This has got to be quick.
I'm back in Scottsboro, but had to bring Kate back with us. Ann, the kids, and I came home by way of Auburn. Kate came down with a very tough virus and was very sick on Monday. I drove her back in her car, following Ann who was driving her van.
Kate is on day 3 and is still not well enough to drive back alone. We came out to Ann's who has wireless connection for a laptop - I don't have that - and remember that my computer is at the computer place getting a makeover. :-) I guess it's more like the Mayo Clinic for computers. :-)
Kate will probably return to Auburn tomorrow - so had to get out here to use her computer to email her teachers. She had 2 days worth of doctor's excuses, but this is day 3. So - being sick and being at the end of the semester - well -it just doesn't work very well at all.
Anyway - this post is my way of communicating with the cyberspace world - Can't wait to get my computer back.
Beautifu days - beautiful weather - looking forward to some warmth.
If anyone reads this and wants to email me on my alternate address - it's elizabethrhode@gmail.com. I will, on occasion, check that email until I get my computer back - on which I use my scottsboro.org address.
The wedding in Evergreen was beautiful and I saw many cousins, old friends, extended family, extended family, extended family - it was wonderful - Ellie and Luke loved my old world. Who needs Disney World when one can go to Evergreen and stay at Mary Ann's house? :-)
I learned that more cousins than I realized are reading my blog - so when I get my computer back and don't feel so rushed, I will post, knowing they might be reading. Want to tell more Evergreen stories. I would love for cousins to interact with this - or perhaps begin their own blog. That would be fun.
gotta go.
Will check back in later.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Here We Are in Evergreen, and This Post Is Very Random
Well - it finally happened - my very slow, very weighted down computer(as in a little note on my computer keeps telling me that my memory is getting full - and I don't know if it's talking about my brain or my computer's brain) - my computer did get a little virus. awwwwww. It all happened on Tuesday and I was going out of town on Wednesday. So - Tuesday night Charlie and I drove over to H'ville to leave my pet, I mean, my computer - with the Geeks at Best Buy. The Geek Squad. I love those guys. I wish I knew all that they know. I envy their knowledge of computers. I want to know it too. I am a bit of a Geek myself. We took the computer in and I told him it seemed a bit virusy. Sure enough, it had a virus. We spent a lot of time there and left it with them.
Guess what's weird. I haven't told anyone on this blog about our two pets dying. Our real pets. We had two golden retrievers. One was 15 years and the other was 9 years. Nettie, the 15 year old had gotten very very ill and obviously dying. We had planned to have her put to sleep on Monday morning before we left for Clearwater Beach. On Sunday, after church, Charlie couldn't find Jack, our 9 year dog, son of Nettie. He was under the porch and had died!!! That is so odd, that on the weekend we decide to have Nettie put to sleep, Jack died!!! He was HUGE!!! It was quite a dilemna for Charlie to pull him out from under the porch, dead weight - and find a place to dispose of his body - on a Sunday afternoon. But he did find a place - a friend has a farm and was kind enough to help Charlie get Jack into his truck and use farm equipment to dig a hole big and deep enough to properly bury him. Jack's finally on a farm. He was such a huge active dog, that we always said he needed to be on a farm. We have a fenced in backyard and back porch, which Jack and Nettie had full run of - but it wasn't really enough for Jack. He needed land. He was much, too much, dog for us. So - we are without pets, and I can't fake being sad. My daughter, Sarah, was emotionally attached to both of them and it was especially hard on her. I understand that the norm is for folks to be especially bonded with their pets. That just didn't happen with me and these two dogs. They turned my back porch and back yard into a "dog pen" and it smelled like a dog pen. They were very sweet dogs, just big and not suited for my yard and plants. I really wanted to not have pets, but wanted no harm done to them - I wanted comfort for them and happiness in dog terms. But alas they are gone - and I confess I don't miss them.
Okay - what's really weird and odd - is that after leaving my computer with the folks at Best Buy - and I came home - there in my computer spot I felt a twinge of something - like I missed it - How weird is that??? I had to think that I am really messed up if I felt no emotion after the two dogs were gone, but felt a little something over the computer being gone - (I'm actually posting this on someone else's computer)
Anyway - on Wednesday - Ann and the children and I drove from Scottsboro to Evergreen. We're here for the wedding of Mary Hamilton Robinson to Chandler Graves. Mary Hamilton is the daughter of my cousin. Ellie will be the flowergirl in the wedding along with Jay and William Robinson's being the bellringers. Jay and William are the two sons of another cousin. There are all these levels of cousins and William, Jay, and Ellie are in the 3rd level - with 1st cousins being the 1st level. As a matter of fact, when I was growing up in Evergreen, speaking of levels of cousins, I was always told by my mom and a few others that I looked just like Mabel Ellis who had been a cousin to my mother. They would stare at me and say I looked just like Mabel Ellis - well - on the way down to Evergreen yesterday - I was giving a travel update to my sister, Mary Ann, over the phone and she told me that Susan Cook and Jenny Gholston(2 other cousins) had been over to Mary's house with pictures of Mabel Ellis. I had not heard Mabel's name in so long (she was my mom's generation -mom would be 90 this sept '09) Mary Ann said that once again it was being said - the pictures look just like Elizabeth. I said to Mary Ann, "I just hope she looks good - because it's going to be a blow to my self esteem if after all these years I see her and well - you know what I mean". I saw the pictures and it was hard to tell - they were from the "roaring 20's era". And they were all yellowed - but sure enough. There was one and I saw me in it. Weird.
So - we're here in Evergreen - Steve's at home in Scottsboro. Charlie is at home in Scottsboro - but we're here. Ellie and Ann and Mary Ann will go to the bridesmaids' luncheon on Friday. I am going to babysit Luke and Andrew during that. There is the rehearsal and dinner - but Ann and Ellie are skipping the dinner - that will be during bedtime. On Saturday morning there will be a brunch for out of town guests hosted by Mary Claire Warlick and Martha Robinson - my cousins and aunts to the bride. Martha is the grandmother of Jay and William and I've blogged about her before when I visited her in B'ham right before Andrew was born. Mary Claire is my cousin whose daughter, Claire, is maid of honor in the wedding. It's a very Evergreen/family wedding and we're very glad to be here. On Saturday Charlie will be here at the wedding as well as Sarah and Laura Beth. Kate won't be here as she has to work. :-(
That is all about that - not very interesting and way too much information. It's all just so much of what is going on right now. I've been looking at the calendar before Andrew was even born - knowing this spring was going to be loaded with events - much more than I am accustomed to - I'm not a fast paced kind of gal - and I had anticipated this spring with a feeling of "I need to 'buckle up'. " First - Andrew's birth and all of that - Then - the luncheon that I began preparing for before his birth knowing I couldn't do "luncheon" stuff after he was born. Third - the luncheon and being gone a week for that - with Ann still needing help - and finally - these two wedding weekends back to back. Both weddings involve travel - especially the Clearwater Beach wedding - a place I've never been - and I'm not much of a traveler - although it was beautiful and the time with Charlie's family was really nice - I just love home. The only place I like next to home is Evergreen - which was my first home - so - there you are.
I said all of this to say that when I get back to Scottsboro - I still won't have my computer and don't know when I will. There will be no posting for a while. Maybe I can post pictures on Mary Ann's computer - of this weekend - before I return to Scottsboro.
Guess what's weird. I haven't told anyone on this blog about our two pets dying. Our real pets. We had two golden retrievers. One was 15 years and the other was 9 years. Nettie, the 15 year old had gotten very very ill and obviously dying. We had planned to have her put to sleep on Monday morning before we left for Clearwater Beach. On Sunday, after church, Charlie couldn't find Jack, our 9 year dog, son of Nettie. He was under the porch and had died!!! That is so odd, that on the weekend we decide to have Nettie put to sleep, Jack died!!! He was HUGE!!! It was quite a dilemna for Charlie to pull him out from under the porch, dead weight - and find a place to dispose of his body - on a Sunday afternoon. But he did find a place - a friend has a farm and was kind enough to help Charlie get Jack into his truck and use farm equipment to dig a hole big and deep enough to properly bury him. Jack's finally on a farm. He was such a huge active dog, that we always said he needed to be on a farm. We have a fenced in backyard and back porch, which Jack and Nettie had full run of - but it wasn't really enough for Jack. He needed land. He was much, too much, dog for us. So - we are without pets, and I can't fake being sad. My daughter, Sarah, was emotionally attached to both of them and it was especially hard on her. I understand that the norm is for folks to be especially bonded with their pets. That just didn't happen with me and these two dogs. They turned my back porch and back yard into a "dog pen" and it smelled like a dog pen. They were very sweet dogs, just big and not suited for my yard and plants. I really wanted to not have pets, but wanted no harm done to them - I wanted comfort for them and happiness in dog terms. But alas they are gone - and I confess I don't miss them.
Okay - what's really weird and odd - is that after leaving my computer with the folks at Best Buy - and I came home - there in my computer spot I felt a twinge of something - like I missed it - How weird is that??? I had to think that I am really messed up if I felt no emotion after the two dogs were gone, but felt a little something over the computer being gone - (I'm actually posting this on someone else's computer)
Anyway - on Wednesday - Ann and the children and I drove from Scottsboro to Evergreen. We're here for the wedding of Mary Hamilton Robinson to Chandler Graves. Mary Hamilton is the daughter of my cousin. Ellie will be the flowergirl in the wedding along with Jay and William Robinson's being the bellringers. Jay and William are the two sons of another cousin. There are all these levels of cousins and William, Jay, and Ellie are in the 3rd level - with 1st cousins being the 1st level. As a matter of fact, when I was growing up in Evergreen, speaking of levels of cousins, I was always told by my mom and a few others that I looked just like Mabel Ellis who had been a cousin to my mother. They would stare at me and say I looked just like Mabel Ellis - well - on the way down to Evergreen yesterday - I was giving a travel update to my sister, Mary Ann, over the phone and she told me that Susan Cook and Jenny Gholston(2 other cousins) had been over to Mary's house with pictures of Mabel Ellis. I had not heard Mabel's name in so long (she was my mom's generation -mom would be 90 this sept '09) Mary Ann said that once again it was being said - the pictures look just like Elizabeth. I said to Mary Ann, "I just hope she looks good - because it's going to be a blow to my self esteem if after all these years I see her and well - you know what I mean". I saw the pictures and it was hard to tell - they were from the "roaring 20's era". And they were all yellowed - but sure enough. There was one and I saw me in it. Weird.
So - we're here in Evergreen - Steve's at home in Scottsboro. Charlie is at home in Scottsboro - but we're here. Ellie and Ann and Mary Ann will go to the bridesmaids' luncheon on Friday. I am going to babysit Luke and Andrew during that. There is the rehearsal and dinner - but Ann and Ellie are skipping the dinner - that will be during bedtime. On Saturday morning there will be a brunch for out of town guests hosted by Mary Claire Warlick and Martha Robinson - my cousins and aunts to the bride. Martha is the grandmother of Jay and William and I've blogged about her before when I visited her in B'ham right before Andrew was born. Mary Claire is my cousin whose daughter, Claire, is maid of honor in the wedding. It's a very Evergreen/family wedding and we're very glad to be here. On Saturday Charlie will be here at the wedding as well as Sarah and Laura Beth. Kate won't be here as she has to work. :-(
That is all about that - not very interesting and way too much information. It's all just so much of what is going on right now. I've been looking at the calendar before Andrew was even born - knowing this spring was going to be loaded with events - much more than I am accustomed to - I'm not a fast paced kind of gal - and I had anticipated this spring with a feeling of "I need to 'buckle up'. " First - Andrew's birth and all of that - Then - the luncheon that I began preparing for before his birth knowing I couldn't do "luncheon" stuff after he was born. Third - the luncheon and being gone a week for that - with Ann still needing help - and finally - these two wedding weekends back to back. Both weddings involve travel - especially the Clearwater Beach wedding - a place I've never been - and I'm not much of a traveler - although it was beautiful and the time with Charlie's family was really nice - I just love home. The only place I like next to home is Evergreen - which was my first home - so - there you are.
I said all of this to say that when I get back to Scottsboro - I still won't have my computer and don't know when I will. There will be no posting for a while. Maybe I can post pictures on Mary Ann's computer - of this weekend - before I return to Scottsboro.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Okay - update.
Here it is Monday April 13 - and I am checking in to this blog of mine.
Charlie and I left on Monday, a week ago, to travel to McDonough, GA by way of Auburn, Alabama. That route takes 5 hours instead of 3 hours when we go up to Chattanooga and down 75. On Tuesday morning we left McDonough for Clearwater, Florida. Charlie's niece was getting married down there and we shared a rental house with Charlie's brother and sister and mother and our sister and brother-in-law and other 2 nieces. So - in the house which had 6 bedrooms - stayed 3 married couples, 2 young women, and Charlie's sweet mom whose birthday is April 19. We celebrated her birthday while we were down there. She will turn 87 on the 19th and is blessed with an incredible genetic makeup. Sharp as a tack and physically fit - she's great fun and was on the dance floor at the reception. Amazing. The wedding was on Friday and we drove 12 hours to make it back on Saturday - didn't want to miss Easter with our new church family and all our grandchildren and children. If you go to Laura Beth's blog you can read about what happened to their spending Easter with us. Hers is www.adaupdates2.blogspot.com. We were just ahead of them in Atlanta traffic when they had to turn around. We were talking constantly on the phone during their whole ordeal with Ada's illness which began while in the car.
Anyway, we're back and so glad to be here. I do love home. Had a good visit with Sarah and Kate, who returned to Auburn yesterday. They'll be here for the summer in 3 or 4 weeks.
Okay, so if you're reading this and you're from S'boro - you already know about the weather phenomenon which happened in the wee hours. The noise of the wind woke Charlie and me at 2:00 am. I got up to turn on the TV, knowing there MUST be tornado warnings. Our slightly locked front door(hard to explain about that) was blown wide open. I closed and slightly locked it once again and check the weather reports. Nothing. Nothing was being said on TV. Nothing. and I was thinking, "You gotta be kidding - come on guys - you report everything!!!" But there was nothing. That horrifyingly strong wind went on for quite sometime. I knew the power wouldn't last, and it didn't. I couldn't sleep in our bed - just knew our bradford pears were going to come through the wall - but they never did. I slept on the couch. Charlie stayed where he was. Had he known what we now know - he wouldn't have stayed in that bed. Today - huge trees all over Scottsboro are down. It looks like a hurricane went through. Powerlines are down everywhere. Some areas are just now getting power - at 11:00 am and at 1:00 PM. We got power at 9:00 am.
Charlie found out that it was a rare phenomenon called Gravity Wind and began to explain it to me - so I just googled it and was going to copy and paste the scientific explanation here on my blog - but I didn't find anything that sounded like what we experienced last night. It wasn't predicted by the weather guys - it wasn't reported while it was happening, but it will surely be explained tonight on the local channels. Surely.
Anyway, the two of us here at 1412 Byron Road were very fortunate - and we have friends all over Scottsboro who have awful damage to their homes and property.
Ann said someone told her gusts were measured at 80 mph. Crazy! I knew it sounded scary.
We're due for more severe weather this afternoon, but I'm not sure about that. Need to turn on the TV to get any reports. Haven't done that.
As I post, I'll just also add that on Wednesday Ann and her 3 little ones and myself travel to South Alabama for another wedding. This is the wedding in which Ellie serves as flowergirl. I posted about the luncheon Mary Ann and I hosted in March. Well - that wedding is on Saturday. We'll return on Sunday. Active times now.
When we return Ann will begin to prepare for the celebration of Ellie's 4th birthday. Older moms - remember all of that? Quite a workout for mom - making that birthday so special. Love to do it. Have to do it. But it's a ..... well - one doesn't miss preparing for all those birthday celebrations.
Following that week - I drive to McDonough to stay with Ada while LB and Scott take a little trip to Destin - or Rosemary Beach - to celebrate their 3rd anniversary. awwwww. I don't get to see much of Ada - thought I'd see her Easter - but that was not to be. I saw her briefly when we stopped over in McDonough. I miss that little redhead so much. I just need to pray them in this direction. I wish it could happen.
And after all of that - Sarah and Kate will be here for the summer. We all know that is going to be a challenge. When adult children come home. It's just for a brief summer, but still - we're all adults now and adults need more space - don't you think? It's really mine and Charlie's idea - we just need a summer's break from the financial drain of school. Honestly - Sarah and Kate would much rather stay in Auburn - but they are being brave and coming home.
That is all for now. It's an update. I'm going to add some music to my playlist. Gary Chapman was the musician at the wedding in Clearwater - so now I have his music on my brain. I think I'll try to look for it on playlist and add it to my music.
That's all.
Charlie and I left on Monday, a week ago, to travel to McDonough, GA by way of Auburn, Alabama. That route takes 5 hours instead of 3 hours when we go up to Chattanooga and down 75. On Tuesday morning we left McDonough for Clearwater, Florida. Charlie's niece was getting married down there and we shared a rental house with Charlie's brother and sister and mother and our sister and brother-in-law and other 2 nieces. So - in the house which had 6 bedrooms - stayed 3 married couples, 2 young women, and Charlie's sweet mom whose birthday is April 19. We celebrated her birthday while we were down there. She will turn 87 on the 19th and is blessed with an incredible genetic makeup. Sharp as a tack and physically fit - she's great fun and was on the dance floor at the reception. Amazing. The wedding was on Friday and we drove 12 hours to make it back on Saturday - didn't want to miss Easter with our new church family and all our grandchildren and children. If you go to Laura Beth's blog you can read about what happened to their spending Easter with us. Hers is www.adaupdates2.blogspot.com. We were just ahead of them in Atlanta traffic when they had to turn around. We were talking constantly on the phone during their whole ordeal with Ada's illness which began while in the car.
Anyway, we're back and so glad to be here. I do love home. Had a good visit with Sarah and Kate, who returned to Auburn yesterday. They'll be here for the summer in 3 or 4 weeks.
Okay, so if you're reading this and you're from S'boro - you already know about the weather phenomenon which happened in the wee hours. The noise of the wind woke Charlie and me at 2:00 am. I got up to turn on the TV, knowing there MUST be tornado warnings. Our slightly locked front door(hard to explain about that) was blown wide open. I closed and slightly locked it once again and check the weather reports. Nothing. Nothing was being said on TV. Nothing. and I was thinking, "You gotta be kidding - come on guys - you report everything!!!" But there was nothing. That horrifyingly strong wind went on for quite sometime. I knew the power wouldn't last, and it didn't. I couldn't sleep in our bed - just knew our bradford pears were going to come through the wall - but they never did. I slept on the couch. Charlie stayed where he was. Had he known what we now know - he wouldn't have stayed in that bed. Today - huge trees all over Scottsboro are down. It looks like a hurricane went through. Powerlines are down everywhere. Some areas are just now getting power - at 11:00 am and at 1:00 PM. We got power at 9:00 am.
Charlie found out that it was a rare phenomenon called Gravity Wind and began to explain it to me - so I just googled it and was going to copy and paste the scientific explanation here on my blog - but I didn't find anything that sounded like what we experienced last night. It wasn't predicted by the weather guys - it wasn't reported while it was happening, but it will surely be explained tonight on the local channels. Surely.
Anyway, the two of us here at 1412 Byron Road were very fortunate - and we have friends all over Scottsboro who have awful damage to their homes and property.
Ann said someone told her gusts were measured at 80 mph. Crazy! I knew it sounded scary.
We're due for more severe weather this afternoon, but I'm not sure about that. Need to turn on the TV to get any reports. Haven't done that.
As I post, I'll just also add that on Wednesday Ann and her 3 little ones and myself travel to South Alabama for another wedding. This is the wedding in which Ellie serves as flowergirl. I posted about the luncheon Mary Ann and I hosted in March. Well - that wedding is on Saturday. We'll return on Sunday. Active times now.
When we return Ann will begin to prepare for the celebration of Ellie's 4th birthday. Older moms - remember all of that? Quite a workout for mom - making that birthday so special. Love to do it. Have to do it. But it's a ..... well - one doesn't miss preparing for all those birthday celebrations.
Following that week - I drive to McDonough to stay with Ada while LB and Scott take a little trip to Destin - or Rosemary Beach - to celebrate their 3rd anniversary. awwwww. I don't get to see much of Ada - thought I'd see her Easter - but that was not to be. I saw her briefly when we stopped over in McDonough. I miss that little redhead so much. I just need to pray them in this direction. I wish it could happen.
And after all of that - Sarah and Kate will be here for the summer. We all know that is going to be a challenge. When adult children come home. It's just for a brief summer, but still - we're all adults now and adults need more space - don't you think? It's really mine and Charlie's idea - we just need a summer's break from the financial drain of school. Honestly - Sarah and Kate would much rather stay in Auburn - but they are being brave and coming home.
That is all for now. It's an update. I'm going to add some music to my playlist. Gary Chapman was the musician at the wedding in Clearwater - so now I have his music on my brain. I think I'll try to look for it on playlist and add it to my music.
That's all.
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