Welcome To A Road Less Traveled

Well here is the little house. Actually it looks smaller on the outside than it is inside. This was taken dead winter so the grass is not green. The front door with the diamond was not there. This was taken directly after that was done. We pulled the couch out of the house and that is what you see on the left. Someone actually wanted the couch, for which I do not understand why. I will show you other shots of the house and the property in the following pictures.




These are the floors while we were tearing them out. The roof was new and the interior walls are fine, so this was worth doing. The blocks on the house are fine as well. Mess Huh?



This is a side shot of the floor in the worst area... There all all new joists and plywood in its place now. We put plastic sheeting down first, then tar paper before the 3/4 inch layer of treated plywood. We followed that with half in plywood in both the kitchen and the living room. Jes and Walter from our church were the brains and most instrumental behind it. The floors being torn out were done by Lu from Habitat and my ex. There were others that helped as well.


This shot is the direction going towards the hall that leads to the bath and bedroom. As you can see the walls were all maroon in the living room. Still working on the cosmetics and the painting.

This is a picture towards the right of the house. The property longates to the right well over 3 acres.

This is a left view of the property but it extends further left than this. There is are more trees off to the left. The house is kind of in a cove of trees.

This opening between the kitchen and the living room I love. We have pulled the center island as the kitchen was too small for it.

Well this is pretty much it for when we arrived to the property and first got started. I will take pictures that reflect what has been accomplished so far in the next day or so. It is fun to watch it snap together. There is still some drywall work that needs to be done. Not a lot of it... Three places...

I have to do the painting but am applying primer to each wall before I take off from there.

Anyway, here is the house at its worst and I will start taking pictures of what has been done so far!! It is going to be a cute house done.

This is an 8 X 10 building that was given to me. There is an interesting story behind this. One of the people helping decided it was more practical to move the building across a half acre lot, out the gate and then put it on the trailer. She blew a gasket when I suggested that it would make more sense to back the trailer to the building... Ahem.... I do have a CDL and would not suggest something that would not work. Oh well!! I can laugh about it now

As you can see, I still have the van for those of you who know me. You will see the burn pile from burning all the flooring we took out of the house. To the back you will see where the wind blew over my ceramic inlaid tile picnic table. I cannot pick it up and am waiting for the first two strapping young guys I think I can smooze to get it upright. Or the first understanding soul with a portable winch that will let me borrow it so I can devise a clever way of getting it upright. I bet I close that pretty umbrella next time. LOL





Here you can see my orphan hibachi I found. Behind it is a bird bath. This is the front right corner of my property and the house is behind the hibachi.




My friend suggested I get a new hobby. There are over 3000 ceramic molds here give or take a few. When everything else gets done I will be enclosing the carport as I save up enough money to do this.



I have been telling my friends about crawdad (crayfish) mounds. Here are some crayfish mounds. look to the right and you will see one with the top kicked off. When I first got here the house had not been lived in for some time. As I have been here a while the crawfish mounds have receded back since the property has life on it again.




In this scene you will see a wrought iron bird bath to the left. To the far back is a bench made of natures wood. to the right is a bench and a waterfall. Dead center is a light. These three pieces are made of concrete.




Facing the highway, this is the upper right corner of my property. A few days ago everything was in full bloom. We had some more cold weather and that was the end of that. It seemed like such a gip. Just past those azaleas is a blueberry bush. The hole you see there is from fixing a broken pipe to the street. I have to find more topsoil to fill in and make it level. It is a matter of taking the time to do it.





This is just past the left end of my property line. The trees are thick enough, even here that you cannot see the house to the left of it.



This is to the left end from the middle of the street. In the next picture I am standing on the other side of the street.






If you look at this picture just before you go around the bend is the property ling. You can barely see a white truck behind the second telephone pole down. almost the furthest point you see really. It is 3.6 acres all together.

This is the creek. After the hurricanes nobody ever came and cleaned out the duct going across the highway. I have not been brave enough to get down there and do it myself. I am trying to design a contraption out of PVC pipe that I can just keep adding a piece and slide it across the highway until is breaks loose whatever is clogging it. I have a hunch calling the county will produce no results.



I realize this does not fit the theme, but I am posting it anyway. This is my little tracker I found driving down the road. I got it for $1,000.00. It does the job. I like it anyway.

So here I am, living out in the country... I ended up having to move in on top of myself as depicted by the ceramic molds. When I get the inside organized I will take pictures of the updates.

All for now and more later..

This picture is here for no other reason than I like it. Lorikeets are very beautiful birds and I have always been fond of them. I am fond of all parrots and birds actually, but their color and splendor just draw me in at times.

Well I had a good day really... I loaded the last load that requires a van from the Bon Secour house. Most of it simply had to be removed. I had been sick earlier this week and had not made my way over there yet to finish up the work on the house. The realtor called tapping her toes, so I knew I had to get myself in gear and barge through the balance of this.

Today I made a phone call... It was perhaps one of the bravest phone calls I have made. I called my first long term g/f who now lives towards the east coast and became a scientist. I had been thinking about her a lot lately in reflecting on those I had let in over the years. When she always comes to mind, I remember a time I had received no therapy and thought all people behaved the was I was behaving in my late teens and early 20's. She was one of two special ones I had let in. She was the most wonderful woman who was actually real. Well anyway I called her today and considering who I was back then it is a miracle she did not hang up. It was awkward at first, but I am glad I did call. I was finally able to apologize to her for the way I had treated her when we were so young. She accepted the apology and we continued to visit for quite some time. She told me how her life had gone, the dreams she had filled, and the achievements she had earned in her life. She was still the soft spoken woman I knew when we were young, but it was clear she had found her nitche and was comfortable with who she is today. She had a bout with ductal carcinoma (breast) which was staged at zero about a year ago. Even tho it was benign she was given the same treatments as if it had been staged higher. I felt a knot in my tummy as she told me this. Her margins are clear and she is doing well. I am glad I made the call. I am happy for her that her life has gone so well. She certainly is a good person and that is a great thing. I believe she was the most sincere woman I was ever committed to. I wish I had treated her in the same way.

The web is a wonderful thing in many ways. Being able to research my early social circle and close friends has been a great thing. I glow when I see the various accomplishments they have achieved in their lives. Yet on the other side it has been a renewal of the message my parents gave me, which was I was wasting a bright mind. I would love to have achieved what those I knew did, but I guess, in part, I was not willing to do the work along with I had so much spiritual and emotional work to do I was not able to do the work. I am, however proud of my friends and loved ones for what they have achieved.

Well, back to the basics... I am making such progress on the house. I am completely out of the Foley house and that was sure an expensive lesson for misplaced trust. It was emotionally, physically, and financially taxing. I am just glad it is done. The Bon Secour house should be completed by Saturday and the steam cleaners can come in next week. So this is reduced stress!! This will give me 100% of my time free to work on my house.

Well Miss Sassy is setting on my lap. I think she missed me today. I think I will scoot over to Gardenia's blog and see what is up there. I have not been able to spend time on her blog much lately and I always enjoy her writings and creativity. Since she made it invite only I cannot push anyones buttons anymore. LOL So I will see what I can do for positive input.

It is time to sign off for me... Color me gone for now and will blog more when I get Bon Secour completely finished.

An online friend sent this to me a few days ago and stated it had touched her heart and thought it would touch mine. She was right and it did..

Hence....
I thought I would share the link here.....
The Dash Poem/Movie

Enjoy!!!!

The only way you can avoid Criticism is to do nothing and say nothing............
This will also insure that in doing so you will always be nothing.

Delilah, The Music Woman said this on her program tonight. I found it worth sharing.

Well the cold weather did not help speed this up, but there has been major progress. Thanks to some members/friends of Holy Cross MCC in Pensacola and a couple of Habitat friends, I now have a floor in the living room. To God Be The Glory!!! The floor was completely shot. There is new sub-flooring, joists, and I am in the process of doing the top layer myself this week.

I will also be painting the interior and taking a full load up with me each time I go to Perdido. So within two or three weeks I will live in my new home. I am so very excited!! I now have two out buildings there and will be able to do my projects.

I am also getting the house ready my friends so kindly extended to me to put on the market. So much to do and it seems so little time to do it in. Between the surgery and the weather it sure threw my schedule some. I am so excited that there is light at the end of the tunnel that the setbacks seem pretty trivial really.

I am also excited about the decreased pain and increased mobility in my arm that is making it easier to accomplish more. I am not there yet as far as strength and all, but there has been progress. The last few days I have noticed it most. I am still sore, but not that brutal pain I have been experiencing.

More later

Thanks to the private emails and the post from Gardenia on my blog about it remaining open or going to invite only because of a one or two people.... All of you had valuable input...

I have decided not to let one or two people intimidate me about my blogging. Yes!! The person who stated I write different than I talk is absolutely correct. I am a writer and many writers write differently than they speak and it does not make anything they are writing about less valid! It just makes the gift God gave me to communicate and self-expression different than yours. Just like artists may create artwork that is surrealistic, but that does not make them any less real!! Musicians may play classical music in an orchestra but that does not mean they don't listen to rock or country music.

Ummmm... In fact I think writing vs. speaking is covered in my intro and has been for quite some time. So if you don't like my writings... I suggest you not concern yourself with my blog and go elsewhere.

The rest of you!! Welcome and thank you for reading and responding to me privately and/or posting through my blog. I realize many of you are more inclined to read and that is great too!!

Ya Think?

I had my surgery on Friday. The good news is the only thing that was wrong is there was a spur in my shoulder that was hitting the nerves. While I am sore from the surgery, my shoulder actually feels better than it did prior to the surgery. A completely different kind of pain. I started Physical Therapy yet yesterday and while I am sore it is not unbearable.

Surgery got rather iffy because there were respiritory problems. They got that under control and things went better. The bad news is I was placed on steroids. While the hospital staff made it clear to those who took me I may not be easy to deal with on the steroids, I think there were still hard feelings. I never have done well after surgery and it almost seems surreal for the first few days. This time was no exception. Additionally the Percocet left me feeling somewhat confused at times. I don't remember a whole lot of the first couple of days and am still trying to get a handle back on things. Lots of missing time slots and sequence of events.

At any rate, I am home now and it feels good to be here. I had a hunch things were not going to go smooth during surgery and I was right. Hopefully I will not have to do this again!!

I can hardly wait to get my arm back. The muscle on that arm has been dead for a long time. There is a term for it, but I understand it can actually be built back up. I wonder what it will be like being able to use both arms in sync at some point here? I wonder how long it will take for it to feel natural to do so? There have been times through all this it has felt so bleek I just wanted out, but somehow that was not an option. I bet I will never take my body and limbs for granted again!! I don't think I will need chronic pain management anymore. Already I am down to a half of lortab twice a day, so this is a plus.

More later.....

Well here it is New Years Eve Day. I have been listing what I need to do in order to enhance my life in 2007. First, however, I have been sitting here and listing all that was important to me which occurred in 2006. I have been studying which decisions I made that were effective, which were not effective, and how I could have made better choices. I have been taking inventory of how I was accountable both on the successes and the failures.

Some of the things I have thought about is what in my personality attracts positive people. Yet what other parts of my personality attract negative people. What can I do in 2007 to detour unhealthy people from my life and attract healthy people.

One thing I realized I have been doing the past few years is I got in a rut and was afraid to take any risks. My life stagnated as a result and was going nowhere fast. Having stepped outside that safety zone, I have been able to move to a part of the country which is more condusive to the type of things I enjoy doing and more me. I have also been able to purchase a home. Hence; If I do not risk in my life it will not go forward in a healthy direction and I will short-change my experiences in the world.

Part of my 2007 decision is to let past heartaches and failures go. Some were extremely long lived and I need to let them be a vague memory that does not dictate my life or hinder my life.

As far as having a life partner I actually let someone in my life after seven years and terminated the relationship as we knew it a few days ago. I still am open to having a life partner, but I do not need one to be complete, fulfilled, or happy. Next time I will give it a longer time to be sure they are what I really want.

Another thing I am working on and learning is in my business affairs is to ask questions and research first in order to make informed and stable decisions. This will serve me a lot better than whining over the surprises that show up as a result of not asking.

My goals for 2007 are to finish getting my degree, get my property fixed up, add more avenues for my spiritual life, and to do one fun thing a week away from the house.

I can honestly say this is one of the best Christmas Days I have had in a very long time. I was blessed with spending the day with my cousin and her family. I was nervous and apprehensive when it was about time to leave my home to go to their home. Once I got there everything was great. They are such kind and caring people.

During this portion of Christmas it has had me take a hard look at what Christmas is truly about. At one point during the Holidays I remember hearing the old story about Santa Claus and his gifting would be regulated by which children had been naughty or nice. It suddenly occurred to me what a message this gives to children who are less fortunate to see other children who are more fortunate to receive in such abundance. With that I began to explore what Christmas really means and how we could get the true meaning of the holidays back irrespective of cultural differences or religious preferences.

I am new to the area I live so I do not know who the seniors/disabled people are in the area I live. This is the first year in a few years I have not prepared a Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for a few seniors/disabled people that were homebound. I miss that. I promised myself that next year I will resume doing this again. It feels so good to see someone so happy that they were thought of. I have considered adding someone next year that others tend to shy away from for being different than others as well.

Well I had a great Holiday and want to remind myself to love others and be there for others througout the coming year.

For those who pass through here, I hope you had a wonderful Holiday Season thus far. Regardless of your religious beliefs, know there are others out there who care about who you are.

Well here it is less than a week before Christmas. While I am enjoying moving forward and away from where I lived, I am actually missing the Christmas dinner at various restaurants I had the last few years with my friends in Corpus Christi. I miss Taz and her laughter and jokes. I miss her a lot, but this time of year especially. I miss seeing the crafts TC created for her friends over the year. She was so creative and talented. There was always something special about the two hours we spent at our yearly dinner.

This year is a different year and while I won't have a tree this year I have so many blessings in my life to be thankful for. I am enjoying my new friends I am making and that is a Christmas blessing all in itself.

This will be the first year in many years I have been able to spend Christmas Day with relatives. I am excited about being able to spend the afternoon with a relative I care much for and the rest of her family. I will be spending the morning with my girlfriend and then head on over the bridge. I have not invited her to go with me and feel a bit selfish about it, but I really need to be able to do this on my own. Don't know why really, but it is important to me.

I have been looking over the year at many blessings. It was a pretty rocky year in some ways, but it held so many gifts... Friends who loved me enough to help me pack and get this far east on the Gulf Coast... Renewed hope that my right arm can be fixed... And gratefulness that my left arm is now pain free for the most part and almost totally functional. I have a church I love very much and a congregation within that church that has embraced my transition down here. I have my new home and am looking forward to working on it. While my belongings are scattered hither here and yen right now, I am grateful I have a place to scatter them.

While I did not put up a tree, I have hundreds of southern pines surrounding me and that is gift enough. I still have to finish my Christmas shopping and will go sometime this afternoon.

Well I have to go to Daphne today and do my pre-admission for my surgery on January 5th. So I may add to this sometime later tonight... Perhaps add to why I titled this The Christmas Spirit. I guess I don't need a reason, do I? LOL This is my blog. :-D

More Later...

Here it is about 1 AM in Bon Secour, Alabama. So beautiful here; Quiet and serene. I woke up because of the racoons outside. I have purchased property, but it needs much work on the floors. The good news is I am house sitting while I work on my property. I am really enjoying house sitting in Bon Secour. I am out in the country... Far enough out the Postal Service does not come here. I am staying in the kewlest house. It was originally designed by one of my friends. More nooks and cranny's than the law allows. There are so many different types of birds here. So much color and variety.

The people who own this house also sold me my house. They have given me all they chose not to take with them. It has been like going on a treasure hunt while packing down their home to prepare it for going on the market. Everything from old antique trunks to antique dressers, to old unusual pictures. It has been such fun. I have enjoyed seeing the history of this dynamic couple. The irony is the things that have been left for me are exactly the type of things I enjoy but never could afford. I enjoy old and I enjoy funk. They were a bit of both. One of them told me they don't have any bad memories in living in this home for the 19 years they were here. I can feel the love that was held in this home for so many years. It is a great feeling.

The hard part to take is the reason they were leaving is one has Huntington's Disease, which is a combination of altzeimers and parkinson's disease. They consolidated and moved to the Tennesee Ridge to enjoy the remaining time they will have together. They were together since the youngest was 19 and she is 52 now. Should any of us be so lucky to be with someone with so much love and dedication.

While being here I have come to appreciate birds, as there are many bird feeders that I keep filled with food. I am blessed with seeing red Cardinals, finches, and birds I have no clue what they are. Additionally I have come to love the wild cats they could not take with them. I am going to catch them and take them to my property when I move in so I can continue to care for them.

This home has a unique layout. There is a loft upstairs with two bedroom. Downstairs there are rooms in the most unusual places. It is somewhat like a maze. I love and appreciate its uniqueness. There are out building that also contain little bits of this and little bits of that.

The neat thing about the things they gave me is it is like having a part of them still in my life even though they have moved away. The abundance that I cannot use I will share with others who will appreciate them.


Now about my new house. I am still grateful... I will get pictures when I go up. The floors need replaced and joist repairs must be done. The good thing is it is a block home and the interior walls are fine. I have to remind myself the materials are less than two or three housepayments for most people. Additionally I have to remind myself to be patient. When all is said and done my housepayments will be what I paid for housepayments in the early 70's. I also am learning to reach out and ask for help to get things done. I can actually picture my newfound furnishings in this home.

Well there are a couple of more things about my house. I have crayfish mounds in my yard. Guess I won't go hungry and guess I will have lots of bait. The house was built on top of a natural underground spring. At first it concerned me, but I found that there are ways to keep the moisture where it belongs because it is a block house. About half way down my property line I have a creek as well. You cannot see it very well as there is so much in the way of trees and folage. There are also berry trees. I think blackberries or blueberries, but I need to find out which.

The other thing is there are many pockets of clay, so I will have plenty of clay for my potters wheel. I have to say in spite of the complications and the fact I must be patient this sure will beat paying rent, having to move when rents go up or the building sells, or being around the element in rentals I can afford. I also appreciate the fact that I will be able to have livestock and critters.

Well it is off to bed for me. I guess mostly this post is about being grateful for all the gifts God has given me.

Well I finally did it!!! I have purchased a two bedroom block house that is a fixer upper. It is on 3.6 acres in Northern Baldwin County in Alabama. When I asked God to provide me with property I could afford I forgot to specify location. The house has a lot of potential and I am excited about the acreage. There is a creek running through the property and it is loaded with pine trees and oak. The property longates rather than runs deep. This area is not zoned, so I will have a lot of latitude towards how I use it. I will be able to do my pottery and grow as needed.

My wish at this point is that my upcoming surgery will be successful with a quick recovery time so that I may work quickly at fixing it up. How I am going to finance this is beyond me, but I will take it a step at a time. God has provided me living space that is mine and I am sure God has no intentions of letting me down now.

Well off to bed for me as we go hang new doors tomorrow. That and fix the floor and I will be able to move in while I do the rest. 90% of what needs to be done is a good old cleaning and cosmetic.

In The Name Of Love...

We walked hand in hand...
We did it in the name of love...
We took our stand...
We did it in the name of love...
We sacrificed more than you'll ever lose...
We did it in the name of love...
We were on the news...
We did it in the name of love...
We had our reasons...
We did it in the name of love...
We would do it all over, for the same reasons...
We did it in the name of love...
We planned a future together...
We did it in the name of love...
We stood strong together...
We did it in the name of love...
We took our turns...
We did it in the name of love...
We addressed our concerns...
We did it in the name of love...
We broke the silence...
We did it in the name of love...
We spoke out on the violence...
We did it in the name of love...
We carried the torch...
We did it in the name of love...
We sat in a swing on the front porch...
We did it in the name of love...
We gave of our hearts...
We did it in the name of love...
We had of our own parts...
We did it in the name of love...
We reached out...
We did it in the name of love...
We cleared up all the doubt...
We did it in the name of love...
We walked away from the fights...
We did it in the name of love...
We reached new heights...
We did it in the name of love...
We fought for our rights...
We did it in the name of love...
We were in the spotlights...
We did it in the name of love...
We shared...
We did it in the name of love...
We dared...
We did it in the name of love...
We prepared...
We did it in the name of love...
We cared...
We did it in the name of love...
We declared...
We did it in the name of love...
We paired...
We did it in the name of love...
We walked with pride...
We did it in the name of love...
We cried...
We did it in the name of love...
We opened up eyes wide...
We did it in the name of love...
We died...
We did it in the name of love...
We taught...
We did it in the name of love...
We did a lot...
We did it in the name of love...
We grew strong...
We did it in the name of love...
We will one day right the wrong...
We will do it in the name of love...
We will continue to fly our symbol of our love...
We will do it in the name of love...
We stand proud of our flag of bright colors...for it was made in the name of love...
In the name of love...

In The Name Of Love...
Let It Fly Freely...
In The Name Of Love...
Let The Rainbow Flag Show...
In The Name Of Love...
Let Our Love Flow...
In The Name Of Love...
Let Our Love Grow...
In Name Of Love...
Let The Hate Go...
In The Name Of Love...
Living Proof...His Living Years...

All Rights Reserved By: C.P.D.C.

If you will click on the title you can go straight to the link where I found this. When I read this article, which is pretty current news, I was simply stunned. I was stunned on many levels. To have a hate crime of this magnitude to go on in the community I recently moved away from sent chills down my back... To have a hate crime this brutal to someone I knew (not a close friend) put tears in my eyes... To have adults withold information that could help catch these murderers, stuns me. I simply do not get it!! I have seen individuals in this community turn their back on what they know to be unjust and unfair before, but to this magnitude? I would never have thought in a million years anyone would do what is listed in the article I ran across.

Actually, I do not know if the article is accurate in all fairness, and if it is not accurate I would love to know about it. It certainly would help how I feel to know this is not true. However, from what I have seen within the community this is to have occurred, I truly should not be too surprised.

Additionally when I read this, the following came to mind:

First They Came for the Jews

First they came for the Jews
I did not speak outbecause I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists
I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Pastor Martin Niemöller

I have processed the reasons why a bar full of people would turn their back on a woman who was drunk. And perhaps I understand because some professionals go there for Happy Hour and are afraid of being outted. But I do not understand how any decent human being could have allowed this woman to be groped by three straight men, how any bar owner or bartender could have served her to a blivy and then allowed this to happen, or how any responsible person could have allowed three men with a clear agenda to remove this woman from the bar. I don't care what anyones job title is or where anyone works... There comes a time one has to stand up... If these men get away with this others are going to be placed in harms way. I also realize some of this may be well meaning friends of the bartender or bar owners. It seems to me the taking of a person's life is far more important than any fine the bar or bartender could receive. I also understand that the owner of this bar has been missing for over a year and possibly two years. I have to ask myself as quiet as his disappearance was kept and this bar is still running, if there are concerns about more surfacing around the bar owner's disappearance. I cannot help but ask myself at this point because of the magnitude of blatent selective blindness as to what has happened to Pat. Additionally I understand the fear of not having any place as gays and lesbians to go in such a small community. Well, there comes a time when one's social life is not the most important issue. It may very well be someone elses life you are saving down the road. Last but not least Pat's family deserves closure. AND these men need to be held accountable. IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING, PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND CONTACT THE AUTHORITIES.

I guess I have said what I believe needs said... If this turns out to be an inaccurate article I would appreciate it if someone would send me the correct version of it.

Is it not enough that we have been betrayed by a world who does not understand us, that we do not betray one another?

Nuff Said
Lorretta

Hate Crime in South Texas Article Woman Killed While "Walking" On SH 35
Pat's Obit
The Truth About Texas Hate Crime Legislation

Well here I am in Foley, Alabama. I have been here going on two months. While I do miss living in Pensacola and the dream of living in Pensacola, I am reasonably happy here. What is happiness anyway? Who knows!! What may have made me happy 4 years ago certainly might have a different impact today.

Some of the updates... I live close to the Bon Secour River and I have fishing back in my life. It is beautiful here.... I could not ask for a nicer area to live in. The area I live is filled with so many trees that one cannot even hear the rustle of the wind.

Two major additions have been added to my life... Well more really if you factor in the wonderful people I have met here besides these two additions. I have finally commited to someone and have settled down. Not an easy task for me, as I am so used to being alone. The second little person in my life is Alex, who is three years old. I cannot help but appreciate him. So full of life this little guy is, and so eager to learn about so many things in the world.

I have not blogged for some time as I have been in physical therapy, which took a lot of my physical and emotional energy. Along with moving the infamous molds from Pensacola to Foley. hahaha On the physical therapy, I will give them credit!! My pain level has gone way down. And I actually got some mobility back. Not all, but it is certainly an improvement.

Well that will do for this post.

More Later.....

Well golly!! What a wonderful weekend. The woman I am dating had me come to her house Friday evening and I had the best time. She co-parents a 3 year old boy and it was fun to see the back yard set up to what I would have perceived as an entire park when I was his age, or perhaps even older.

Saturday we went out in her boat with her sister and a friend of hers. Had a blast!! The only thing that went wrong there is I was going to get out of the back of the boat in the bay and lost my balance. I fell into the bay.. Now that would not have been so bad, but my little dog Sassy was not at all impressed with her introduction to a body of water. She had never been swimming before. I was holding her and she went in right along side of me. It was amazing to see how this 4 1/2 pound creature adapted to the water so nicely though. She was actually swimming. Of course her little feet are not made to be a swimmer so I kept a close watch on her.

I got a bit of sun but it was not bad.. Mostly just sensitive to touch. It is the first time I have been in the sun long enough since 2002 to get any color on my skin at all. I did not realize how much I missed being out like that.

Then Sunday we went to church and it was so neat to see it being so full that chairs had to be placed in the fellowship area. Even then there was standing room only that was being used. I am sure we are all going to be excited about the new building being finished when it is. There is so much life at Holy Cross MCC it is not possible to leave without at least one blessing if not more than one. I know I say it a lot, but I did not realize how much I had missed this type of fellowship and so much life in the church.

I leave tomorrow for Rochester New York with the woman I am seeing. We will be gone just about 10 days!! I am all excited. I am hoping I will be able to see my step-sister Carrie on our way. I am also hoping to be able to see an old friend who once lived in Pensacola when I get there. That would be awesome.

When I get back from Rochester I will only be home one day and will be leaving for New Orleans to the Rainbow Revival. "The MCCGNO Rainbow Revival is a gathering of MCCers from the US Gulf Coast and their friends to acknowledge the first anniversary of Katrina, celebrate the care given and received in the past year and renew spirits for the future." I am excited about the gathering of the Gulf Coast churches participation in this!! This could just has easily have been any one of the Gulf Coast communities and I think it is important that all of the Gulf Coast MCC churches participate. Anyway I will be going in the church van, spending the night, and then doing the revival the next day. I bet I will be tired after all that traveling when I get home.

Well I have to scoot to Walmart to get food for the trip and for the critters. I still am getting ready and packing as well.

I will try to blog some on the trip, but won't be able to be on as much as now.

IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,!
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will l always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn! 't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

~~A Forward Floating On the Web
~~Author Unknown

Well I went to bingo with a delightful couple from church last Friday night. We had the best time. I did not win anything but we certainly had fun.

I could not help but laugh. I have a younger friend in Texas that called just as I was getting ready to go out the door for my wonderful evening out. I told her I had to go as I was going to be late for my friends showing up to go out. She asked where we were going and I told her to play bingo. She said.... Girl... You have absolutely hit the bottom... It has finally come to this. I was laughing so hard just the way she said it. You would have to know her to appreciate her humor and wit. Anyway I am looking forward to going and doing something just for fun again. Well back to my week...