It just about wears me out (and breaks the bank). Then there's Mother's Day, my nephew Kris', Big Dave's, my mother's and Annie's birthday all within 2 weeks of each other. Let's don't even talk about graduation. One niece, one nephew- Jack , Charlotte's best friend-Lauren, Zach Jones and a whole slew of kids from Charlotte's High school all graduating. Annie's graduation from kindergarten is May 21:). Then there's relay day, I was at the school Mon, Tues, and Wend. I actually prefer relay day to field day. Relay day is in the gym, clean and sweat-free. Field day is just the opposite. David's graduation from 5th grade is this Friday. I can't decide if we should have a big swim party for the whole 5th grade for David or not. Someone did it for Charlotte's class in Germantown. We always have a swim party for his own class but never on such a big scale. Comments are welcome. Oh, the weather will be cloudy but 90 degrees. This last week of school is "Theme Week". Monday is board game day,Tuesday is beach day and so on, you get the picture. One more thing for me to remember to send so my kid won't be the only one without his or her beach towel. Who thinks this crap up anyway? I'll tell you who, people who don't have 3 kids at the same school that's who. I shouldn't complain, Charlotte will be one of those "people" one day as she wants to be a teacher. To round things out the kids piano recital in May 31.
We will be taking a historical vacation in June to the east coast. I love history and hope to instill it in my children. I watched "John Adams" on HBO and it was wonderful. It just got me jazzed to go even more. Also David studied about the Holocaust in school this year and it really touched him. He never talks about his school work but we heard alot about injustice for three or four weeks. We plan on going to Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. Then north to Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Wish us luck!
Well I've got to go cut the grass before it rains again. With much affection, Tracey
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Big Easy
So, we went on Spring Break about 3 weeks ago. We waited to the last minute to decide where to go and decided on New Orleans. I prayed about it and got just a great feeling. So we (we, being me and the kids. Dave started a new business and just couldn't get away) packed our bags and hit the road. It really is a long straight shot down Hwy 55 through Mississippi. It takes about 6 hrs to get there. With the capable help of my navigator Charlotte, we drove straight to the French Quarter!
Because it was Spring Break we couldn't find a reasonable hotel room online before we left. But I felt drawn to go and just knew it wouldn't be a big deal. When we got to the Louisiana/Mississippi state line I nearly scared my poor kids to death when I crossed 2 lanes of traffic to exit @ the Welcome Center. They always have great maps and fun fliers of things to do while in their state. I got a pile of them and for good measure I asked the lady behind the desk where to stay. She was full of great suggestions and Southern hospitality. I called a couple of the hotels which were all booked (of course). Then I called one more and not only did they have a room, when I told them I had a coupon from the welcome center the price went from a very reasonable $69.00 a night to $39.00 a night! Isn't that crazy? It was right in the middle of the French Quarter on Toulouse just off Bourbon St. We could here the music @ night. I know what you are thinking, was it a dive? No, as a matter of fact it was wonderful. Old, but updated. It had a wonderful courtyard on the inside. Valet parking (the valet knew all the best places to eat) in a very secure structure. Our car never left until we came home. Everything was within walking distance. The weather was perfect but a little too cold to swim. The kids really wanted to try so I said "Okay"
in that sing-songy way only mommies know how to do. " I think it's too cold but you can try." Try they did and they were out in about 5 minutes. I even said I would pay a dollar for the first one to jump in. J.K. won.
I know why it's called "The Big Easy". Everyone is relaxed. No one is in a hurry. It was just the tonic we all needed. Unlike Disney World, where it is SO very expensive and you just go and go like that stupid Energizer bunny because you feel compelled to "get your money's worth" New Orleans feels like that favorite pair of jeans, good and worn in. I'm not dissin' Disney World, we LOVE it there but it is not relaxing. Everyday we only did one big thing. One day we went to the Aquariun of the America's.This was an all day thing and it was awesome. One day we rode the carriages and saw lots of fun stuff, like where they filmed Interview with a Vampire. That was our "French Quarter" day. We ate beignets @ Cafe Du'Monde. This is where I had the best Hot Chocolate of my life. Who'd a thunk it? We visited Jackson Square and the beautiful Catholic Cathedral that has been there for over 176 years. We shopped, we ate and took naps, got up and ate some more. The food. OMG the food. There was sauce on everything. I love sauce. I had Gumbo, Oyster po-Boys, Oysters Rockefeller and more. I hope the head chef in heaven is from New Orleans.:) The day we left we went on a gator tour in the swamp. We are so blessed to live in America. It truly is God's masterpiece. As a sidebar, Katrina didn't really affect the French Quarter (blessedly) or so the locals told me. It didn't look any different to me. We loved it and recommend it to everyone. Gotta go, it's very late and my eyes are beginning to cross.
Hugs and Kisses, Tracey
Because it was Spring Break we couldn't find a reasonable hotel room online before we left. But I felt drawn to go and just knew it wouldn't be a big deal. When we got to the Louisiana/Mississippi state line I nearly scared my poor kids to death when I crossed 2 lanes of traffic to exit @ the Welcome Center. They always have great maps and fun fliers of things to do while in their state. I got a pile of them and for good measure I asked the lady behind the desk where to stay. She was full of great suggestions and Southern hospitality. I called a couple of the hotels which were all booked (of course). Then I called one more and not only did they have a room, when I told them I had a coupon from the welcome center the price went from a very reasonable $69.00 a night to $39.00 a night! Isn't that crazy? It was right in the middle of the French Quarter on Toulouse just off Bourbon St. We could here the music @ night. I know what you are thinking, was it a dive? No, as a matter of fact it was wonderful. Old, but updated. It had a wonderful courtyard on the inside. Valet parking (the valet knew all the best places to eat) in a very secure structure. Our car never left until we came home. Everything was within walking distance. The weather was perfect but a little too cold to swim. The kids really wanted to try so I said "Okay"
in that sing-songy way only mommies know how to do. " I think it's too cold but you can try." Try they did and they were out in about 5 minutes. I even said I would pay a dollar for the first one to jump in. J.K. won.
I know why it's called "The Big Easy". Everyone is relaxed. No one is in a hurry. It was just the tonic we all needed. Unlike Disney World, where it is SO very expensive and you just go and go like that stupid Energizer bunny because you feel compelled to "get your money's worth" New Orleans feels like that favorite pair of jeans, good and worn in. I'm not dissin' Disney World, we LOVE it there but it is not relaxing. Everyday we only did one big thing. One day we went to the Aquariun of the America's.This was an all day thing and it was awesome. One day we rode the carriages and saw lots of fun stuff, like where they filmed Interview with a Vampire. That was our "French Quarter" day. We ate beignets @ Cafe Du'Monde. This is where I had the best Hot Chocolate of my life. Who'd a thunk it? We visited Jackson Square and the beautiful Catholic Cathedral that has been there for over 176 years. We shopped, we ate and took naps, got up and ate some more. The food. OMG the food. There was sauce on everything. I love sauce. I had Gumbo, Oyster po-Boys, Oysters Rockefeller and more. I hope the head chef in heaven is from New Orleans.:) The day we left we went on a gator tour in the swamp. We are so blessed to live in America. It truly is God's masterpiece. As a sidebar, Katrina didn't really affect the French Quarter (blessedly) or so the locals told me. It didn't look any different to me. We loved it and recommend it to everyone. Gotta go, it's very late and my eyes are beginning to cross.
Hugs and Kisses, Tracey
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
SNOW DAY1
Okay, so it NEVER snows in Memphis. Last Friday it snowed so big and crazy they let school out 2 hrs early. Me and the kids were thrilled since we were planning to go see that Raven Simonne movie "College Road Trip" already. We just got to go to the earlier matinée. When we went into the theater is was gray and slushy outside but when we came back out it was beautiful and white. We played in it all the way to the van. It was perfect snow, big and white and fluffy. My kids were in heaven. A side bar here to all of those who have snow all winter long or grew up with snow and don't particularly love the white stuff, In the south when it snows it's all about fun. Schools close down, business's close down and there is no shoveling sidewalks or roads. We simply don't have the equipment-it wouldn't be cost effective (although everyone has a sled in their garage-just in case :). We just play. And eat (which is just a southern answer to everything) and have lots of hot chocolate. As a matter of fact I called Big Dave before he left the shop and asked him to go by the Kroger on his way home, "What do you need?" he asked. My reply "We're all out of marshmallows and Cool-Whip for the hot chocolate." "NO! WHATEVER SHALL WE DO?' was his smart-a** response. " Okay smarty, we don't have anything to make nachos with either (everyone knows this is the quintessential snow food)" I reply. "I'm on my way." The man is a sucker for homemade nachos. When he gets home he tells me the marshmallows were hit pretty hard and there weren't any left so he bought 2 Cool-Whips. Yea! I hate marshmallows, I just get them for the kids. They think I'm crazy, I mean who doesn't like marshmallows? It's kind of un-American isn't it? I can't help it. I just hate the little mushy buggers. Anyway, I digress, on with the story. That is another anomaly about the south when it snows. Anytime there's a hint of bad weather EVERYONE heads to the store and wipes out all the milk, bread and now we know, all the marshmallows. It was a good feast and delicious hot cocoa. Thanks you Dave. The little boys and Lucky had a ball. My nephew Kris made a wonderful video that he posted on YouTube if you would like to see it. His account name is nijacarwash. Our Hondahaven commercial is on there as well. It will have you in stitches. How old am I? Who says that anymore? 'have you in stitches'. Charlotte missed the big fun and feast as she opted to keep her plans to spend the night with a friend. We missed her. Annie is not a fan of the out-of-doors. Not even for snow. Must be a Chinese thing. Lucky was in dog heaven. She kept running her nose in the snow and making dog angels. I took lots of pictures with my new digital camera. They are awesome. The new camera will use my Minolta lenses and it rocks. It wasn't $8,000.00 but it will do in a pinch. (Inside joke:) FYI-Konica bought Minolta and then Sony bought Konica. Sony made their new cameras compatible with all the old Minolta stuff. Rock on Sony. Sooooo, back to the snow. It was fun while it lasted which in Memphis wasn't very long. It was sunny and 58 by Monday. Today it was 72 and we drove with the windows down. Ahhh, Memphis in the Spring. Wish you were here. Much love, Tracey
Friday, March 7, 2008
Long time no post
It has been a busy month! Dave and I went to Miami for a work conference early in February. The next week was J.K.'s baptism and we had family in from out of town. Thanks to everyone who made a little boy happy. The next week Charlotte got a virus in her eye, I was running somewhere every day for someone. You know, business as usual.
We had a wonderful weekend with our family that came to visit. I let J.K. pick the restaurant for after his baptism. I told him the criteria was any nice restaurant and no, Chuck E. Cheese is not considered a nice restaurant. He choose Shogun, which doesn't open for lunch. So, I tried Fuji's which isn't open at all anymore. Finally we hit pay dirt with Benihana's. We were so lucky to get reservations for 23 people on such short notice. Charlotte went on line and looked it up for me and then called and made the reservations. What a girl! We went and a good time was had by all. Sadly the following Friday this same restaurant burned to the ground. Do you know how mad I would have been if I would have had to scramble to find another place?! I feel so bad for all the employees. They were so nice to us and made it a fun lunch.
On a sad note, one of my seminary students was killed this past weekend. Her's was a sad life. She had a wretched mother who abandoned her and her 3 little sisters when she was just 13 or 14. She raised those girls by herself, as her dad was always gone. She came to seminary every morning before school. When she was 16 she got pregnant. This was the first of many poor choices. At the time of her death she was married to her 4th (useless) husband and was pregnant with her 8th child. She was 33 years old. I feel sad and guilty. I did try to adopt her 2nd set of twins but she couldn't go through with it. Maybe if someone had loved that kid enough to take her in while she was still young things would be different. The moral to this story is if you are lucky enough to have had a good mom, call her and tell her you love and appreciate her. And thank you for sticking in there mom. Gotta go, much love,
Tracey
We had a wonderful weekend with our family that came to visit. I let J.K. pick the restaurant for after his baptism. I told him the criteria was any nice restaurant and no, Chuck E. Cheese is not considered a nice restaurant. He choose Shogun, which doesn't open for lunch. So, I tried Fuji's which isn't open at all anymore. Finally we hit pay dirt with Benihana's. We were so lucky to get reservations for 23 people on such short notice. Charlotte went on line and looked it up for me and then called and made the reservations. What a girl! We went and a good time was had by all. Sadly the following Friday this same restaurant burned to the ground. Do you know how mad I would have been if I would have had to scramble to find another place?! I feel so bad for all the employees. They were so nice to us and made it a fun lunch.
On a sad note, one of my seminary students was killed this past weekend. Her's was a sad life. She had a wretched mother who abandoned her and her 3 little sisters when she was just 13 or 14. She raised those girls by herself, as her dad was always gone. She came to seminary every morning before school. When she was 16 she got pregnant. This was the first of many poor choices. At the time of her death she was married to her 4th (useless) husband and was pregnant with her 8th child. She was 33 years old. I feel sad and guilty. I did try to adopt her 2nd set of twins but she couldn't go through with it. Maybe if someone had loved that kid enough to take her in while she was still young things would be different. The moral to this story is if you are lucky enough to have had a good mom, call her and tell her you love and appreciate her. And thank you for sticking in there mom. Gotta go, much love,
Tracey
Friday, February 1, 2008
Wierd names
Hi Guys,
It recently came to me that the front runners in this years presidential race all have weird first names. Hillary, Mit, Rudi (although he did drop out) and Obama. Seriously, who names a kid Hillary? Aren't you just begging for that kid to be strange? I get Obama, his dad is African (but I did hear as a child he went by some really white kid name like Keith or Kevin). I guess it takes a while to embrace ones heritage. A silly sidebar is that it always makes me sad to think that J.K. and Annie can never run for president. Would I really want that for my children? No, probably not but the option would be nice. J.K. actually has the first two names of an actual president. James Knox Polk. J.K. was named after my maternal grandfather who in turn was named after his grandfather whom I assume was named after the president (it was the right time frame). Well, those were just some random thoughts. Have an awesome day. Lylas, Tracey:)
It recently came to me that the front runners in this years presidential race all have weird first names. Hillary, Mit, Rudi (although he did drop out) and Obama. Seriously, who names a kid Hillary? Aren't you just begging for that kid to be strange? I get Obama, his dad is African (but I did hear as a child he went by some really white kid name like Keith or Kevin). I guess it takes a while to embrace ones heritage. A silly sidebar is that it always makes me sad to think that J.K. and Annie can never run for president. Would I really want that for my children? No, probably not but the option would be nice. J.K. actually has the first two names of an actual president. James Knox Polk. J.K. was named after my maternal grandfather who in turn was named after his grandfather whom I assume was named after the president (it was the right time frame). Well, those were just some random thoughts. Have an awesome day. Lylas, Tracey:)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
IM NOT SURE WHAT IM DOING;[
I think I sent out a blank blog the other day. Please let me know if you got "young @ heart".
Sorry for the inconvenience. I checked from my end and it comes up but a friend wrote saying "no content". Thank You, Tracey.
Sorry for the inconvenience. I checked from my end and it comes up but a friend wrote saying "no content". Thank You, Tracey.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Young @ Heart
Greetings Dearests,
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I had sick kids all last week. I thought it was the flu. I took Charlotte to the Dr. and they swabbed her to see but the Doc said it was just a really bad virus. She was out of school for 3 days. David was home one and 1/2 days and J.K. is just now feeling bad (but he loves school and insists he is fine). It's a crazy virus, hot and cold, nausea, vomiting (depending on the kid) and this killer headache. I got a touch of this with a little nausea and the headache from Hell. One benefit of getting older, you have an arsenal of immunity at your command. I pray this plague passes over your home.
Speaking of getting older, I have a few comments about this subject. Saturday we celebrated J.K.'s birthday at the local roller skating rink. He loves the skating rink as did I when I was a kid. Unfortunately, his siblings do not share his passion so when we take a vote on a family activity rarely does skating get chosen. Anyway, I decided that because I loved it when my parents participated in what I found fun I would take a chance and put on a pair of skates. I am 45, have a bad back, bad feet and a bad knee. When I stood up in those skates I had a rush of fear and excitement. At first I just walked around and then as I got more comfortable I went a little faster. Charlotte would skate up to me and ask "How 'Ya doin'?" I know she was worried I fall and she'd be screwed. :) I would say "I'm fine. You know, I used to rule the rink. I was the skate queen." "Yea Mom, you've told me before." I wish they could have seen me then. I did rule Skatehaven. I loved how you would rush around and feel the air on your face and your hair would blow back. I miss that, and I didn't even know I missed it until Saturday. I miss how I didn't worry if the music was appropriate- I just loved it. I miss not always worrying about a pedophile lurking around every corner. I wish my kids didn't have to think about it either. I cherish my childhood. Here's a big shout out to everyone who made it great. Something I love about being old, I love that I was there when YMCA first came out, that I saw the Village People on American Bandstand and I made the arm movements right along with them and I thought the Indian was sooo cute (and had no clue they were all gay). Mostly I love that J.K. said "I love that YMCA song, it's my favorite." "It's my favorite too, Buddy!" I reply. And has been for over 25 years. The privilege of age. It rocks. Recently I bought a little metal sign that reads: It's never to late to become what you might have been. It has a caterpillar on it and it makes me feel good. May we all bloom into the beautiful butterflies (or at least pretty moths) we are meant to be.
Two days ago the dear president of my church passed away. He is the equivalent of the Pope to all LDS members. He was in his late nineties. He originated young at heart. I loved him. I loved his sweetness, optimism, courage, vision and that he loved his wife so much. He missed her terribly after she died. They were married 67 years. I will miss him forever, as I'm sure many of you will too.
I will sign off for now. Have a great day and remember someone in Memphis loves you.
Lylas,
Tracey
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I had sick kids all last week. I thought it was the flu. I took Charlotte to the Dr. and they swabbed her to see but the Doc said it was just a really bad virus. She was out of school for 3 days. David was home one and 1/2 days and J.K. is just now feeling bad (but he loves school and insists he is fine). It's a crazy virus, hot and cold, nausea, vomiting (depending on the kid) and this killer headache. I got a touch of this with a little nausea and the headache from Hell. One benefit of getting older, you have an arsenal of immunity at your command. I pray this plague passes over your home.
Speaking of getting older, I have a few comments about this subject. Saturday we celebrated J.K.'s birthday at the local roller skating rink. He loves the skating rink as did I when I was a kid. Unfortunately, his siblings do not share his passion so when we take a vote on a family activity rarely does skating get chosen. Anyway, I decided that because I loved it when my parents participated in what I found fun I would take a chance and put on a pair of skates. I am 45, have a bad back, bad feet and a bad knee. When I stood up in those skates I had a rush of fear and excitement. At first I just walked around and then as I got more comfortable I went a little faster. Charlotte would skate up to me and ask "How 'Ya doin'?" I know she was worried I fall and she'd be screwed. :) I would say "I'm fine. You know, I used to rule the rink. I was the skate queen." "Yea Mom, you've told me before." I wish they could have seen me then. I did rule Skatehaven. I loved how you would rush around and feel the air on your face and your hair would blow back. I miss that, and I didn't even know I missed it until Saturday. I miss how I didn't worry if the music was appropriate- I just loved it. I miss not always worrying about a pedophile lurking around every corner. I wish my kids didn't have to think about it either. I cherish my childhood. Here's a big shout out to everyone who made it great. Something I love about being old, I love that I was there when YMCA first came out, that I saw the Village People on American Bandstand and I made the arm movements right along with them and I thought the Indian was sooo cute (and had no clue they were all gay). Mostly I love that J.K. said "I love that YMCA song, it's my favorite." "It's my favorite too, Buddy!" I reply. And has been for over 25 years. The privilege of age. It rocks. Recently I bought a little metal sign that reads: It's never to late to become what you might have been. It has a caterpillar on it and it makes me feel good. May we all bloom into the beautiful butterflies (or at least pretty moths) we are meant to be.
Two days ago the dear president of my church passed away. He is the equivalent of the Pope to all LDS members. He was in his late nineties. He originated young at heart. I loved him. I loved his sweetness, optimism, courage, vision and that he loved his wife so much. He missed her terribly after she died. They were married 67 years. I will miss him forever, as I'm sure many of you will too.
I will sign off for now. Have a great day and remember someone in Memphis loves you.
Lylas,
Tracey
Friday, January 18, 2008
Charlotte has BIG kahonas
Hello dear friends and fam,
Okay, so Charlotte calls me everyday after school to tell me how her day was. Yesterday she told me about a confrontation with her chemistry teacher. Let it be known that this is his first year to teach and he is a piss poor teacher so far. They have had NO labs and watch C.S.I. Miami and take notes. He yells at them and singles out non-athletes . But I digress, so it's 5 minutes until the bell rings and he was answering someone else's question. He turned around and began to write on the chalkboard. When he turned around he singled Charlotte out and said "Charlotte why aren't you taking notes?" (no one else was taking notes either) Charlotte said "I already took notes." This angered him and he said, "Any time I'm writing on the board you should be taking notes!" She shrugged her shoulders and said "Okay." When the bell rang he asked her to stay after class. He said "Where is all this attitude coming from?" (This is my favorite part of the story) she looked him straight in the eye and said "I don't like the way you teach. I don't like how you give us chapter reviews before we even go over the chapter. And I don't like how you yell at us in class." She said he was visibly shaken and angry. "Well, you need to take notes." Charlotte interjected "I do take notes. Can I go now? I'm going to be late to my next class." He yells down the hall, "I can't help you, if you don't help yourself!" "Yeah, okay." Later Charlotte's hears from a friend that this same teacher asked subsequent classes to write a list of things they would change about his class. Evidently, Charlotte wasn't the only person with issues. Fast forward to today. After the starting bell Coach Nelson stood in front of the class and
apologized for everything that Charlotte had told him and then some for thirty minutes. Then they went to the chemistry lab where he demonstrated an experiment they will be doing Tuesday! After they went back to class he pulled Charlotte aside and apologized saying, "I'm sorry it took all that to realized you were so bored in my class." Charlotte replied, "It was partially my fault too." Can you believe that? When I was that age I would have averted my eyes and never said how I really felt. I told Charlotte by confronting him and not backing down she probably affected change for every student in his class. I also told her she may have just saved his job. She smiled and said "Well that's to bad." I really love that kid. I want to be her when I grow up.
An update on my dad, Steve. Mom called yesterday asking for prayers that he will wear his C-Pat mask to sleep in. It is for his sleep-apnea and the doctor said his not wearing it may have contributed to his stroke. My dad is stubborn and he hates that mask on a good day. Please remember him in your prayers.
J.K.'s birthday was Monday. He turned 8! This a biggie for Latter-Day Saints. That's the age we all get baptized (if we aren't converts obviously). On his B-day Dave and I ate lunch with him @ school. We brought cupcakes for the class and I stayed to read to the class. After piano lessons that night I asked J.K., "If you could eat anywhere where would you eat?" "ANYWHERE?" "Yes anywhere Buddy." "Could we go to Chuck E. Cheese?" "Sure." Eruption from the back seat as three children chant, "We're goin' to Chuck E. Cheese!" "We're goin' to Chuck E. Cheese!" I hate Chuck E. Cheese. But I sure love those kids. Later Charlotte told me
the commercial said that Chuck E. Cheese is a kid's favorite mouse. I said, "Hmm, Mickey is my favorite mouse, they wish Chuck E. Cheese was the favorite. He's Mickey's trailor-trash cousin." Charlotte laughed. I still got it.
That's all for now. Have a great weekend. Happy MLK holiday. LYLAS,
Tracey
Okay, so Charlotte calls me everyday after school to tell me how her day was. Yesterday she told me about a confrontation with her chemistry teacher. Let it be known that this is his first year to teach and he is a piss poor teacher so far. They have had NO labs and watch C.S.I. Miami and take notes. He yells at them and singles out non-athletes . But I digress, so it's 5 minutes until the bell rings and he was answering someone else's question. He turned around and began to write on the chalkboard. When he turned around he singled Charlotte out and said "Charlotte why aren't you taking notes?" (no one else was taking notes either) Charlotte said "I already took notes." This angered him and he said, "Any time I'm writing on the board you should be taking notes!" She shrugged her shoulders and said "Okay." When the bell rang he asked her to stay after class. He said "Where is all this attitude coming from?" (This is my favorite part of the story) she looked him straight in the eye and said "I don't like the way you teach. I don't like how you give us chapter reviews before we even go over the chapter. And I don't like how you yell at us in class." She said he was visibly shaken and angry. "Well, you need to take notes." Charlotte interjected "I do take notes. Can I go now? I'm going to be late to my next class." He yells down the hall, "I can't help you, if you don't help yourself!" "Yeah, okay." Later Charlotte's hears from a friend that this same teacher asked subsequent classes to write a list of things they would change about his class. Evidently, Charlotte wasn't the only person with issues. Fast forward to today. After the starting bell Coach Nelson stood in front of the class and
apologized for everything that Charlotte had told him and then some for thirty minutes. Then they went to the chemistry lab where he demonstrated an experiment they will be doing Tuesday! After they went back to class he pulled Charlotte aside and apologized saying, "I'm sorry it took all that to realized you were so bored in my class." Charlotte replied, "It was partially my fault too." Can you believe that? When I was that age I would have averted my eyes and never said how I really felt. I told Charlotte by confronting him and not backing down she probably affected change for every student in his class. I also told her she may have just saved his job. She smiled and said "Well that's to bad." I really love that kid. I want to be her when I grow up.
An update on my dad, Steve. Mom called yesterday asking for prayers that he will wear his C-Pat mask to sleep in. It is for his sleep-apnea and the doctor said his not wearing it may have contributed to his stroke. My dad is stubborn and he hates that mask on a good day. Please remember him in your prayers.
J.K.'s birthday was Monday. He turned 8! This a biggie for Latter-Day Saints. That's the age we all get baptized (if we aren't converts obviously). On his B-day Dave and I ate lunch with him @ school. We brought cupcakes for the class and I stayed to read to the class. After piano lessons that night I asked J.K., "If you could eat anywhere where would you eat?" "ANYWHERE?" "Yes anywhere Buddy." "Could we go to Chuck E. Cheese?" "Sure." Eruption from the back seat as three children chant, "We're goin' to Chuck E. Cheese!" "We're goin' to Chuck E. Cheese!" I hate Chuck E. Cheese. But I sure love those kids. Later Charlotte told me
the commercial said that Chuck E. Cheese is a kid's favorite mouse. I said, "Hmm, Mickey is my favorite mouse, they wish Chuck E. Cheese was the favorite. He's Mickey's trailor-trash cousin." Charlotte laughed. I still got it.
That's all for now. Have a great weekend. Happy MLK holiday. LYLAS,
Tracey
Sunday, January 13, 2008
not a very good week :(
I was so excited to get started with my new blog page last weekend. Then on Tuesday Dave called me. He said "I just got a frantic call from your mom, Steve's had a stroke and he's on the way to the hospital." So, I called my mom and she was hysterical. I felt really bad for her. She asked me to call my brother which I promptly did, several times during the day. He never returned my call. Finally, I had Charlotte text message him from my cell phone and then he called me back. He had already heard the bad news from his wife. He had been looking for a miracle all day and when he got my text he thought OMG Tracey's learned to text! It's a miracle! He said he was glad to hear my voice as he was very distraught. He wasn't sure what to do about coming home because he just started a new job and has no PTO. I told him to pray about it and then go with his gut feeling. He did and got a flight out of Dallas on Thursday morning. He asked me to come to Birmingham also and of course I said yes. So, me and the kids let out on Thursday evening for the four hour trip to Alabama. We stayed at the Hampton Inn with visits back and forth to the hospital and Clark and Vicki's house. Since Steve is in ICU visiting hours are 9am, 1pm, 5pm & 8pm for 30 minutes per interval. My mom never left the patient waiting room unless she was with him. It has been a long week for her. When he first got there he was in bad shape as you can imagine. By the time I got there he was doing much better. He will remain in ICU until he shows more improvement. The Dr. told my mom she would like to see him communicate better than now. He can't speak and we aren't sure what all he can understand, but his blood pressure is down and they are weening him off some of his medications. This is a good sign. You just don't know what to expect with strokes. We are praying for the best. It was a long weekend for us and we are happy to be home in our Non-smokers home (the hotel only had a smokers room on Thursday night.) Hopefully the rest of my entries will be fluffy and much happier. I will keep you updated on my dad though. Have a good week and know someone in Memphis (home of the King-thankyouthankyouverymuch) is thinking about you and loves you. LYLAS, Tracey
Monday, January 7, 2008
My new Blog
Greetings everyone. This is the first post of my Blog. I want to see how this looks on my site..
I will start posting next week!
Thanks
I will start posting next week!
Thanks