VP Pick Candidate Sarah Palin... I love it!

Yesterday, Sen. John McCain picked long shot Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP choice. I know the experience issue has come up very quickly. But since Sarah Palin is a mother of five... I personally think she already has more experience than most people on the planet. She is no doubt a top negotiator, truce maker, economic strategist, home security expert,and the list just goes on. She is an evangelical Christian with a strong pro-life stand. She has tackled government corruption and she lives in the wildest state in the union! I am REALLY and FINALLY excited about the upcoming race! Go Sarah!

In the Spirit of Campaign Slogans...

MISS SPELLERS OF THE WORLD ....UNTIE!!!

I mean I'm just saying...

When I am gone.. if you could please not double bungee cord the faded fake flowers to the top of head stone I would be most grateful! This just might come under the heading of ... "You know you might be in the South if...".

When Time and Love are all that are needed to make a difference...

The face of an angel.... This is Jo Daughtery. Today Jo is 77 years young and still living exactly where I last saw her over 40 years ago.
The weekend I traveled back to Fallbrook for my reunion, I took a chance and went by the church that had given me sanctuary of a sort... and then just for grins I drove to the home of my former youth leaders. Ted and Jo had three girls of their own, yet always had room for twenty or thirty teenagers. Ted was a military enlisted man and he and Jo had dedicated themselves to be the VOLUNTEER youth leaders at the little Baptist church I attended. I knew that Ted had passed away many years ago, but I wondered.
I wondered if Jo might still be there, would the house be there? I found the house and parked and as I was getting ready to walk up to the door, a small women came out and asked if she could help me. I told her that she had already helped me and told her my maiden name! Jo was soooooo happy to see me and I was of course thrilled to see her. I just wanted her to know she had made a difference in my life.
She and Ted were just there for us. Their house was always open to us. It was a simple home and yet always and still spotless and yet comfortable. These amazing selfless servants fed us, fussed at us, drove us, let us play Twister in their living room, they prayed for us, protected us, stood up for us, and just loved us. Loved us when we were not so lovable. They gave so much and I just wanted her to know! Thank you Jo... much of who I am today I owe to you and Ted and a church willing to love a little girl from a less than stable background. Willing to give me rides, since I often came to church alone, willing to make sure I had something to add to potluck dinners so I wouldn't feel "weird", willing to listen, willing to pay my way to Christian camp in Glorietta, New Mexico where I became a Christian. Willing, available, and loving. Thank You Jo!

Obama selects running mate...hmmmm

For once there is no need for commentary!

Reunion Remembered...

Behind these same doors... were teachers who made a difference in my life!
Hey why did they pave the grass between the buildings?
The Duke's son Kevin went to school with us... when we were kids even the bowling alley was named after Duke Snider. The ball field seems like a better fit!
The football field looked GREAT...
And there on the water tower the year is still proudly displayed. We used to sneak up there and paint it when we were young... now the town does it for the kids to keep them from getting hurt!

Singing the school anthem! Priceless...

Remembering all the words... Miraculous!
"On a group of rolling foothills ... Stands a building we adore.
It's the Fallbrook Union High School ... One we'll love forevermore.
When we leave this school for greater and hail it's colors bright,
We'll not forget old Fallbrook and the dear old red and white!"

FUHS Reunion Class of 1968 Baby!!! Day 1

Could it really be that a week ago today I was in sunny southern California? I was whisked back in time to an era that was perhaps the happiest of my somewhat unique upbringing.

On Friday last I climbed aboard a Southwest flight from Raleigh and flew to San Diego via lay over in Denver. I arrived in beautiful San Diego at 4:30 in the afternoon, went to the car rental people and picked up my sporty, if not zippy, Ford focus. In minutes I was flying up the "5" towards Oceanside... okay, I was driving in 12 lanes of traffic ,which normally would terrify me, but it was rush hour and so people were going 35 miles an hour most of the way. This makes the whole term "rush hour" somewhat oxymoronic. Before leaving the sweet little rental car agent, I asked dumbly, "How do I get on Rt. 101 to Oceanside?" He then asked how long it had been since I had been in Southern California.... "well other than a quick weekend to Costa Mesa in 2005 ... ah... about 40 years I guess... what do you mean there are other ways to go north other than Rt. 101 or 395 ???" Silly me... but I digress. I arrived in Oceanside around 6 pm and drove straight to the apt. of a high school friend, whom I had not seen since graduation!
Robin had told me I could crash at her house for the weekend and so I was thrilled to have a safe place to stay and a friend with who I could talk about our high school years.

She was not planning to go to the Friday night event but I talked her into going. We followed our map and entered the secret code and found our way to the home of another classmate. When we drove up, we knew we would be late and were not certain where the house was exactly, but as we got closer we encountered Allen DeLong's classic 1956 Chevy and we knew we were in the right place.

We arrived about a half hour late.... but found our name tags.. (Thank goodness for whomever thought of putting our senior pictures on the name tags) and went out to the back yard. And there before me were about 75 former classmates and spouses... How had all these other people gotten so old.??... surely I will not recognize any of them .. but they will no doubt have NO problems recognizing me!!!HA! I mean how much might I have changed in 40 years?? Hmmm, well I have gained about 30 lbs, I have highlighted hair now, hiding the white and gray, glasses (darn... should have worn the contacts), and oh yes, a chest
(regardless of where it might actually reside now.. should have worn the wonder bra.. drat!)... which I certainly did not have in 1968!

Some people remembered me...but most of my group of girlfriends were NOT there! A few of the guys on whom I had huge crushes in high school were there, not that they ever knew that of course. And well to see them now... I am just as glad maybe nothing ever came of my day dreams. I guess it brought home to me that in fact I was not very "popular" in high school. I was not athletic, I was not in the band, I was not a cheerleader type, I was not academic. I was in choir ... I did like school... I was just not very good at it. Early on I had been labeled as "not college material" and so I seemed determined to live up to some guidance counselor's expectations of me!

But now it is forty years later and I found myself doing much the same thing as I did then... I would have loved to have been in the thick of things, but found myself sitting on the outskirts and observing. Don't think that I was not having a great time.. I really was. I was wonderful to see the amazing way in which the organizers had put the whole thing together. Our host's home was absolutely beautiful, both inside and out. And I did enjoy talking with people... after a few hours I could not figure out why I was sooooo tired and I looked at my watch and it was still on
Eastern Standard Time and it was 2:15 AM. even though the night was still young on the other coast! Stay tuned for my Saturday and of course the BIG EVENT!

to be continued...

Hysterical Markers!!!

There is just something about historical markers that bring out the kid in me! It does not matter where or when I see one, I shriek and holler and beg for whomever to pull to the side of the road so I can at least read the piece of history that has been summarized into a few words. There in molded metal along the highways and back country roads of our nation are pieces and snatches of our past. Here along Route 301 on the property of Fort AP Hill is a marker of infamy.

Local History... Who knew

Part of the assimilation process of living in a new area is getting to know the local color and history of an area. In recent days we have made several great discoveries. The stumbled across the Whitehall Battle site in Seven Springs and yesterday we visited the Charles Brantley Aycock birthplace in Pikeville, NC. Aycock was an early governor of North Carolina and is considered by many to be the "Education governor".

Sprinkles

Nothing says summer like a trip to Sprinkles! Sprinkles is an old fashioned ice cream shop. Every now and then G-pa treats and we all get ice cream! My personal favorite is White House Cherry... and sometimes Denali Moose Tracks! But watching little ones enjoy ice cream is a joy in and of itself!!

The Joy of Nananess...

Every now and then grand-mother-hood brings moments of sheer JOY! Yesterday was one of those days! Now it has been many years since I tried to wrangle three 'six and unders' but for a bit yesterday I was transported back to another place and time.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

One year ago we signed on the dotted line and became first time home owners! It has been an incredible year of joy and blessings. We love our home,our jobs,being near part of the fam and yes, even many of the "Southern" ways.