Busy Week Ahead

Seth will be going in for surgery on his neck Thursday morning. He has had a visible knot there since he was just a wee baby. It has grown gradually over his two years and just recently it opened up and lots of yuckies oozed out. The Dr. found that there is still something in there which is the reason for the surgery. It will be a 90 minute procedure and they will be intubating him. Please remember our little guy in your prayers. I will be sure to give you an update.

Me, Chris and Theresa

~~*~~

I thought I would get this post done early because the rest of the week is going to get past me in a hurry. The above picture was taken on my baby boy's first birthday. Saturday we will be celebrating his 34th. Would someone please tell me where did the years go! We will be hosting Chris' birthday dinner complete with those brats on the grill that he loves so well. Melody tried to pull a fast one on me by demurely asking if I was going to fix fried chicken too. It didn't work.... I am fixing chicken for the ones that don't like red meat (I don't know where these people came from), but not fried. It will be on the grill and soaked in BBQ sauce. We will have my potato salad (something else they always are wanting) and baked beans. Getting on with this birthday post, I am so proud of you Chris and the man that you have become. I don't remember a time in Chris' life that he wasn't quick to take an every day situation and add something funny to it. When he was 4 years old we were living in Santa Ana, California. Chris' dad's step mother and one of her friends had come across country to visit with us. The friend was getting dressed one morning and Chris just barged right into the bathroom while she was putting on her bra. She was a breast cancer survivor and one of her breasts had been removed. Chris just happened to see her putting the breast form into her bra and he was quite puzzled by it. She allowed Chris to stand in the doorway while she finished her morning routine of getting dressed. Next on the list was to brush her false teeth and then put them in her mouth. Following that was combing her hair, which amounted to adding an extra piece that made it look like her hair was nice and thick. When she had completed her morning ritual Chris was just flabbergasted by the whole ordeal, but still found the words to describe what he had just witnessed. He told this nice older lady that she was just like a puzzle, it took a lot of pieces to put her together in the morning. Chris, you have certainly added spice to my life so it wouldn't be bland or boring. I remember when I would have to punish you for something that you did and you would look at me with those big brown eyes and long eye lashes and ask me how I could be "SO MEAN TO YOU"...... I remember telling you that I punished you and your sister (not so much as you) because I am trying to raise a couple of descent human beings. I have had quite a few jobs over my life time, but when I look at the people you and Theresa have turned out to be, I would have to say that the most important job I ever had was raising the two of you.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS"

We received a call last week from J.D.'s youngest brother to let us know that he and his wife will be coming to visit us for a few days the end of this week. It will be the first time Hulen and Linda has met my bunch of heathens. I just hope they remember to use their company manners and use their silverware and napkins.... (my children, not Hulen and Linda) hehehehe.

Have A Great Rest Of The Week...

Through The Years

Sixty years ago today I made my grand entrance into this life. I was the fourth and last child born to Bertha Mae (Crace) Riley and Joseph L. Riley. As long as my mother was alive, she recalled for me on April 9th of every year that it snowed on my first birthday. She would also tell me that Easter fell on my first birthday as well. FYI..... It has not fallen on my birthday again in sixty years. The last thing these sixty years have been was hum-drum or boring. This journey has carried me down many roads. Some quite twisted and full of curves, some dark and scary, while others were bright, beautiful and overflowing with laughter and happiness.




Regardless of the hardships and unhappiness that I have faced in my lifetime, I can honestly say that I wouldn't wish them away if I could. Those same hardships and unhappiness is the cast that molded me into the person that I am. My whole life has been mobile until six years ago when J.D. retired and we put our roots down here on J.D.'s mountain in Southern Ohio to finish out what time we have left here on this earth. I can't think of any place I would rather be.



I give thanks every day for the many special friends and loved ones that have been a part of my journey. Each of them has touched my life in some way and made me the better person for having walked with me for a while. I love and appreciate each and everyone of you.



My little family will be honoring me with a Birthday celebration this evening. I love our family get togethers..... there is always such a feeling of warmth and happiness when we can all be together. I love you little party animals! I offer thanks to my parents for giving me life. I am especially thankful to God for denying me my wishes to end my life, during those times when life seemed especially dark. There was indeed so much more ahead to live for.

Wishing all a blessed day!

Happy Birthday Chris

It wouldn't be your birthday Chris, without this message from your Grandma........ "33 years ago today, I stepped off of an airplane in L.A., California and your Dad was there to meet me with the news that I had a brand new grandson." She told you that same story from the time you were old enough to understand. She loved you with all of her heart. She loved all of her grandchildren, but you and your sister had a very special place in her heart because she was able to spend more time with you as you grew up.


As I look at you today, a husband, father, brother, son, uncle, boss, teacher and friend, It warms my heart. You wear so many hats in the course of a day and they all fit you well. You have fought hard and never backed away from what you believe in and what you believe to be the right thing to do. You have worked and studied long hours for a long time to reach your standing at work. Melody was a God send for you. She helped to get your life back on course when life was being so unkind to you and she helped you plant your feet firmly against an ex-wife that would see you destroyed. You have stood by your family, as well as your friends when things were rocky and served as an anchor in a raging storm for all of us. I have to admit that as you were growing up I worried about your future. No matter what you encountered, you just lowered your head and charged into it full speed without even weighing your options or considering what lay ahead of you. No matter how many times I tried to save you from hurt by telling you (many times from my own experiences) what could happen if you followed through on the path you were on, your choice was always to do it any way. You were always one of those children that didn't learn from being told.... you needed to learn from experiencing.


You also had a heart as big as the outdoors. When I cried, my little Chris would comfort me with a hug and a Kleenex. When in grade school they talked of people starving to death in Ethiopia, every penny that you had saved from Christmas and your birthday you took to school to donate to help these people. You always befriended the kids at school that were picked on or shunned by other kids. When the neighbor's house burned down, you gave J.O. one of your baseball caps because everything he had was now gone. I remember how he treasured that cap. As you have grown, so has your heart............ You are still the first one there to lend a helping hand to those in need. Even when there is no real need, you are there to do what you can because it is the good thing to do. As your walk through life you spread little seeds of kindness along your path. Melody and your children are right there spreading those seeds along with you. I am so proud of the man that you have become! Happy Birthday to my baby boy!

I want to thank Sherry @ 'Edie Marie's Attic' , Connie @ 'My Thoughts And Creations' and Tracy @ 'Spiritual Brush Strokes'
for honoring me with this wonderful award. Between my doctor's appointment and being entertained by Riley this week I have gotten a little behind on postings. You both have humbled me and at the same time brought a huge smile to my face and heart. Now it is my turn to share this wonderful award with some very deserving people.



Britt @ 'Britt-Arnhild's House In The Woods' Britt is a multi talented woman that takes her readers on tour of so many beautiful European locations with photos and narrative. She opens her home to all and shares the many customs and traditions of her home land with us. Her post are a delight to read.



Shelley @ 'Artsy Etc.' Have you ever seen a camera talk? Well, then you need to drop in and visit Shelley. Her artistic abilities go beyond charcoal and a sketch pad. She brings so many wonderful pieces of art that she creates with her camera to Cyber City via her postings to share with us. I have been inspired and up lifted many times by Shelley's postings.

Rosie @ 'Smokey Mountain Breakdown' Rosie lives in the Smoky Mountains with her critters. She is a published writer and shares her talents with us through her wonderful stories on her blog. My roots run deep in Appalachia and I have a deep appreciation for Rosie and her Chronicles of the people and happenings around her.

Peggy @ 'Hidden Haven Homestead' Peggy shares her life with us as she goes about maintaining what is by no means an easy life. She shares the antics of her kids which adds up to a life that is anything but boring. Stop by for a visit and see if you don't feel right at home.

Diane @ 'Diane's Place' Diane posts a weekly Sunday dinner menu that I gain weight from just by reading. She shares pictures and stories about her family and the light of her life, little Miss Emmy (her grand daughter). Emmy is about the same age as our Seth and it is adorable. Visiting Diane's blog is like going to visit family. You feel at home as soon as you walk through the door and want to kick your shoes off and stay for supper.

Kentucky Woman @ 'Little Drops....Into The Pool Of Life' This woman deserves a standing ovation for the tireless way that stays on top of what is going on with our service men and women. She does this as well as spends quality time with her grandchildren, mother and siblings..... not to forget that four letter word..WORK. I appreciate all the effort that she puts into her postings to keep us up to date with news from the front.

Judy @ 'Memories Are Made Of This' I love Judy's postings. She shares pictures and stories from her life from her childhood to the present. If you are a Baby Boomer you will find it to be like a walk down memory lane. So many times I have read her postings and just some little thing she says will spark a good memory of something from my own past that I have long since forgotten. She has brought many warm memories and good feeling to my mind and heart.

That just about takes care of today's post. It is going to be a scorcher today and there is not the first bit of a breeze on the mountain ridge. I am going to close this post and fix something good for lunch that will go along with a hot day. Have a blessed day.

Happy Birthday Tersie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TERSIE

June 6, 1970

What I would like to give my daughter is freedom. And this is something that must be given by example, not by exhortation. Freedom is a loose leash, a license to be different from your mother and still be loved. . . . Freedom is . . . not insisting that your daughter share your limitations. Freedom also means letting your daughter reject you when she needs to and come back when she needs to. Freedom is unconditional love.
~Erica Jong (20th century)

And thou shalt in thy daughter see, This picture, once, resembled thee. ~Ambrose Philips (1675-1749)

I just want you to know my sweet Tersie, that I couldn't have asked for a better daughter than what you have been. Over the years we have traveled many roads together on this journey that we call life. We have laughed together, as well as cried together. I have tried to be there when ever you needed me and tried to stand back and let you be independant and take your chances at succeeding or not. In either case I tried to always be there to cheer for your successes and help you back to your feet when you slipped and fell. More times than not, you have given me reason to be proud of you. Like a flower........through the years you have blossomed into the beautiful person that you are. In all cases my love for you has been and always will be unconditional and always with you.

Birthdays and Cake

Saturday was Seth's 1st Birthday. I can hardly believe that this past year has gone by so fast. Poor little guy had a rough go of it the first few weeks that he was home from the hospital. They sent him home with jaundice and that meant that he had to go almost daily for blood work for about 2 weeks. There was more than once during this time that I wanted to give a couple of lab techs a piece of my mind for being so inept, but I bit my tongue and didn't say anything.



Melody made Seth's birthday cake, as well as a baseball cake just for Seth to dig into. Well, I am here to tell you that just didn't happen. We coaxed and pleaded with him to dig into that cake. We even gave him a spoon, but the best he would give us was one finger in the icing. Mama did a good job with this one, teaching him not to get dirty. I am thinking he needs a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a day of playing in the dirt.


Now big brother Riley was a different story when he had his first birthday cake. As you can see, Riley didn't need any coaxing to get into his cake and devour it.

Alley Oop didn't have her own cake to make a mess with when she had her first birthday. She made up for it though by digging into Seth's cake when he was finished with it. Good work Sis.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to our

SWEET BABY BOY!

Happy Birthday Riley

Yesterday was Riley's Birthday Party. It was planned for the park, but the weather just didn't co-operate with us. I have put together a --> slide show <-- (Click for slide show) of the festivities to share. As a point of interest, Riley wants to be a fireman when he grows up. I am also trying to add a clip of the birthday boy blowing out his candles on his cake. Wish me luck!

This clip has sound so you might want to page down to

My Play List on the side bar and turn it off before playing the clip.

"Happy Birthday Riley"

Birthday Thank Yous

I did indeed have a Happy Birthday not only yesterday, but on Friday too. I was treated to a birthday celebration with J.D., my children and grandchildren on Friday evening. As soon as Tersie got home from work, she and the girls joined us at Chris and Melody's. I thought it was wonderful that Britt was able to be there. She has a very busy life. Of course Seth Day is on Fridays so J.D. and I were already there. Chris got home early because they got rained out at work and even Alley Oop got there for the weekend a little earlier than usual. Melody and Chris offered to cook anything I wanted. Hmmm...... I thought of the one meal that I seldom fix, but have enjoyed since I was a child. We had Sloppy Joes, corn, and chips. That was followed by my birthday cake with a very few candles on it. I think they were afraid to use 59 candles for fear of the smoke detectors going off. Riley and T-Bear helped me blow out the candles. I opened my cards and then opened the gift that I had been teased with for weeks before from all of them. It was a digital picture frame. I loved it.

'Jo 1952'

I had an appointment with my ENT doctor on my birthday. There were signs on all of the doors to be sure to wish Dr. Cosenza a Happy Birthday. I thought that was pretty neat. For my birthday gift he told me that the medication he has me on for the acid reflux seems to be doing the job, because he couldn't see any irritation to my throat. After leaving his office J.D. treated me to lunch at the Olive Garden. It just doesn't get much better than that. From there we headed home to the mountain with a quick stop to pick up medication. It seems as if the older I get the more I enjoy the peace, quiet and comforts of home. Thank you to my husband, children and grandchildren for making my birthday special. I also thank all of you that left birthday wishes for me here. A special thank you to Pea since she is the one that let everyone know it was my birthday...... You can't get much by her. :-)

'Joe and Bertha Riley 1935'

This is a picture of my parents taken around 1935 just prior to their wedding day April 11th. It was taken along Camp Creek here in southern Ohio. Grandpa Riley ran his still down by the creek where it was nice and wooded and not very likely to be stumbled upon. If you are able to click on the picture to make it larger, you will see that my mother is holding a gun on my dad. Not two weeks after they were married, my uncle came running into the house telling Grandpa Riley that the law was on their way and they had found out where the still was. He in turn sent my uncle and my dad to tear the still apart and hide everything. It might have worked if they had done what Grandpa told them to do. Instead, as they were tearing things apart, they got into one of the jugs of moonshine. Needless to say this slowed things down quite a bit. My uncle got antsy about the law showing up and took off, leaving Dad there alone with the still. The law really did know the location of the still, they did show up and they questioned Dad about the ownership of the still. Being the loyal son that he was, he claimed ownership of it. The sheriff kept telling him that they knew it belonged to Grandpa and if he insisted on claiming that still as his it would mean he was going to do time in prison for it. So it was, that two weeks after my parents were married, my dad went to prison for six months. My Dad died in 1978 and my Mom in 2001. Tomorrow would have been their 73rd wedding anniversary.

Have a blessed day!

~Jo

The Greatest Pain......

In the life of a parent or grandparent, the greatest pain they can suffer is the loss of a child or grandchild. It never seems right that a child should leave this world before the parent or the grandparent. Their young lives just beginning.

Today would mark our Warren's 15th birthday. He was taken from us April 8, 2004 by a teenage driver that should not have been behind the wheel of a vehicle. We discovered through all of this that the value of a human life in the state of Louisiana is a couple of small fines and a slap on the back of the hand for the driver.

I debated rather to do this blog on Warren's birthday or as a memorial in April. I decided it would be more fitting to celebrate his life than to again mourn his death. Time has eased the pain for all of us that knew and loved Warren, but the loss of such a wonderful child will be felt long into the future. All that knew Warren will agree that just having him in our lives even for the short time that he walked among us was a blessing that God bestowed on each of us.

As one memory of Warren I recall the time that we visited the family when they lived in Ponca City, OK. We had taken Warren bowling for a few hours. Grandpa had a little surprise in store for Warren and his Mother. He had it hidden in his pocket. After sending the ball down the lane he turned around to give Warren and Angela a big toothy grin. He had picked up a set of "Billy Bob" hillbilly teeth on the trip there and had popped them in his mouth before smiling. I am sure that Angela wanted to just disappear at that time. Warren however was a totally different story. I remember his laughter and the light in his eyes. His eyes said it all .......... They spoke volumes of the love that he had for this Grandpa of his that would do anything to make him happy and bring him joy and laughter.

I want to leave you with a link to Warren's Memorial Web Site that I built for him in 2004. Please join us in celebrating Warren's Birthday today by hugging your children and grandchildren and telling them how very much they mean to you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WARREN!

It's A Mystery To Me.........

We have welcomed in another New Year with hopes and dreams for a better year ahead than what we just left behind. It also means another year older for our Britt.


Our little Emo Kid told me that she had a really nice birthday. The first part of the day she spent shopping with her mom and her beau Gerad. They ventured through one of her favorite stores, Hot Topics and found some good buys. To be honest, I think if they had just found a park bench and sat all day in one place, as long as she was with the two people she was with, she would have had a really nice birthday. The second part of the day they joined us at Chris and Melody's for great food (those two should open a restaurant) and birthday cake.


For the first time in years she actually mentioned to me that there was something she would like for her birthday. I can't even remember how long ago it has been that she has done that. Britt is one of those children that is happy with anything you give her. We were watching the TV last week and a commercial came on for the Tickle Me Elmo. She told me they have a Tickle Me Cookie Monster and said she thought it was the neatest thing she had seen for a long time because instead of a little wimpy giggle coming out, you get that deep rough Cookie Monster laugh. With that she added she would really like to have one of those. We found a couple of them. Shopping after Christmas can be rough if you are looking for something specific and not doing random shopping. Of the couple we found one just laid there and did nothing when you tickled it. Poor thing's battery was completely spent from all of the Christmas samplers. Fortunately the other was still in good working order so it found its way home with us and into B'day wrapping paper for Britt.


I had also started knitting a pair of gauntlets for Britt. It has been a while since I have done any knitting so I was refreshing my memory as I went along. My needle craft of choice for a while now has been counted cross stitch and crocheting. Britt had picked out the pattern and the yarn for this project. The pattern called for little beads, which our Emo Kid preferred not to have, so I adjusted the pattern for that (Not a difficult task) and yarn has a sparkle thread that runs through it (Very nice look to it). This pattern calls for you to knit in the round and to do it with 4 double pointed needles. Whoa Katie...... bar the door! This is turning out to be a whole new experience for me (have never knitted in the round before let alone use four double pointed needles to do it). There are 80 rounds of knitting to one gauntlet. I have to admit that I was doing great and had caught on to this four needle knitting in the round procedure. I was all the way up to round 75 when I emptied needle #4 of stitches and moved it forward to fill it up with stitches again and ended up pulling the wrong needle forward and in the process dropped all of the stitches it was holding....... Ooops. That is when I remembered how unforgiving knitting can be of mistakes. If I had dropped a stitched or two I could have fixed that, but I dropped 24 of them which told me in no uncertain terms that I needed to go back to square one and start all over again.


Start over it was...... The second time doing this was even easier it seemed. I didn't even have to keep checking on the instructions, I had them pretty well memorized (Jo note: How difficult is it to remember Knit 3 Purl 2 heheheh). The first part of last week we went to pick up a load of firewood so I took my knitting along thinking I could get it finished up and the other gauntlet perhaps started and finished by Britt's B'Day. I laid everything down on the center console in the truck at one point and when I picked it up again the 4th needle was gone. I looked everywhere in that truck for it and it was no place to be found. The door to my side of the truck was not opened until we returned home, so it had to be in that truck someplace......... When we got home I even took the flashlight and checked all the dark places the needle could be hiding........ Still no needle. I have decided that we have Gremlins in that truck or Borrowers. After a couple of days we ended up leaving the mountain and making a trip to the big city to purchase another package of double pointed knitting needles so I could complete my project.

The good news is I was able to complete one of the gauntlets which we photographed ( Thanks to my model, T-Bear) and printed out for Britt with the promise that she would get them when Gauntlet # 2 is completed.

My plans for the rest of the day today includes packing Christmas away until the end of the year. I do so enjoy the soft glow of the lights from the Christmas tree and have dragged my feet a bit about taking it down. My agenda for today includes doing just that though to avoid having it still up come Valentines Day or Easter.

Peace, Love, Good Health and Happiness

Wishing all of my blogging family and friends a Happy New Year filled with peace, love, good health and happiness. If you are going to be on the roads tonight and your celebration will include alcohol, please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.

As the new year approaches I am finding myself reflecting on this past year. It was a rough one for my daughter Tersie and her children. It was during the holidays last year that her marriage of 14 years ended. It could have blown us all away, because we had spent our family Christmas together and there was no clue what-so-ever that before the New Year was rung in ex-son-in-law would be turning so many lives upside down with his revelation of "no longer being happy". Needless to say that made this year's celebration difficult to deal with and nearly heart breaking for Tersie. Those firsts will get you every time. She has done so great all year with the firsts that she had to face. I have been able to watch my daughter transform into the beautiful person that she is with each new obstacle she has had to face as a single parent. She has become independent and strong. Perhaps there is truth to the old adage 'If it doesn't kill you, it will only make you stronger'. It has been like watching a beautiful butterfly emerge from a cocoon. Hopefully with this holiday almost behind her as their first single parent family holiday, she will be able to completely rid herself of that cocoon.

Divorced families do make for some difficult planning when it comes to Christmas and New Years celebrations, not to mention birthdays. With Chris' ex-wife (Oop's mother) we have had many family get togethers either completely destroyed or turned upside down, just because she likes the chaos. This year at Christmas was no different. (Jo note: You would think we would all be used to it by now and come to expect it. Some how, for some unexplained reason, we let our defences down and she catches us off guard every time.)

Tonight JD and I will spend a quiet New Years Eve here on the mountain with T-Bear and ring in the New Year just the three of us. Tomorrow being Britt's B'Day, she and her mother will go birthday shopping while T-Bear and I bake her B'Day cake and decorate it. In the evening we will gather at Chris and Melody's to celebrate the New Year with all of the Good Luck Food and celebrate Britt's 15th year of life. All the 'Yankee' children and grandchildren will be present and accounted for. (Jo note: Just one more reason to celebrate.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!