Survival Of The Fittest

It's a tradition. Whitney and I spend the day after Thanksgiving together, joining in the madness that is Black Friday. For the past two years, we were in Commerce at midnight and shopped straight on through till Friday afternoon. Not so this year. We've never found bargains good enough to merit skipping sleep altogether. With all the family craziness, we had to start planning our day well in advance. Leyland has her own tradition for the occasion- a sleepover with Papa and Grandma Lynn. This year, with the addition of Baby Corey, we weren't sure how it would all play out, but Grandma Lynn was a brave soul and offered to keep both babies. So... after spending the afternoon at Nany & Pawpoo's, Whitney, Dustin and the babes went to Dustin's grandparents' house for dinner. He stayed overnight with his family, and Whitney took the children to her dad's and they all spent the night there. (Try to imagine getting all their food ready, plus baby paraphernalia for a sleepover- it was a rather hectic morning for sure!) I had a wonderful afternoon/evening of being home all alone! I did sneak up to DJs for some yummylicious Thanksgiving leftovers- but it was such a laid-back day that I went in my PJs! After a short nap, I was up and ready at 2:30 a.m. to start the day. Whitney had carefully mapped out our adventure, and we set off for Kohl's first. Last year we were in that store for about two hours, 1:45 of which was spent standing in line to pay for our bargains. Today we were in and out in 32 minutes. It was incredible. We got some great bargains for the kids. Next on the list was Goody's. We did a little bit of damage there, but my favorite thing was a pair of barettes for Leyland that have little reindeer horns on them. Perfect for her little Christmas outfit!! Note to self: Make some of these ornaments and sell on e-bay next year!! Too cute!! A last-minute decision to check out Sam's turned out to be a very good choice: I found the external hard drive I had been looking for, plus a few other items. Next destination- Target. Last year was a total nightmare at Target. This year we showed up about 20 minutes after the doors opened, so some of the madness had subsided. The ailes were very crowded in toys and electronics, but other than that, it wasn't bad and the checkout lines went quickly. After leaving Target, we headed across town to K-Mart and Wal Mart, where once again, we did really well, and got some pretty good bangs for our bucks. At this point, Whitney was really feeling the Need To Nurse, so we headed back to her dad and Lynn's house. She and I parted ways at that point, and she and the kids went to retrieve Dustin from his grandparents' house. I called myself "rested" and having found my second wind, so I decided to stop by the mall. I guess Whitney must be my good luck shopping charm, because all I got at the mall was a really, really bad case of sore feet. Not entirely true, I did purchase what I went for, but only after standing in a very long line in a very hot store. So I'm thinking I'm pretty much done. A few minor things here or there to pick up. It was the best Black Friday shopping day we've ever had. Saving money is always on our minds nowadays, and findings bargains is fabulous, but spending the time with Whitney was the best part of the entire day. Now I just can't wait to watch Leyland when she sees her presents. I can just hear her saying "awwww... kewt!!!" My plan for tomorrow is to get my Christmas tree out of the building, plug 'er up and see if the lights are still functioning. My intentions are to cut out lots of paper ornaments with the Sizzix and the CB, so that if tiny little hands can't resist the temptation to pull over Namma's tree, nothing will get broken. Depending on how long it takes me to recover from today's outing, that may or may not get done. We may just have a nekkid tree with lights this year. Watch for pictures of my little Christmas Angels, to be posted as soon as I get some. I hope everyone had a great day, and got to spend it doing whatever you wanted to do. Now it's off to bed for my poor, weary, tired self

I try to be mindful every day of the blessings in my life. How fitting it is that we have an actual day marked on our calendar to remind us to stop and be thankful. I suppose some people actually need a reminder. Not so for me. In the back of my mind, somewhere in the subconsciousness of the chaos in my brain, there is always an attitude of gratefulness. (And I'm so thankful for that!!!) Sure, there have been ups and downs in my life, times of darkness and hardship, and I seem to have lost my way at different points in my life. But God has always been my Protector, my Provider, and my Comfortor. I have so much to be thankful for. Yes, it is true that I spend much of my waking hours working, and sometimes it seems unfair that at this point in my life I should have to work so hard. But you know what? For even that I am grateful, on a couple of levels. I am grateful that I have a skill that allows me to work extra accounts from home (in my jammies) instead of being on my feet waiting tables for tips. A skill that, with discipline, is very lucrative, and will help me reach my goals for keeping the electricity turned on as well as retirement planning. I am grateful because being busy keeps me focused on things other than the fact that I am spouseless (which for right now is just how I want it, but I wonder if, as I get older, I will regret being alone). I am grateful for all the contacts I have in the health care arena in my area- which bodes well when looking for extra work. On a personal level, I am thankful for (the usual answer) my family. Just last night I was sitting in the living room with Corey on one leg and Leyland on the other leg, just reveling in all the grandbaby love and thinking that if I don't wake up tomorrow, I will go to bed tonight with a heart so full of love that I know without a doubt, I am most blessed among women. When Leyland turned to me and said "I wub ooo namma", unsolicited, for the very first time, it was a pure slice of heaven. Living so close to my parents (which at one time in my life would have been cause for peril-- haha!) is a special joy that I have truly come to appreciate. I don't see them daily, usually once a week at church is all, but I always talk to them daily, and they're practically just a holler away and we can be there for each other at a moment's notice. I love that. My extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, nieces and nephews is an incredible bunch of folks. The thing I love the most about our crazy clan is that we are a demonstrative bunch, always huggin' and peckin' on the cheek, and never are we afraid or too shy to say I Love You. We say it often. I know of families who just can't say that to each other, even parents to children, children to parents, or siblings to siblings. I can't fathom that. It comes so natural, that sometimes when talking to Whitney's dad, from whom I have been divorced since 1992, sometimes I'll still say, when hanging up, I love you... and we just laugh. I just love not being inhibited, and being able to say I love you to those whom I love. Even my friends. And let me tell you, I have some of the most amazing friends EVER. It is so incredible to have friends who understand the business and craziness of my life- friends who do not make demands, friends who love me just like I am and accept that I don't have hours to chat on the phone every day. But friends who are there for me at a moment's notice and who likewise know that if they need me all they have to do is call. Where would I be without these people who I love so much? And yet again, I am so thankful to be able to tell them so. I am especially thankful for men and women who pledge themselves to our country and are this very day thousands of miles from home. Perhaps enjoying a thanksgiving dinner in a military tent somewhere, but far, far away from the ones they love. Today we can sit at our tables, thank our Lord for our blessings, and enjoy our families, because for hundreds of years these men and women have spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother & Father's Day, etc., crawling in trenches, dodging gunfire, serving on Navy ships, guarding missile sites, enduring all manner of hardships, far away from home. To these people we should forever be grateful. Because of these people, I enjoy the freedom to worship God in the manner of my choosing. And I am grateful to God, most of all, for the grace with which He so freely showers upon me.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! And remember. If you love someone- tell them!!

Akins Ford/Mazda- A Shout Out!

It’s Road Test Time. We’re having some moisture (I hesitate to call it rain just yet) in the area- enough to make the roads a little slippery. This is the first time my new tires will get wet. The man who pumped up my tire for me prior to purchasing the new ones, sorta spooked me with horror tales of driving in the rain on my worn tires. The next day I called all around, in true Dave Ramsey fashion, to find the best bargain for my tire money. Terri at my office suggested that I call the Akin Ford/Mazda place here in Athens, where she has bought a couple of cars. Her last tire purchase was there, and they treated her right. I phoned them, and sure enough, Mr. Ricky had the best price for the tires, and I could tell that the customer service was going to be good. And the bargain got even better! With my tire purchase I get membership into some kind of club they have, which entitles me to five free oil changes and tire rotation for the life of the tires. Pretty cool huh? In addition to that, because I’m a member of The Club, a certain percentage of every dollar I spend goes into my own personal account to be used against future dollars that I will spend. (And since the Athens Kia place has closed down, this is perfect!) My account money can be used for any car I want, so the next day, Whitney and Dustin took the Green Hornet down for a free oil change! Sweet! And even better STILL.. they gave me a rebate coupon to get $20.00 back from my tire purchase! What more can a girl ask for? An immaculately clean, comfortable waiting area which I’m sure (though I didn’t personally check) also means clean bathrooms! The customer service was superb. And I expect it would have been equally as superb even if the lovely Kim N. hadn’t been on hand to personally see to my needs. I’ve loved that gal since she was a little tyke crawling underneath the church pews. Anyhow, ya done good, Brad, with your Athens store. Keep up the good work. I’ll be back!! In the meantime, I’ll feel much better driving home in the rain today knowing that I’m no longer “showing tread”, and that my tires were mounted, balanced and my car aligned by the best. Thanks, guys!

Let The Feasting Begin!!!

This morning in church, my pastor offered a bit of Thanksgiving trivia: The calorie-count consumption for most American folks on the fourth Thursday in November is... a whopping... 7,000 plus!! (There was an actual number, but my memory escapes me. I guess I got stuck on the "seven thousand" part!) My goodness. That's a lot of green bean casserole, sweet potato souffle and pumpkin pie! Oh yeah, baby! Let the feasting begin!! Tonight was our annual church-wide Thanksgiving Dinner. I made sure I got my 7,000 plus calories for sure. Except for the being-together-with-the-family thing, I like this celebration even more than the traditional gathering of the Dunahoo clan. Why you ask? Just look at these pictures, and you'll see why! There are some fabulous cooks in my family, and we always have quite a spread, but my goodness! My church family is infamous for our covered-dish dinners, and there is an abundance of any and everything you can imagine on which to stuff yourself. And I am delighted to do my part. Here are a few photos from tonight's feast: (Click on photos to enlarge. Sorry, no Scratch N Sniff feature available at this time.)

DJ & Del's Awesome Bulletin Board~~ The Spread

Random Scenes of Fellowship

Our Pastor, Bro.Gordon / My BFF D.J.

First Locust, I mean Baptist Church!

And The Beautiful Ladies Who

Make It Happen!

~~~~~~~~~~~

On a side note, for the past year in Bible Study, Bro. Gordon has been doing a study called "52 Words Every Christian Should Know". Most of the words were familiar, but there were a few about which I had never really given much thought. I can just tell you that there is ONE word I'm glad wasn't on the list. Or if it was on the list, I suppose it was Divine Providence that caused me to miss class that day. The word? Gluttony. Because if the word had been there, I'm sure the clever author would have made it fall somewhere around week number 47, which would coincide nicely with Thanksgiving, the kickoff season for holiday *gluttony*. Enjoy your week, everyone, and reflect upon all the blessings that we enjoy every day. And take the stairs a time or two to burn some of those 7,000+ calories!

Accents

Now if you're from the south, (i.e. born and bred here, several generations over), you'll pronounce the word in my title like this: Ack seyents, with a hard emphasis on the first syllable. One of my northern Yankee friends once told me that that we southerners loved to make a one-syllable word sound like a two- or three-syllable word. Weyull, whut kin I saaay?? Nearly thirty years ago, when I first started my career as a medical transcriptionist, our local physician pool was pretty much the good ol boys from around these parts, with a few northerners every now and then. There were only two, maybe three ESL dictators (English as a second language). One of them, bless his heart, had been in the U.S. for nearly 50 years, and still couldn't (or wouldn't) speak plainly enough for us to create a decent looking report. There were more blanks than words. I willed him back from whence he came so many times... on a slow boat with many holes. Nowadays, in our mobile, and (at least for the time being) capitalist society, it seems there are as many ESL docs as there are American docs. While I've become accustomed to most of the dialects and can manage fairly well, there are a few whose names I dread seeing in my queue. I once had a private account for a nephrology office run by two doctors from India. They were from different parts of the country, and I found it very interesting that they had to talk to each other in English, as they couldn't speak the other's Indian dialect. I was reading the blog of another MT last night, and found a link to this really cool site where you click on different languages, and see how it would sound for someone from a certain region to dictate the same paragraph. I was totally entertained. I would be like "Oh, Dr. So And So is from here, let me see if it sounds like him/her". Some of them were right on the money, while others were different. (Whitney informed me I am such a nerd.) I guess it's the same way with we folk here in the good ol U. S. of A. You say potato, she says potatah. I say 'tater. Anyhow, to kill the time til 5:00 Friday (Frydee) afternoon, click here for some fun, and let me know where Stella is going and what she is buying today. Ya'll come back nayow, ya heeyer?

Amazed

For any of you who follow Whitney's blog along with mine, you'll notice that we often post on very similar subjects. Namely Leyland and Corey. Well, not to be outdone by Miss Whitney's latest entry, I just wanted to share a couple of new pictures with you. Every day when I look at these beautiful babies I am amazed. I wasn't the typical ecstatic grandma-to-be. In *my* mind, the timing wasn't right, there was still a degree to earn, etc, etc, etc. I was soon to learn that it's not about *me* and *my* plans. God is way smarter than me, and I believe has a purpose for every life. His thoughts are not my thoughts, and His ways are not my ways. (Thank goodness!) Grace is a wonderful thing, and the anxiety that lived in my heart was replaced by a love so powerful and strong that now I cannot imagine ever being unhappy with the "special surprise blessing" pregnancies. Because they live with me, every day I see these babies grow and learn. I am amazed. Amazed at the wonder of life. Amazed at the ability of a child to grasp new things and begin to reason. Amazed at how quickly a tidy room can become a disaster. Amazed at how cute a 2-year-old looks wearing nothing but pajama bottoms and ketchup. I am amazed at the interaction between baby brother and big sister. I am thrilled when I make eye contact with Corey, even from across the room, his little face lights up like a Christmas tree and a smile breaks out all over his face. I am so blessed. I am so much in love with my grandchildren. You know they really are waaaay better than your own kids! I am so thankful that God has placed these particular babies in our family. Would they have been different babies if *my* timeline had been followed and they were born a few years later? Who knows. I wouldn't take that chance now for anything in the world. Every day is an adventure at our house. Every day is a new opportunity to teach, to learn and to love. And if there's one thing that abounds at my house, it is the wonderful love for these precious babies. And did I say how beautiful they are? Amazing.
Leyland wearing all her hairbows at once.


This is the sweetest boy who ever lived!

Single-Cell Organisms

Today I’m recovering from a bad case of the amoebas. Of the gastroenteritis type. I didn’t venture from my bed all day yesterday except to puke. I tried to work last night for the hospital, honestly I did, but every time I would sit up, the amoebas would attack me again, so I finally just gave up the ghost and went back to bed. Today I just feel like I have a hangover. I’m so sore I can hardly move. My chest feels like my ribs are broken and my low back is trying to seize up on me. If I were a horse, I guess they would just shoot me. Tonight is GNO SBing at the church, and I’m not even excited about it. For sure I’m not taking all my crap down there. I am planning on working on Christmas cards tonight for as long as I can hold up.. Maybe I’ll get my second wind today and will be rarin’ to go tonight. My car is at the shop today, getting four new tires and front-end alignment, so I guess my bank account will be going into shock later today. I just hate to spend money on tires! But, thankfully, it is an expense that doesn’t come around too terribly often. Since I was beginning to “show some tread”, I figured I’d best go ahead and get it taken care of- right away! (Why do they call it “showing tread” when what has actually happened is the tread has worn down, and you’re looking at threads? Or maybe it is “showing some thread”. But I thought the guy at the service station told me I was showing “tread”. Hmmm. Another one of those great mysteries of the universe, I guess.) Update on the Virgin Mary on my arm- it now looks like a dinosaur embryo. No kiddin’. There’s a baby brontosaurus on my arm. I wonder what it will look like tomorrow? Just so long as it doesn’t look like an amoeba.

Calling It An Early Night

Is it Friday yet? Already it has been a long week. I did enjoy a nice nap Sunday afternoon, so that was an unexpected luxury! I noted today that I actually have SIX fun things scheduled on my calendar for this month! This Friday is GNO/scrappin' at the church, Saturday night is dinner with my SSAB, Pam. Next Friday night is GNO with BJ and DJ to celebrate our half-century birthdays. Next Saturday night it's just Grandma and The Babies (babysitting). Sunday is Thanksgiving dinner at church. Then of course Thanksgiving! I won't be doing anything that day, as our family gathering will be the Sunday following, but I can't wait for a nice, laid-back, home-alone day. Whit and her family will be spending the day with her dad's folks and probably Dustin's family. Then of course Black Friday! Whitney and I had decided not to do the Midnight Madness thing, but she's starting to waver a bit on that decision. There's no need for us to go, but she says "Mom, it's a tradition!" I think I'll sneak some Benadryl into her Pepsi about 6 p.m., and maybe she'll sleep right through it! There will be plenty enough of shopping for us on Friday. She is doing fabulous with her training on Dr. F's account, and is so excited to be earning some money of her own! Wow. That kind of sounds like more than six things. Anyway, it's shaping up to be a busy, but enjoyable month.

Today I didn't feel very well and had Terri do a quick BP check. It wasn't pretty. I went around the corner to see my physician. Oh boy. My homework: Take my blood pressure every day for two weeks, then return to the office with my BP and BS diaries, and we'll go over results of the labwork drawn today. And might I just interject here that even though Vampira was flawless and the blood-letting was painless, I am now sporting a happy little Monet on my arm. One section is cherry red, while another discolored area (nowhere near the venipuncture site) contains the full spectrum of color from both the red and blue familes. If I look closely enough, I think I can actually see the image of the Virgin Mary. Maybe I could sell my arm on E-bay. At any rate, I'm a tired, worn-out puppy, and I'm calling it, for me, an early night.

Escape Artist

The days of secure confinement of our two-year-old have officially passed. One of my best purchases of this year was a 3 x 3 play yard for Leyland. She is such a good little girl, and is content to play there or watch TV while her mom goes about doing chores, nursing Baby Corey, taking a shower, or whatever necessitates her being out of the room. It has certainly been a godsend. Perfect for afternoon naps too. A week or so ago, Whitney told me that Leyland, who had been content watching Barney while Whit was nursing Corey in the bedroom, came into the room and nonchalantly said "hi mommy!". The time we were dreading had arrived. We knew that once she figured out how to sling that little foot over the rail, wiggle her little butt just right and pull herself over the side, there would be no looking back. Since that morning, she has become quite adept at the art of escaping, and quite frankly is showing some real signs of athleticism. Yesterday morning, while Whitney was nursing Corey in the bedroom (that boy loves to eat!), Leyland was watching Nemo in the playpen. I was busy in the kitchen, when I heard my phone alarm. (Apparently I had forgotten to disable the alarm when I finally crawled out of bed.) I turned around to see Miss Leyland standing at the gate (that separates the kitchen from the living room), holding out my phone to me, saying "here grandma". The little munchkin had heard my phone, climbed out of the playpen, toddled back to my bedroom, retrieved said phone from my purse, and had brought it to me in the kitchen. I had no idea she had even escaped. How cute is that!! Well, it's cute all right, but I sure do miss the security that the playpen once afforded! I guess we'll have to tie a cowbell around her ankle so we can keep up with her now. We've baby/kid-proofed the living room, and normally keep all the bedroom/bathroom doors closed anyway, but still, it's a scary thing knowing that she can escape so easily. I think the kitchen gate is safe (impenetrable) for a while. I sure hope so. I'm not ready to come into the kitchen and find her cooking just yet!

Vindicated!

Looks like I’m not the only one distressed over the election results. Why, even Barney, the First Dog, is in a bad mood. Did you see that he took a bite out of a reporter’s finger yesterday? There has been much ado with speculation about what kind of puppy the Obamas will bring to the White House. I guess Barney is no happier about the transition than the rest of us non-Obamans. So there- we are vindicated!

Quite frankly, all worries aside, I rather feel that Mr. Obama is in for a much more difficult ride than perhaps he has anticipated. There is the inherent transition period including the top-security briefings, which he is already undergoing, and the (I would imagine) overwhelming realization that he is The President. Add to that the amazing fact that he is a Black President. That’s pretty incredible. I am wondering, though, if he will retain his popularity with black Americans, simply by virtue of his ethnicity. I have no doubt that there are those black Americans who voted for him because he is black. Are these people disillusioned to think that because a black person has been elected to office that it will be Easy Street for blacks? Afros all around and Black Power bumper stickers? Affirmative action in warp speed? Do they think that it's all about the Black Thing? Granted, I'm sure there will perhaps be more attention given to civil rights issues, but even as opposed as I was to his being elected, it's not because I worry that he will promote the Black Power movement such as we saw in the 60s and 70s. I worry far more about national security, health care and the economy. I truly believe that the negative aspects of Obama’s platform will affect blacks and non-blacks equally, and I am afraid that there will be many black people who are going to be disappointed. Does his election further equality and civil rights? Perhaps, in some ways. Perhaps not in others. The day after the election, the internet and text message airways were full of jokes- some of the most racial jokes I have ever heard. How can that possibly be a good thing, when it will likely put many blacks on the defensive, and (rightly so) cause them to cry racism? I have already personally witnessed white people sneaking off in a corner and sharing jokes, looking over their shoulders to see if there's a black person nearby. Is that promoting tolerance and acceptance or is it promoting separatism- even if unintended? If you’ve read my prior posts, there is probably no doubt that I am displeased with the outcome of the election. Not surprised, but displeased nonetheless. For many reasons. Now there is another reason to add to the list. Having a black person in the office of President certainly will give some black children and youngsters someone to aspire to, and perhaps instill a desire to take advantage of their opportunities and know that you truly can achieve your dreams in our great country. On the flip side of that, however, I can see the potential for an attitude “setback” that could take us back several decades. I am hoping that doesn’t happen. I’m hoping that once the dust settles that it will be business as usual. Those so enamored with him will soon learn that he is not All That, and probably (hopefully) many of the promises he made will fall by the wayside. That being said, I am still troubled by the Rev. Wright thing, and wonder if, as President, his MO might be a more clandestine effort to undermine white America and to "G*d &^&# America" as his pastor has so vehemently taught. I suppose only time will tell.

The Bible teaches us to pray for those in authority. The prayer list in my bulletin every Sunday always lists, along with the sick and bereaved in our community, the leaders of our country. I am sad to say that I have been remiss in this call to action- something that I my ownself can personally do- I have failed to do on a consistent basis. If nothing else, perhaps the results of this election will be a helpful reminder to believers to do just that- pray for our President and the members of Congress, the Supreme Court Justices, as well as our state and local governments. I’m still not happy about it, but I can certainly offer my prayers for the protection of our leaders and our country, for the wisdom to govern with integrity, ferocity when necessary, all the while protecting the sanctity of life, and preserving (and improving) our morals. But right now I’m feeling a bit more like Barney. I just want to bite somebody.

Cars, Cars, Everywhere!!

Well, E Day is here. The long-awaited, much-anticipated, highly promoted day that will possibly change history, as well as the course of our nation. Of course I am referring to not only the Presidential election, but equally important, or perhaps even moreso, the congressional seats that will also be decided today. The route I travel to work (the one that takes me by the Buzzard Farm) winds its way through back country roads, along beside a reservoir and across a lazy river before passing by a small volunteer fire department just inside the Jackson County line. I was delighted to see, just after crossing the river and turning the curve, that there were no less than thirty or forty cars parked up and down the highway, and in the parking lot of the tiny little butler building. This is the voting site for this area of the county, and people were standing in line out the doors of the building at 7:40 a.m. this morning. When the line of cars came into view, I found myself smiling, and doing the Yesssss! thing with my hands. As I neared the building and saw the people standing outside, I actually felt a lump in my throat. What a nerd I am. Had it not been out of my way, I would have driven by my own little town’s voting site, and I do plan to do that after work this afternoon. I ask myself why it is such and emotional thing for me, and I really can’t come up with an answer. It is emotional on several levels- first of all, I so appreciate the right to vote, I appreciate the price that was paid by so many to live in the Land Of The Free and the Home Of The Brave. Regardless of her faults, and there are many, I do love my country, and I’m one who can’t even sing the national anthem at a football game because of the lump in my throat. I’m the one who tears up just looking at photos of Arlington. A flag-draped coffin sends me over the edge. However, voting is not only a privilege and a right, paid for by the blood of our forefathers, it is a responsibility. One that I take very seriously, especially so this year. What is so significant about this year? Well, anybody who turns on the tv, radio, reads a newspaper or magazine is aware that history has already been made, by the fact that an African-American is only a few electoral votes away from being our next President. Should it matter that he is African-American? No. Not to me. I have long said that there were two black people for whom I would not hesitate to cast my vote (though I must admit disappointment that one of them recently endorsed Obama). The only reason it matters to me that he is African-American, is that it matters a great deal to the black community. In my earlier postings I have lamented the fact that black folks will vote for him because his is black, and some white folks will vote against him because he is black. That definitely raises my emotions- to the point of disgust. I guess I should just accept the fact that there is a segment of the black population who would rather elect Brian Nichols (a black inmate who escaped the deputy on the way into the courtroom, shot and killed a judge, a court reporter, a sheriff’s deputy, and a federal agent) as president because he is black rather than the most qualified white candidate that could be found. I truly believe that at this point in time (this segment of) black America is voting (many of them for the first time ever!) simply because Obama is black. Doesn’t make me a racist to say that, it makes them racist to do it. And it makes me sorry, because for the working black person, as well as the rest of working America, I’m afraid Obama is simply not the best choice. For those already on public assistance, black or white folks, then he’s just their guarantee that their piece of the pie will get bigger. Yep- take more money from the workin’ folks and give it to those who don’t have any. Spread the wealth. But I digress. Though I am hopeful of a miracle, I can pretty much guess how it all will play out. I’ll still be driving by my local polling place this afternoon, just to see how many folks are there. Silly me. I guess I just like those lumps in my throat.

The Great Linen Closet Mystery

Mondays at the office are usually pretty busy. We see patients all day on Friday, so I normally have a large stack of charts for dictation on Monday mornings. I was expecting another busy day, but was surprised to find his satchel empty this morning. Then I remembered... not only was I off on Friday, he was off as well, so there were no patients- thus no charts for dictation!! I actually ended up busier than normal, though, because I got in Super Collection Mode and worked all day long on end-of-month collections reports and getting the mammoth pile of collections charts in order and organized for further processing. Yay!! Tonight's STMH work was pretty steady too, and I'm just now winding down for bed. Well, as soon as I clear off a place on my bed. Looks like I have quite a bit of clean laundry to be folded.

And speaking of clean laundry on my bed- that reminds me of a conversation I had last night with my mom. She asked me if I rearranged Aunt Joyce's linen closet while we were at the beach. (I did.) Apparently when my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Gene arrived at the condo a few days ago, upon going to the linen closet, my aunt was stunned to find her closet very neatly arranged, with all the solid folds facing in the same direction, all the hand towels on one shelf, bath towels on another, etc. Very pleasing to the eye, if I do say so myself. My Uncle Ricky called her one day this week and she asked him if Sheree got bored while they were there (they went over after I did) and rearranged the closet. He told her it wasn't Sheree. Joyce said "Well, it must have been Cat", to which my dear Uncle Ricky responded "*&$%! no, it wasn't Cat. She takes her towels out of the dryer and throws them on her bed" What???? (My mom was telling me about these conversations) I asked my why Uncle Ricky would say such a thing about me. She said "Honey, he has seen your house!" Well. I guess there's not too much defense to that (at least at the moment). But I did remind her that my own personal linen closet is an OCD-worthy example of tidiness. It's a 3 x 3 x 9 foot example of organizational skills at its best. And most definitely the neatest room in my house. It's part of my control-freak personality. It's the one place in my house that I can keep neat. It has a calming effect on me to open that little door and see my tattered little washrags and towels all folded to exact dimensions, edges hidden from view, stacked symmetrically according to thickness or fluffiness (or lack thereof). I did call my Aunt Joyce at the beach in order to solve the mystery. She was delighted that I had utilized my skills in her little closet at the beach, and said she was motivated to go home and organize her linen closet at home. Once I got off the phone with her, I called up Mr. Uncle Ricky Smarty Pants and left a message on his phone, inviting him to feel free to come to my house at any time, bulldoze his way through my kitchen and living room, through all the various and sundry articles of dissaray that give my home that lived-in look, and go into my bathroom and check out my linen closet. Though I do hope he will wait a day or two before he comes over. Right now there are several piles of sorted laundry in the floor just waiting their turn in the washing machine. I'm not sure he would be able to open the door right this moment.

Trunk Or Treat

Last night was the annual Trunk Or Treat at our church. As always, it was a hugely popular event for the local ghosts, goblins, princesses, and various and sundry other characters, both ghoulish and precious. Of course, my own grandchildren were absolutely adorable in all of their cuteness, and no doubt the most photographed little sweeties of the evening. Aunt Kate came over before hand, and after driving me over to the church early, she helped Whitney get our little munchkins ready. She was a real lifesaver! And she looked cute too with her kitty ears, her nose and whiskers. Jessica and Brandon came too, and Baby Corbin was the cutest pumpkin there! There were hundreds of folks who meandered through the parking lot over the course of the evening, collecting all manner of delectable goodies before enjoying a hot dog and continuing on with their haunting down the fair streets of town. David and the Kitchen Crew cooked around 1,000 hot dogs this year, since we ran out last year after cooking only 800 or so. There were about 100 left over, but I heard several groups of people asking if there was a charge for the hot dogs and drinks, so I'm wondering if lots of folks didn't realize it was free. At any rate, 900 hot dogs is a lot of weenies! It is a wonderful ministry that my church has embraced for several years. Of course there were brochures on hand for AWANA, and our church schedule, in case there are folks who would be interested in visiting or joining our fellowship. Until a few years ago, I had never heard of such a thing, but it's really a cool set up. Folks make two lines with their automobiles, trunks facing inward, and then open up their trunks and decorate them for Halloween. The children (well, mostly children!) then go from car to car and Trick or Treat. Besides my own cute little grandbabies, my very favorite was a little girl about four or so, dressed up like a little geisha girl, complete with white face, robe thingy and chopsticks in her hair. As she would stop at each car, she would put her hands under her chin in the praying position, bow, and say "Trick Or Treat!", then she would bow again and say "Thank You". It was precious. Leyland, who doesn't even remember going last year (as the cutest kitty cat ever) was amazed and just stood there with her mouth open, watching people put something in her bucket. She'd just stand there looking, like "gimme some more", until she finally got the hang of it that there were more goodies at the next car! She was dressed as Abby Cadabby, and Mary was dressed like a fairy ballerina. Whitney made their tutus and did a great job of it! Corey was a little green and blue dinosaur. He was his usual happy self, content to sit in the stroller for most of the evening and chew on his fingers. Toward the end I just had to get him out. After all, you couldn't see his dinosaur tail when he was in the stroller!! It was so funny in the car yesterday after we picked Mary up in Gainesville: Whitney was telling her that she had made her a tutu and Leyland said "I got a tutu!" just as plain as day. She loves it when Mary comes to visit. They've been having a great time this weekend. Whitney was very clever in avoiding sugar overloads this time. She had bought the girls some special Halloween treats at the Dollar Tree, and when they got home last night she gave them a choice- trade in their buckets of candy for the goodies in their Halloween bag. Luckily, the girls made the right choice, and the candy is safely put away out of sight for them, and they're having a ball with their dollar store prizes. (Hey, there's some pretty cool stuff to be found at those Dollar Tree stores!!) It's time to start preparing dinner, so it's off to the store to pick up some baking potatoes. Dustin is grilling tonight, so I'm looking forward to a yummylicious dinner, then perhaps I'll get a renewed source of energy and clean up my messy room. As I write, Georgia is getting slammed by Florida, so unless those Dawgs tighten up and pull it off, it will be a sad night for Dawg fans. I'm posting a few Trunk Or Treat photos for your enjoyment. Happy November Everyone!!!

In addition to our busy evening, Whitney and I exercised our right/priviledge/responsibility as citizens Friday morning, and voted! I wasn't sure what to expect, with it being the last day for early/advanced voting, but even though there were about 150 folks ahead of us, my hat's off to the Barrow County Office of Elections. The process was very smooth, painless, and very efficiently coordinated. There were even neat rows of chairs in which to sit while we waited for our name to be called. We were in and out of there in 20 minutes or less. Whitney took care of some auto tag business while we were there and I visited for a few minutes with Debra, a gal that I went to school with- all the way from elementary to high school. I used to only see her when I would pick up my tag and pay my auto taxes, but now that I do that via the mail, I never see her. It was nice to say hello and catch up, if only for a few minutes. I'm glad to have the voting process completed, especially since they're forecasting rain for Tuesday. It's down to the wire now, and all we can do is wait it out. And don't forget- if you didn't get in early, dig out your rain slickers, your umbrella and your lawn chair, and join the masses on Tuesday! Just Do It!!