It’s ALL ABOUT ME!

Thank goodness we don’t have any wildfires near us. Georgia isn’t so lucky. The fires there have been burning for over a month. We have been seeing a lot of haze here in the last couple of weeks from the Georgia wildfires, but, for the most part, it’s been a haze much like what we normally get around here in the summer, only a bit heavier. This past Sunday, the haze was quite thick. This morning, however, it looks more like smoke. Gray and gloomy and thick. Another thing I noticed as I stepped out of the house this morning is the vivid scent of burning wood permeating the air. If I hadn’t already heard on the local news this morning that the smell of smoke was in the air, I would have been convinced there was something burning close-by — that’s how strong the scent is. It is quite amazing to me that something happening a couple of hundred miles from here still affects our atmosphere. I guess I shouldn’t be amazed, but I am. With no rain forecast for us (or for Georgia, I believe), I suppose the smoke and haze will continue for a bit longer. I’m just glad we don’t live closer to the fires.

Since Jimmy hasn’t posted because of his injury, here is his latest status report (sent yesterday):

good morning. just got back from the doctor. they took x-rays, cleaned the incision, changed the dressing, and sent me home. he says everything looks good and the incision is healing fine. says he’ll clear me to return to work after our follow-up appt next wednesday if everything still looks good. still hurts a lot, but he says that should ease up day by day.

the nurse asked me how i got hurt. i told him. he asked were you SOBER?

–jimmy

Leigh Ann

Here’s wishing Jimmy good luck with his outpatient surgery this morning. Hope all goes well and he’s up and riding his horse soon!

UPDATE: Just received an email from Daddy. He writes: “wendy just called and said jimmy was in the recovery room after about an hour in surgery. she reports that tarzan will make a full recovery.”

Jessica, Wilson, and I spent the weekend with Jennifer and had a good time. We did the usual: ate, shopped, shopped, visited, shopped. She and Sadie are coming home this weekend for the long weekend! We are going to float in the pool and generally relax! I cannot wait.

Happy Birthday to Granny! I sure do miss you!

Recently, I bought a couple of cement dogs. I don’t know why, but I’ve been wanting one for a long time. Actually, I want a life-size labrador — but unfortunately the store didn’t have one. FIrst I found this sad looking little fellow. He looks pretty good sitting in the front flower bed.

I liked him so much that I bought another one. This one wasn’t painted, so last Sunday, Jennifer and I set about the task of bringing the little fellow to life. Jim was out there to provide comic-relief! When I mentioned that I meant to take “before” and “after” pictures of the pup before we painted him, Jim said “Well, before he looked like a sidewalk, and now he looks like a white dog.” Ha! Later he was making fun of the dog’s eyes saying they were looking in two different directions!! The little pup ended up looking kind of sheepish and scared, but good enough to sit by the front door:

Sue and I are attempting to find all the information we can find regarding natural skin care. Skin care minus the harmful effects of the chemicals found in many of today’s products. One page we’ve found to be helpful is SmartSkinCare.com. I plan to write more on this subject later!

Christopher loves baseball almost as much as he loves girls. Maybe more, even! Since he graduated last May and hasn’t been playing baseball, he decided to coach. He is coaching a req-leage ball of 13- and 14-year old boys. He has really enjoyed this and, I must admit, he has a knack for it. He loves the game, knows how to coach it, and the boys seem to love him! So far the team has won a few and lost a few.

Recently, we had quite an exciting game:

Our team wasn’t playing well at all. They just weren’t connecting. The other team was up by 8 when we came to bat in the 7th inning. (Seven is all we play in this league, BTW.) Our team starting hitting and soon, we had 3 on the scoreboard. Then all “H” broke loose. The umps gave us a really bad call that cost us a run. The coach, being an into-it coach, argued the call. He argued it vehemently. So vehemently that he was THROWN FROM THE GAME! He left the park screaming under his breath.

I was so proud when, after the game, he apologized to the officials and gained permission to re-enter the park and congratulate the other team. It seems that all the talking I did throughout his childhood about being a good sport took hold. I was so very proud of my son who acted like the man he is!

Oh — did I mention that since he was tossed from the game he cannot coach the next game? The assistant coach had to work that day and could not be there. Guess who coached??? His uncle Kenny! I thought I was going to have to, but Kenny volunteered and saved the day. The next game was a new adventure in redneck behavior, but that’s another story.

Here are the flowers I got for Mother’s day. Christopher picked them out by himself! He repotted one into a small pot and it is sitting on my desk at work. Jennifer repotted the big purple ones. I love my flowers!

I even got roses from Molly:

Here is my peony — Lisa gave it to me 2 years ago. I thought the freeze got it, but luckily not!

I received this email from my cousin, Myra. On this Mother’s Day, I would like to share it with all siblings:

Leigh Ann,

I am thinking about you this Mother’s Day and just want you to know that your Mother treasured you with all her heart. She adored all of her children and she was so sad to be leaving you all so soon. Just know that she is watching over you and it was not her choice to leave you. There was not as much known about cancer treatments when she got it.

I love you,
Myra