Senior Ring for Josh

Hello dear blogging buddies. Sorry I've been away for so long. We've been so busy since the funeral of my dear FIL - with his estate, with my sweet MIL, with the farm, etc. We've hardly had time to think. I think when everything hits my husband, he may crash and burn. It's been two weeks now. My MIL even with her dementia has accepted that her love is gone on to heaven. She misses him so, and wishes to be with him every day. They would have been married 60 years this September.


I just wanted to check in with you guys. I've been reading when I can at work. This has been about the only place I've been able to keep up with you. Our homelife is so busy lately with all that has gone on that I hit the door running when I get off work and fall into bed exhausted. Work is almost a refuge sometimes. It's the one place that I can sit and be on my own time, my own schedule, and nobody's hollering for me to do something. Has it ever been that way for ya'll?


On a more happy note, my middle son, Josh, received his college Senior Ring in a special ceremony last week at his university. We are so proud. It's been a long time coming as he floundered around for a couple of years before deciding what to do and how to get serious about it. He has been on the 6 year plan. (I'm being sarcastic) So we are thrilled. He won't actually graduate until next May, but we can see a light at the end of the tunnel for him (and a raise for us!)So I'll leave you with this picture of me and my handsome son. He hates having his picture made, but I think even HE was proud and didn't seem to mind this time.


Be back soon with pictures of my garden. It's going pretty well, altho I had to replant my corn and green beans... (the dove and crows have been picking at the seeds...)

Thank you all for your condolences and encouragement as we grieve the passing of Tony's dad. We are all doing well, as the Lord comforts us as He promised. I know those times will come when we think of him, or Tony says he gonna ask his dad something or have the first Father's Day without him or the first Christmas. It's going to be hard at times. Tony has a great attitude about it all.

We all went out to the farm yesterday afternoon just to do something "normal" for a change, and of course carried Tony's mom with us. We're trying to keep her busy. She's doing better remembering about her husband. Adam and Pop (my dad) went fishing yesterday and caught 17 good eatin' size bass. So we had a fish fry and overindulged. (My puffy ankles are evidence to that today - all that good salty fish and fries and hushpuppies.)

We can't hardly look at the farm without thinking of Bepa. His family were the original owners and now it's been passed down to us. He was always so anxious to see what projects we were doing while we were restoring the house, and clearing and digging the garden. He loved to ride around in the truck and look at the land. My husband likes to quote Jett Rink on the movie "Giant" and say, "you can ride around on this land all day long and never see it all". We have only 78 acres, but he still likes to say it. The next project was for Tony and his dad to go buy a tractor and build a tractor barn. I guess Tony will be doing that alone. I know he'll be thinking about his dad.

Well, anyway, I couldn't let this photo pass ya'll up. After supper last evening, we were all sitting on the front porch enjoying our redneck entertainment for the evening. "You might be a redneck if..." (I'll let the photo speak for itself - )

My Father In Law

I am briefly checking in to let you know that after 2 weeks in the hospital, my father in law unexpectedly passed away in the wee hours Saturday morning, April 18, 2009. My husband was with him and he slipped quietly from his son's arms to The Son's arms. He was in no pain and the two of them, Bepa and Tony, talked and laughed only minutes and hours before. He was to begin dialysis, but his blood sugar kept crashing and his body just shut down. He was one of the most honorable, most gentle, most selfless and most loving men I've ever known. He will be sorely missed by his wife, his son, his daughter in law, his grandkids, and all that knew him. He was kind, helpful and a friend to all - be they rich and powerful or poor and lowly. He was a good Christian example to all those around him and enriched our lives so. Until we meet again, Bepa. We love you.

Princess Cooked Something!!! It's a Miracle!!!

We've been giving our college daughter grief over the years cuz I've tried to get her into the kitchen and learn some cookin'. She wanted no part of it - but now that she's a college gal, she suddenly wants to be Suzy Homemaker and learn to cook!

Wow - look what she did! Sauteed seasoned asparagus in olive oil, lemon pepper tilapia, ceasar salad! She even sent me this picture to prove it! I'm so proud of her! I think she did a wonderful job. And she prepared something healthy - what a smart girl. I just had to brag a little!!!!!

Deer Crossing

Just had to share this with you while on my way to work this morning. We see deer quite often, but I usually don't have my camera with me. Today I did, and was delighted. There were about 20 or so deer bounding across the creek bridge just off my street. They really didn't seem alarmed at all. I guess security in numbers... They were stopping to play and leap and frolic, jumping over the barbed wire fences, even squeezing through the fence, going into the trees and disappearing only to reappear a bit down the road. They're beautiful animals, full of grace and acting so silly this morning, just having a wonderful time in the sunshine and cool dew.

My FIL is having surgery to have his dialysis fistula catheter thingie placed in his arm this morning to begin official dialysis. We hope it will go well with him and he'll be able to be strong enough to go home in a bit. The Drs. said that dialysis "buys one time", as FIL is not a candidate for a transplant. If he can go home for awhile, we have discovered a place here called "Caring Partners" that can come to their home, clean, cook, help bathe/dress, take FIL to dialysis, shop, whatever he and MIL need. They are not medical people, but they help with all the things Tony and I CANT do because of our jobs. We're going to check them out and see if this is something that can at least keep them in their home for awhile longer. It all depends on my FIL's ability to get a little stronger and be a little bit more ambulatory. It will buy Tony and I some time locating a place for them to enter the next stage of their lives. Sad, but true... My mom is doing well, 3 more weeks til we see if her knee surgery worked or not...

Hope ya'll have a wonderful week, I'm checking on everyone as I can to keep up with you --- Vickie