Spring Has Sprung

I know that Spring has sprung and warm weather has arrived. Do you wanna know how I know?

(1) Azaleas have blossomed.

(2) Baby birds have emerged.

Mouths wide open. Aren't they cute?

And just look how they've grown.

(3) Little G.G.'s have blossomed.

Mouths wide open. . . .

Aren't they cute? . . . . . .

And just look how they've grown!

Abby, Matt and Cady dropped by Saturday. Cady had a diaper-full and Matt volunteered to clean her up. When he brought her back into the den, he'd put her cute pants on her head and she looked like a cross between a French artist and a gay chef.

Pre-Brie, Mark has always been a thorn in Abby's side. He used to "pick at" her unmercifully since the day she was born. Much like Chad's antics are now Michelle's problem, now Mark's playfulness is Brie's problem. I was cooking the other day when Mark & Brie were here. Mark called me to look at Brie. He had her inside a toy wagon and was riding her through the kitchen. She barely fit inside the wagon and it could not have been comfortable. Poor Brie. I hope she survives her dad.

This is only the beginning, sweet Brie . . . only the beginning.

Birthday Cookout at Abby's

Our cookout was so great. Mark brought marinaded chicken breasts which the guys grilled. Abby cooked mac & cheese (she provided ketchup for Andrea!), green beans, sweet potatoes, and sour cream mini-biscuits. Chad made Paula Deen's Krispy Kreme Doughnut dessert. Everything was great and my children provided it. Made their momma proud!

With age, goes the memory. I forgot my camera. I borrowed Abby's until the battery died. Here are some pictures I took before the camera died. I wasn't used to this camera so a couple of pictures are blurry. Sorry about that.

Andrea & Brie; Auntie Michelle & Cadence

Both little girls going after the same toy. Looks like a faceoff!

Cady loves to watch Brie do anything.

Brie's getting a little wild as Cady looks on.

Won't be long til they communicate and play together.


I just adore my little G.G.'s. Love, love them!

Both little girls and their parents met us at Anita's today for lunch. I love to watch the two of them when they see each other. It's so cute. Brie is visiting tonight for about an hour. Andrea will be working and Mark has a church basketball game. Since I've been working out in the yard, I need to get cleaned up before she gets here.

Happy Birthday To Me

April 23, 195_

Cynthia Joy Moore

If I'd be born one day earlier, I could have said "Happy bEARTHday"! Today has been fun. Some friends took me out for breakfast. Then we went to two plant nurseries. Now Tom needs to help me clean up my flower area so I can plant some new ones. How about it, Tommy? This afternoon I'm running some errands then going to Ab's to play with Cady. Then the entire family is coming to Abby's for a cookout. Should be a blast!!!

And To Think That I Just Love To Talk . . . .

That's me. My throat hurts. But more significantly, I can't talk. I have laryngitis. That's such a curse for someone who rarely shuts up her mouth. I've been fighting a cold for a few days. At first I thought it was from all the dust I've created from my manic cleaning. And truly this may be the source of the problem. But it appears to be turning into more of a cold issue. Sweet Tom went out last night at 8:45 to get me some cough drops. The night before I began to cough and I ended up sleeping on the sofa so I wouldn't disturb Tom. Last night I did sleep better and didn't cough. But this morning I'm achy and energyless (not a word but it should be). I am SO thankful that my house is in order. Just sitting here typing at my computer and being able to see the pretty wood-grain of my oak roll-top desk makes me feel better all ready. (Previously, my desk looked like someone had just dumped a trashcan.) So, if you call me today, I'll sound like a stranger . . . if I can utter a sound at all.

There Is A Bulls Eye On Tom

Well, actually there's a bulls eye on Tom's truck. He's had that truck only 2-3 years. He had never bought a brand new truck in his 50-something years. Finally, he bit the bullet and bought what he always dreamed of: Toyota Tundra double cab with 4-wheel drive. Tom had the truck only 7 days when he was rear-ended. The car that hit him was totaled. Tom had to get a new bumper. He was so good about it. He said, "It's only a truck." Yeah, but it was more than a truck to me. I was more proud of that new truck that he was. He so deserved it.

Fast forward to last night. It happened again, but not as bad. Tom had met me at Mark's b/c I was there keeping Brie. After we all went out to dinner, Tom & I headed home in separate vehicles. I always let Tom lead. I absolutely hate to be followed. Don't ask me why; it just bugs me. I was right behind Tom until a car got between us just minutes from home. Tom had stopped at a red light in downtown Simpleville. The driver of an SUV apparently was not paying attention and hit him in the back but not at full force. Oddly, Tom thought I was still behind and had gotten a little bit overzealous in my tom-foolery. Hey, I know better than to mess with his truck. When he realized it wasn't me, he got out to check the damage. That's when I drove up behind "Miss Tooty-Fruity". I saw Tom get out and I thought, "What in the world is he doing?" When he stopped at "Miss Goof Ball's" car, I thought, "OH, NO. Not again!" They pulled into a parking lot to continue looking at both vehicles. Thankfully, Tom's truck was unscathed. Little Miss I'm-Not-Paying-Attention may have done slight damage to her front bumper, but I don't really care. Hip, hip, hooray. Tom' truck escaped this time.

Why is there a target on the back of his truck? It's not like you can't see that huge truck in front of you. It's big and has humongous tires. I don't get it. Tom's previous trucks were a piece of junk. Do you think anyone ever rear-ended those trucks? NOPE. If you see a dark gray Toyota Tundra, please back off and leave him alone.

I Should Get A Gold Star!

Presented to: Joy Rucker

By: Joy Rucker

For: Exceptional (and completely out-of-the-ordinary) Decluttering Of Home

Not only have I decluttered almost all of my house (except for the dining room and it's not really a clutter problem), I have an unbelievable filing system with labeled folders, etc. It's taken me since 9 a.m. to finish the computer room (and it's presently 4:30 p.m.). Several trash bags full and an aching back later, I'm on the move to finish everything this week. Just in time for my birthday. What a great gift to myself!

I'm most proud of the fact that my friend called this morning and tempted me beyond belief. She said she'd pick me up soon and we'd go downtown, shop and eat lunch and maybe shop some more. I bit my lip til it bled, but I said I needed to stay home and finish my cleaning up. This is a minor miracle. Usually, when she calls, it's not a matter of IF I'll go, but WHEN to pick me up. I think she was shocked, but she realized how serious I am with this project. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "I'm starting in the laundry room and I'm doing one room at a time until my house is completely in order." Do you know how many times I've had a spanking clean laundry and that's as far as I got???!!!!! Too many times to remember.

So, next time you see me, pat me on the back. This is not me . . . someone has invaded my body!

Footnote #2 To: Crown Me "The Queen Of Clutter"

Fatigued, exhausted, lethargic, weary, tuckered out, worn out, drained, spent, dog-tired, listless, pooped, I'm the walking dead. . . . . . I'm fading . . . . .


I have never in my entire life been so absolutely (all of the above) and aching from head to toe. My back hurts, my legs hurt, my neck is killing me. I think I overdid this obsessive cleaning today.

I'm happy to announce that Mimi's room is A+. I'm so excited. I worked for 7 hours today on my Christmas closet and in Mimi's room. I made several trips to the attic (and, yes, I put things exactly in their zones and it's still looking great). I made one trip to Goodwill and the car is already pretty full with more stuff. I've practically filled both of our large trash cans outside. And I still have to work in the dreaded computer/guest bedroom, my closet and my large dining room. I inherited Mimi's very large dining room suite as well as tons of her glassware. That room alone will take me an entire day. I need to wash every single piece of china and glass plus filter through and donate/throw away. The list goes on and on. But I've made tremendous progress. Hip, hip, hooray.

This is very random. When I wrote earlier the term "the walking dead", it reminded me of something funny that I say to Tom. There is a radio station that plays very low-key Christian music. I listen to it when I need to relax. Except I don't listen at noon and 9pm. During those times the station plays recorded sermons from some oriental-sounding guy named Witness Lee. Besides the fact that he's very difficult to understand with his strong accent, he's been dead for years. I refuse to listen. Not really b/c he's dead, but b/c I can't understand a word he's saying. Every time the radio is on and he begins to talk, I scream "Turn the station . . . Dead Man Talking!!!!"

Now I'm going to rest in my comfortable bed. Nighty, night.

Footnote To: Crown Me "The Queen Of Clutter"

It pays to declutter.

So far I've found $25. 77

Wahoo!

Crown Me "The Queen Of Clutter"

I admit it. I'm a Clutterer. There, I said it. I'm so bad, I'm a clutterer-er-er-er. I didn't realize just what a Clutter Bunny I was until this crazy organizational virus hit me. My April 30 deadline may have died a slow death. I'm getting kinda freaky about cleaning out junk. I've made so many trips to Goodwill, they think I'm an employee. And I probably have helped fill several landfills with my throw-away piles. Jeepers, Creepers. I hope I NEVER have to do this again. That's my plan. Once done, I shall try to filter out the junk and organize my things one day at a time.

Last night I worked in the nursery. I took out every single item in that closet. It held much more than just baby stuff. Now it's completely organized. All my adult children's books are neatly placed on the shelves in the closet. I even have some stacked separately for special seasons like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Told ya I'm overboard with this. Here's a before picture of the nursery.

Doesn't this picture look askew? Actually, the white door frame on the right makes it look weird.

I'm happy to announce that before I crawled in bed last night the nursery was dusted, vacuumed and is completely organized. Yeah, for me.

HOWEVER, I've notice that when I'm straightening out one room, another becomes horrible. I have to put my piles of Goodwill, trash, & attic somewhere, right? So it collects in the nearest room. Hence my present problem.

This is the room directly across from the nursery. Great, huh?

When Mom & Dad moved in with us in 2004, this was Mimi's room. (Pappy was in a hospital bed in my present nursery.) Sweet Mimi in Heaven, today I'm cleaning your room. It will be back to your neat bedroom very soon. I cherish the items in this room that were yours.

Thursday and Friday I had Brie for several hours while Andrea slept and Mark worked. We had fun. Here are some pictures.

Sweet Brie with big eyes

Mark dropped by to eat lunch. I caught a cute moment between the two of them.

Brie and I went to visit Abby and Cady Friday. Unfortunately, when we arrived, Cady was asleep and she slept the entire time Brie was there. Cady woke up when Mark arrived to get Brie, who had fallen asleep in my arms. So, the girls only saw each other for a very few minutes. Later, Abby took Cady & I on a golf cart ride. I want one!

"Wait a minute, Mimi. I'm not ready."

"Ok, I'm ready!"

I gotta go. The Queen of Clutter must check on her subjects.

Random. . . Very Random

Random Thing #1


This will come as no shock to you . . . I HATE SQUIRRELS! Look what they did to one of my bird feeders.

The piece hanging down is one side of the feeder.



You can see where squirrels have chewed it all to pieces.

Someone else who hates squirrels is Brady dog. I love that dog. Mark has taught him to have a true hatred for the animal. When he sees one thru our glass door, he goes ballistic. I'll crack open the door and he just bolts 90 miles an hour straight to the squirrel. I'm sure that Brady scares them slap to death. Here's one that just gave up:

"Ok, Big Guy, I give up."

Random Thing #2

My friend Ginger texted me Sunday afternoon and said, "Happy Easter, thanks for the thoughtful candle." I read the message on Monday. I wrote back, "Happy Monday. What candle?" Ginger doesn't know another "Joy". Some nice person (can't say it was me) left a beautiful candle along with a very sweet note signed "Joy". That person also left one for her daughter Courtney and her husband Allen, along with another very sweet note. Now I'm wondering . . . do I have a split personality? Did she commit a random act of kindness and not tell me about it? I'm just saying . . . . . . . .

Random Thing #3

I had lunch with a couple of ladies today. We talked non-stop for over 2 hours. It quickly became evident that we were putting a whole new spin on "Trash Talk" or "Gutter Mouth". Here were some of the subjects that were discussed during our meal: hemorrhoids, roaches, dripping blood, and flicking boogers. Nice. Great meal-time conversation. I think I need new friends. But at least they don't cuss.

Random Thing #4

I was flipping through a new magazine this afternoon. I came across the ad below and I busted out laughing!!!!

Raise your hand if this is true!! HAHAHAHA
After reading this ad, I needed to run to the bathroom!

Random Thing #5

Jane, always the one to do things well in advance, picked up her tax returns from her accountant today. (Plenty of time, Jane, plenty of time) This accountant is a friend from way back. She actually used to help keep Abby in childcare at church. She told Jane something that happened with Abby years ago. She was telling the little children about hunger - and that not all kids have enough to eat. Abby raised her hand and told her that her Mommy often puts her to bed hungry. I'm surprised Social Services didn't come knocking on our door.

This led to some other funny childhood happenings. Abby said her great friend Meghan had a vivid memory of Abby, actually one of the first times she was around Abby. They were in 3rd grade Sunday School and I was the teacher. It was Christmas time and I said, "Can anyone tell me where Jesus was born?" Abby, being the smart child of the teacher, raised her hand and said, "In da hay." HA HA HA HA HA HA

This led me to remember my days of being a preschool teacher at church. Here are a few memorable incidences:

• Derrick - We were teaching them to say their address & phone number in case of emergency. I went around the room asking different ones if they could say their address. When it came time to ask Derrick, he replied in a "manly" voice, "I am a BOY. I don't wear a DRESS!" I'm sure I laughed.
• Carson - He told me his mom had "bracelets" on her teeth. (braces)
• Brady - He said to me one day, "Mrs. Wucker, do you know what I'm NEVER supposed to say at Nursery School? I'm NEVER supposed to day 'What the Hell is going on around here' at Nursery School, Mrs. Wucker. I'm NEVER supposed to say that." I about wet myself!

Random Thing #6

To end the day we drove to Abby's to see the new hardwood floors/stairs that Matt has been working on for several weeks. Beautiful, Matt! They also have a new "toy".

Abby's dream has come true. She's a stay-at-home mom with a golf cart! This afternoon Abby, Matt & Cady went on a very long ride around the neighborhood. Tonight she took me on a ride, then she took Tom on a ride. When she & her daddy got close to their house, the battery started to die. They barely made it back. How funny it would have been to see Tom pushing Abby and a golf cart.

Enough Random Things for one day.

My Mind Is On A "Vacay"

I used to enjoy having a brain. My brain was good to me for many years. Apparently, it has recently gone on a sabbatical.

Today I went to a funeral - the mother of a friend of mine passed away. I drove my car and my friend Kathy rode with me. Tom was gonna try to get there by 3pm, but he wasn't sure about when or if he could get away from work.

After speaking with the family, as is my usual routine I began to search for the nearest restroom. One of the funeral men directed me . . . across one room, down a hallway, across another room and down another long hallway. I thought he was directing me to the gas station next door. I worked up a sweat just finding the darn thing. As I was washing my hands before leaving the restroom, I looked at myself in the mirror. I had on two completely different earrings. Both in the black family, but one dangled about 1/2 inch and the other dangled 1 1/2 inches. Jeepers. Should I take one off and appear to have lost an earring? Should I take both off and look like plain Jane (sorry, sister)? Confidently, I decided to just be myself - complete with all my flaws - and wear both unmatched earrings.

After reversing my long trek back from the restroom, I asked Kathy, "Why didn't you tell me I had on two different earrings?" She just laughed and said no one would notice unless they talked to me straight on face-to-face. Isn't that how ya talk to everyone or is it just me? So we walked on into the chapel to wait for the service to begin. At about 2 minutes prior to the service, Tom strolled in. Kathy insisted she move down a seat so Tom could sit beside me. After I spoke to my husband, he leaned over and said, "Do you know you have on different earrings?" And NO, he's not that observant. Kathy was the culprit. Tom doesn't even notice when I have on a new outfit until about 6 months down the road. But, honestly, that's a blessing, if you women know what I mean!!! To Tom, I never seem to buy new clothes. Keep it up, Tommy Boy, I LIKE IT!

Here are the two earrings I wore today.

This mishap reminded me of a similar thing that happened at Anita's about 2 years ago. It was either my birthday or our anniversary. All of us met for dinner. Afterwards, we were standing outside just talking when Abby started giggling and poking her brothers to look at mom. I had on two different sandals. One was brown and completely flat; the other was black and elevated. How in the world I didn't notice the difference in "elevation", I have no idea. Look at the shoes for yourself.





My mind is on vacay, for sure!

I Need A Second Pair Of Eyeglasses

Why, oh, why did I place my eyeglasses on the dark red sheets on my bed, making it difficult to see them - especially when my vision was fuzzy w/o the glasses on my face? All it took was a plop on the bed with my rear and I knew I'd sat on something that should not have been there. My stomach turned upside down as I realized what I'd done. I was so vision-impaired w/o my glasses that I could not fully see how damaged they were. I knew one lens was out, it looked like a teeny, tiny screw was out and it was obvious one arm of the glasses was askew. Jeepers creepers. Monday I had to go to the eye doctor. Not in my plans.

So bright and early this morning I drove the dreaded 1 1/2 blocks to the doctor's office. I was praying that I had not totally ruined my glasses. Within 10 minutes, the lady came out with my glasses as good as new! Hip, hip, hooray! I can see!!!! Now I realize that I need a second pair of glasses for emergency. What if I'd been on vacation or it was during a long holiday? I'd be up the creek w/o a paddle. But who has several hundreds of dollars sitting around for a new pair? I may have the money, but I don't think I want to spend it on a pair of glasses right now. Guess I'll just have to be more careful.

Note to self: At night, put your glasses on the bedside table where they belong - not on the sheets of the bed, you stupid idiot.

Happy Easter!!

My pastor said recently that to Christians, Easter Sunday is The Super Bowl! If you don't understand this, I have some good news for you. Having Christ as your Lord is as simple as A, B, C! Just read the following:

A - All have sinned.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

B - But the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life."

C - Call on the name of the Lord.

Romans 10:13 "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

It's that simple. Just ask and you'll receive eternal life in Heaven. Now, who doesn't want that?

A Spring Day Of Two Extremes

Tom & I decided Saturday to ride in the mountains and get away for the day. He needed a break from yard work and I needed a break for house work. We picked our friends up at 8 am. As we drove away from Simpleville, we commented what a beautiful day it was to visit the mountains, especially after last night's terrible weather with horrendous rain, wind and tornado warnings. Lynn said that it was supposed to be sunny and 75 or 80 degrees in Simpleville today. I commented that we probably wouldn't see 75 degrees in the mountains, but what a great day it was going to be.

We were headed to the Dillard House for a yummy breakfast. Just as we turned to enter the Dillard House property, we noticed some dark clouds ahead. Tom mentioned, "That's just clearing off showers" which is something his mom always said. We ate too much food, but it was a wonderful meal. We then walked around the property to enjoy the views. The tulips were absolutely gorgeous.







We visited the petting zoo and the horse riding stable & horses. Then we got back on the road and headed to Cherokee. As we were driving, the weather took a turn. It began to rain a little and was very cloudy. We didn't care. We were having fun regardless of the weather. We drove through Cherokee and saw lots of construction. We all decided that Harrah's Casino apparently really boosted the economy in Cherokee. Road construction and building construction was everywhere.

Our next stop was at Smokemont where we love to camp. When we got out of the truck at Smokemont, it was very windy and very cold. We were all glad we had brought light jackets, but were wishing we'd brought winter coats. We walked around Smokemont and just prayed it didn't start pouring rain before we returned to the parking lot. It did began to rain a bit but we made it back to the truck before the bottom fell out. Here's a picture showing how much rain the mountains must have had. The river was really raging.




On toward Gatlinburg. As we drove in that direction, it suddenly became VERY foggy. So foggy that it was difficult to see the car in front of us. We decided to stop at Newfound Gap to get a drink from our cooler. As we were approaching Elizabeth said, "Look over there. What's that?" It was snow . . . piles of snow that had been pushed off the road by snow plows. Don't know how long it had been there, but it was weird to see on April 11. Here are some pictures.

Do you see how foggy it was and COLD!

This picture of random kids shows how high the snow piles were.

This morning we left Simpleville in beautiful, clear and sunny skies. We get to Newfound Gap and it feels freezing and it's windy. What extremes! While we were at Newfound Gap, two hikers befriended Tom & Lynn. They had been hiking for 17 days on the Appalachian Trail. (Or as they said, "The A.T.") They were asking us to let them ride in the back of Tom's truck and go down the mountain to Gatlinburg. So, Tom's truck had it's first hitch-hikers. They were from Michigan and were so nice.

After dropping our hitch-hikers at the McDonald's, we drove around Gatlinburg. Well, more accurately, we inched our way through the traffic of Gatlinburg. Apparently, thousands of people traveled to Gatlinburg for spring break/Easter break. Since none of us love crowds, we started our trip back home. About the time we entered Greenville County, the skies cleared and the sun shone. I called Abby and asked her what the weather had been all day. Of course, the weather at home was perfect. Our weather was certainly not perfect. It was ice cold, damp, rainy, windy and pretty yucky. But I must say, I had a truly great day! I love the mountains . . . rain, sleet or snow. (And we saw two outta three!)

Last but not least, for Chad & Michelle and all the other Gamecock fans. I took this picture while at the Dillard Petting Zoo. Enjoy.

Happy 8-Month Birthday, Brie! We Miss You!

Happy Good Friday

Here comes the rain. Tom seeded the yard yesterday. If history repeats itself, all the seed will be washed away by this afternoon.

While Tom took a much-needed break to go fishing today, I met Abby, Matt & Cady at Anita's for lunch. As I was leaving home to meet them, I looked for my umbrella. Or, more specifically, one of MANY umbrellas that I own. I must have bought dozens of Tote umbrellas in my life. Do you think I could find ONE umbrella today. Nope. The only umbrella I found was the patio umbrella.

A little pretentious, ya think?

Brady dog is staying with us while the Mark Rucker family spends Easter in Canada. He's such a great dog. He loves to play ball. All the time. He'll stare at the backdoor and just wait to play. When he stays here, he always sleeps right by my side of the bed. And he's so huge, he takes up all the space. I don't care.

Last night Tom & I went to the Upper Room service at church. Neither of us had time to eat supper prior to the service, so we ate very late. I ate a light supper and drank 2 glasses of Crystal Light Fruit Punch. Yummy. My new favorite cold beverage. Of course, last night I visited the little girls' room very often. And every time I got up, Brady thought it was time to play. And every time Brady got up, his collar with two metal tags would shake, rattle and roll the bedroom as he shook from head to toe.

Note to self: (1) Never drink 2 glasses of anything after 9 p.m. (2) Remove Brady's collar prior to going to bed tonight.

On to more cleaning. . . . . .

Spring Cleaning

Since our attic cleansing last week, I'm in a crazy cleaning mode. (No, I'm not in the "nesting" situation - I just want to get everything clean.)

So during the next couple of weeks, I'm doing MAJOR spring cleaning. I know the trash men think we're moving. If I haven't used something in the last year, it's outta here!

My blogging will be sporadic, at best. However, have no fear; if something funny or unusual happens in my life, you'll be one of the first to know. Now, on to my cleaning duties . . . . . . . .

I've Been "Stickered"

This weekend I noticed a sticker on the back window of my SUV. I looked closely and it was a sticker a little larger than the size of a quarter. It was in black and white - a foot with something on it, I couldn't tell what it was supposed to be. My immediate thought was CHAD, the prankster. He's the one that is usually to blame for mischief around here. I told Tom, "There goes Chad again. I'll have to ask him what that sticker means." Then I forgot about it.

Yesterday, I came home from running errands and found another sticker on my back door, just above the deadbolt lock. It was NC in their college's blue color. That's when it hit me. That stupid black & white foot sticker on my SUV was a Tar Heel. NANCY PUGH! She's the culprit. I looked around in the garage and found another sticker on my extra refrigerator. This one was the foot with tar but in North Carolina colors. If you keep up with college basketball, you are well aware that last night N.C. was playing for the national championship. Nancy was not about to let me forget that.

Tom just called. This morning he found a sticker on his truck mirror.

My poor, little rusty refrigerator . . . further marred with a Tarheel

Nancy isn't just a Tarheel basketball fan. She literally works her life around any, & I mean any, basketball game during March Madness. She watches any and all. She parks herself in front of the TV and only leaves when nature calls. I have known for years that during March Madness, I have lost a friend. This March Madness actually turns into April Aggravation for me, b/c it has just ended on April 6.

Nancy has the most beautiful blue eyes . . . just like the Tarheel blue. I swear I think her blood is probably blue. She's a very rabid fan. I was sorta hoping N.C. might lose just so I could rag her, but honestly I don't care who wins. I am a HUGE college football fan. But I don't care for college baseball because that sport is such a yawner. I don't care for college basketball unless it's the last 2 minutes of a nail-biting game. Do you know why my daughter-in-law Andrea won't watch any basketball game? She can't handle the sound of the players' "squeaking" sneakers. Isn't that a hoot? But ya know what? After she told me that, the sound drives me crazy, too.

I don't have access to any Georgia Tech paraphernalia. Nancy has an advantage b/c she frequently goes to N.C. to help with her parents. I'd love to give her a good dose of Yellow Jackets. Who cares if they've never won a championship (or at least not that I can remember). Who cares that they don't have the reputation of being consistent conference champ contenders. Tom graduated from Georgia Tech and a Yellow Jacket fan I am.

Oh, another thing about Andrea . . . this is really funny. Mark graduated from Furman and still supports them, but he has always been a huge Clemson fan. Andrea graduated from USC Aiken, but as far as being a big Gamecock fan, she is not. However, she told Mark that she liked USC's colors better than Clemson. Not many people look good in orange. That's so funny, Andrea! Actually, I prefer Georgia Bulldog colors, red & black. But after living in Elberton, GA., with their rabid fans and seeing how they turned on Tom when he chose to go to Georgia Tech . . . well, let's just say I am not a fan. If you are reading this and you are a Georgia Bulldog fan, good for you. Everyone must have their loyalties. Mine is a buzzin' Yellow Jacket! Support the college sports of your choice. Just don't be mean.

Walking Down Memory Lane

April 6, 1966
I was all of 13 years old. I, believe it or not, was very shy. I think this was because I grew to 5'7" by 4th grade and was a head taller than all my friends for years and years. Around the age of 13, many of them were catching up or passing me in height but my confidence was still in the gutter. Since I was in 5th grade, I had a crush on an older boy. Silly grade school crush. I didn't even know his name for a long time. He lived in the country & went to a different school and I was a city slicker; not a city slicker in the haughty way, but dad was the Sheriff and we lived practically on the city square. I had never told anyone about my crush, not even my closest friend.

Back in 1966, 8th grade was part of high school in Elberton, Georgia. I vividly remember most of my teachers. One class I didn't particularly like was "gym". My teacher was Margaret Rucker. She'd taught gym for years. I liked her, but I wasn't interested in getting all sweaty as a 13 year old in that unairconditioned gym.

On April 6, 1966, I was on my way to gym when my friend Rita and her boyfriend Kramer tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and there was someone else with them. Rita said, "Joy, this is Tom". Kramer said, "Tom, this is Joy." Rita and Kramer just walked away leaving Tom & I to say hello, trying to hide our embarrassment. Rita was a good friend of mine. Kramer was one of Tom's best friends. They had devised a plan. They thought we'd be a good couple. Tom never said a word to them about me; I never said a word to them about Tom. Tom Rucker was my secret crush since 5th grade. My dream had come true. Tom walked me to dreaded gym class which was taught by his Aunt Margaret. Of course, the talk of co-ed gym that day was that Tom & Joy were "going together". We'd only just met and these boys and girls had us in a long-term relationship already. And Aunt Margaret heard every word. I was embarrassed.

Today, April 6, 2009, I'm thankful that Rita and Kramer literally pushed us together. I would never have pursued Tom and he was shy, too. We probably would have never gotten together. He went to the Methodist church and I went to the Baptist church. Our paths rarely crossed. Thanks, Rita and Kramer!

While I have been de-cluttering lately, I discovered two billfolds that I had when I was a teenager. Both are red. Does that surprise you? One billfold was solely a "Tom" billfold.

It is filled with pictures of Tom from baby to teenager. I found a $1 bill that had written on it, "Tom - Jan. 11, 1969". I'll just bet he gave me that dollar. (He's still frugal to this day!) Here are two pictures I found.

I don't know why I felt the need to label "Tom" and especially "me".

My second red billfold was filled to the max with pictures.

Loads of pictures. Nancy M. Ward, I'm sending you some you'll love!

I remember going to this crusade. It was almost to the day one month before I met Tom.

I also found where I'd jotted down the names of my future children. Chad, Mark and Abby: Be very glad that I changed my mind over the years or you might have been Kevin, Kirt, Angie, Marta and my favorite "Nikki".

I know that God placed Tom in my life. Can't fathom life without him. April 6, 1966, will always be a special day in my mind. It was the very beginning. Look at the picture below at something I wrote on that red "Tom" billfold.

April 6, 1966 . . . .
43 years and counting . . .

One odd fact: When I was born and through age 4, my home address was Ruckersville Road.

My Awesome Attic

Tom & I had so much fun in the attic on Thursday, we did it again on Friday. We spent a few hours organizing and filtering through my Christmas, Fall, Spring, and other special decorations. If you don't know, I have tons of, especially, Christmas decorations. It took a long time. Tom added more flooring in the attic to better organize our things. It's so awesome. We have different zones in the attic for toys, camping equipment, decorations, luggage, etc. Every storage bin is labeled with the contents. Many things are hung on nails from the rafters to keep floor space open. Tom even vacuumed the floor. (Suddenly, I'm fearful that everyone reading this has totally perfect attics and you are thinking that I'm so lame . . .) Oh, well. I'm happy.
Over the weekend, we even took Mark and later Abby to see our space. I'm sure they were thrilled to climb up the stairs and look at an attic, but they honestly seemed happy for us. Actually, they are happy for themselves. My children won't have to go through that JUNK if something happens to Tom & I. That's why they were happy.
Tom & I took a huge truck load to Goodwill. Then we took an even larger truck load to the dump. The problem now lays with what we brought down from the attic for me to clean up for my grands. Unfortunately, I now have several boxes of toys in the den waiting for me. But just wait until I tell you in another blog about my new plan to organize my entire house. I'll tell you after I've mastered the plan, just in case it doesn't work or (more likely) that I get lazy. I know you are waiting anxiously for this blog. Stay tuned!

The Tale Of Two Letters plus An Afternoon Date With My Husband

The U.S. Postal Service delivered two distinctly different letters to my house today. One was addressed to Tom. It was from Honduras. Ligia (pronounced "Lih'-hee-ah" was a teen interpreter for Tom & others during a mission trip to Honduras several years ago. Tom was thrilled to hear from her. She is now a senior in high school. Her English es muy bueno. She asked about Abby who was also on that trip. I'm sure Abby & Tom will soon send her a letter. Both of them wish they could return to Honduras, and maybe one day they can.

The U.S. Postal Service also delivered a letter addressed to me. No return address. Inside was a piece of notepaper. As I opened the multi-folded letter, I thought "Who's stalking me?" But, it was not a stalker, per se; it was Mrs. Crock, the Chronic Caller. (She's called me twice today). Remember her from a former blog? Hope you can read the letter below:

Ok, after reading from the blog site, I know you can't read this. Here goes,

Joy, I don't got your number and Ronda don't have it. The nice lady at church office give me your address. I got my friend to say she will take me to your church on Easter. Ronda says she wont be there so I want to git with you and eat lunch at your house. I told my friend you are a nice woman and will like to see me again. Ruby


What? Eat Easter lunch at my house? I immediately called "My Friend" (the one who is responsible for getting me involved with Miss Ruby. Now you know Mrs. Crock's real first name but that's all you'll get from me.) My mind began to spin. Ok, everyone always comes here for our annual Easter Egg Hunt and it's such a special time. Yes, my adult children still hunt eggs. Our eggs have money in them! Top prize egg is $20. Others have $10, $5, $1 and quarters. My kids get bruises and seep blood trying to find the Prize Egg. We, the hiders, make is quite difficult to find that egg. One year it was under a big pile of dog poo! Yep, we are shameless. But I digress.

Back to Miss Ruby. I'm thinking that I've got to devise a plan so that she is not here during our family meal. In all likelihood, we'll have the meal in the early evening. So that means I can sit with Ruby at church, take her to our S.S. class, take her out to eat at a local restaurant, get her back to her apartment and still have time to cook my evening meal. I decided that God probably placed her in my life, especially for Easter, and that I should try to befriend her on that special day. Ok, I've got it planned out. After Tom & ate a quick lunch out today, I planned on calling Miss Ruby and seeing how we could work out all the details.

During our lunch, My "former" Friend called and said very sheepishly, "I've something to tell you." I said, "What?" She said, "That letter from Miss Ruby was supposed to get to you yesterday . . . it's a complete joke." Oh my gosh! I absolutely flipped in the restaurant. I got sucked into that "late" April Fools joke like dust to a vacuum. To make it even funnier, My Friend had very little to do with this prank. Guess who actually wrote that letter? My pastor's wife! Yep, she better watch out. I'm gonna get her back one day. Just wait! Oddly, now I feel guilty . . . like I should invite Miss Ruby to church and out to eat on Easter. Man, oh, man. I called Mrs. Pastor and told her I was gonna drop off Miss Ruby at her 11:15 service and let her spend the day with her family.

Tom took this afternoon off and he has all day tomorrow off. After lunch, I said, "Tom, I have a great idea for this afternoon." I'll bet your thinking that we might go to Furman to feed the ducks. No. Maybe drive up in the mountains and smell the fresh, clean air. No. Maybe drive to the lake and see if our dock is really in the water. No. My idea was way above and beyond all these ideas. My idea was to clean the attic. So romantic. So invigorating. So dusty. We spend four fun-filled hours in the attic this afternoon. Our backs are killing us tonight. But we accomplished so much. I still need to go through my attic Christmas stuff. Maybe tomorrow. Here's a list of things we found while straightening the attic:

Lots of Cabbage Patch dolls, my Barbies, Ken & Midge and their vehicles, my 3-year-old doll (the actual size of a 3-year-old, except that she is an amputee . . . but I do have her legs stored separately), a Polaroid camera still in the box that Tom gave in 1969, really old books, tons and tons of books that were my children's that I can't wait to go through, lots of Little Tykes items that my grands will enjoy like a kitchen set, chairs, stroller, etc., eight Lenox Christmas plates that were Tom's moms, a new pack of computer paper, 5 new packs of notebook paper (thanks, Abby, for not using these during college) and enough pens, pencils, staples & staplers, scissors, paper clips, etc. to open a office supply store (again, thanks, Abby, for not throwing these things away when you left Clemson.)


We also found 2 broken chairs, empty bins, empty boxes, lots of old utensils & cookware from college, enough dust to fill a large stadium and enough dead bugs to gag an elephant. We smartly (thanks to my great discernment) wore masks. In a sterile environment, I have trouble with my sinuses. Working in my attic without a mask would certainly mean sinus transplant surgery for me. Had I known how yucky the attic was, I'd have worn a Hazmat suit complete with a breathing apparatus. I was so filthy when we finished. I told Tom to take a picture of me. You can't tell, but my hands are dark brown from dirt.

I look like I'm being arrested! Probably by the Fashion Police, to be sure. Just look at that 'Do!

I have some more cleaning to do with things we brought down from the attic. Guess I'd better go and finish that job. I'll leave with some pictures of Brie from Tuesday.

She was watching her Baby Einstein dvd. Such a cute expression.

She's really concentrating on the video. She didn't even notice the flash from my camera.

Playful little Brie

I used to put my kids in a box. They wouldn't fall backwards and bump their heads and the toys wouldn't get scattered about. However, a plain ole cardboard box is just not good enough for my G.G.'s. Today I bought a smooth, rounded-edge laundry basket to replace this box.