This has been a hard week for our family...My oldest daughter and family lost their house and everything inside from a fire. I praise God every time I think about it, which is often, that they were not at home and still asleep. I know how I felt seeing it and I can not fantom what they felt and are feeling. They are giving God the Glory that they were spared and that their puppies and cats were spared. It does not do for me to even think about what could have been. I am so glad I serve a living God that cares for his own.
I am so proud of Tamara and Jay for carrying on like they have and that they are trusting God to help them start over. Both of the girls have been so good through all of this and I am sure that at 14 and 10 it is a load to carry. They have been staying with us and it is a blessing to have them here. It has helped me to carry on and stay focused.
I want to thank so many that helped during the fire, of course all of the fire stations that responded and the firemen that did so much to save what they could, the vet down the road, the Humane Society that helped with the puppies, the dog food and supplies they brought, the help with the watering and seeing if there was anything else we needed for them. Tamara's two sisters that worked so hard to help in every way possible. Both of them made me so proud and thankful for them. They went through the blackened mess to see what they could find that might be saved. My grandson who is 10 that worked hard carrying things and doing whatever he was asked. Tamara's dad for being there for her. My husband that was there to support me and them. Just having him there was such a comfort to me. Just knowing that he was near. The people who came by to lend a hand and a comforting word. The show of love that they have been shown tells me that there are many good people in this world. It was a blessing to me to have Rev.Jimmy Cox there when I arrived. He was so supportive and was ready to do anything he could to help me, and then when they arrived home he was there for them. He left and came back later to see if they were ok. Tamara's family preacher was out of town so it was nice to have someone we knew there. My best friend and her husband were so great to come and just jump right in and do whatever was needed. He is a full time fireman for the city of Spartanburg and on his day off he was there doing every thing he could to help. For the two of them feeding us for two nights. Neighbors that they did not know they know now because they have come by and offered to do whatever they could. They have been invited to stay with several, given storage areas for when they need them, food and invited to come for a meal any time. The phone calls to them and to me have been such a comfort. My home church for sending food to help us with the girls while they are staying with us. I could never begin to name everybody that was such a help. God knows who they all are by name and he will bless them.
All we hear is the bad things that people do but they do not share all the good things people do. Wish they would do a Wonderful World News Show everyday instead of just bad news.
God bless everyone of them for their goodness. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I thank my Lord for his love, Mercy and Grace. I know that things will be rough for awhile but I know that they will be cradled in the Master's loving hands and they will survive and thrive.

About a month ago we found out that Tom has Diabetes, type 2. In away it has been a blessing because it seems like now that we are working to keep his levels down he is feeling some better. He has even stayed up a few nights until 10:00. Before he was going to sleep after supper and getting up going to bed and sleeping till morning. Now if he does go to bed early he is up some during the night or up really early. I pray we can continue to work on it and he can get even better. He deserves to feel better. He has had a rough time for the past two and a half years.
Keep us in your prayers as we try to add the diabetes diet to the heart diet. With God's help we will do it.
I thought it was really sweet that all three girls worried about what he was to eat on Father's day. Tamara called and asked about what to do for lunch. Jennifer bought him two packs of sugar free cookies and made him a banana pudding with sweetner. Heather worries about what he does all the time and watches what he eats but not as bad as I do. I hope that I can eat the way he does and maybe we can both lose some weight. I do not see any signs of that yet.
Thanks for all the prayers and keep them up. Love to all....

Yesterday Heather and I took Tom to Cherokee for his birthday. We went last year so this was our second annual trip. We did not do as much this year because money is tighter and it was hot but we had a good time.
Tom and Heather were with Fonzie Bear as he showed off his fancy car. They wanted to ride but he was in a hurry. Ha! I really made them do it because I wanted the picture. Heather and I have always been Muppet fans. Last it it was Bert and Ernie. I am also a Tom and Jerry fan so Tom had to suffer through that. That swinging bridge gets Heather everytime. Some of the boards are starting to need repair so I hope they do it before we go back.
The mountains were beautiful as always. I drove this time so I did not get a chance to take as many pictures. I take them out the window while we are driving. Not sure why he did not feel like driving but I did not mind.
I love my husband and love to do something for him that he likes to do. So I hope you had a wonderful birthday Papa. I will love you always.

When I wrote my last blog I thought I will have lots of time to keep it up to date but as you can tell I have not done it. As always I have good intentions and do not carry through.
I have done very little so far. I can not seem to get going. Until today I have felt pretty good so I can not blame it on that. I woke up this morning with a headache and my eyes feel like they have been punched. I know it is my ole friend ALLERGIES. I have the eye mask in the freezer as I type to hopefully take the swelling down.
All I have done is clean the kitchen cabinets out and if you could see the counter tops right now you would never want to walk into the kitchen again. I know I do not and I have to so I can clean the mess. That will be my afternoon chore.
If I do not get busy and get done what I wanted the summer will be gone and I will be back at work.
Hope every other teacher,assistants and staff members everywhere are having more fun than I am or at least getting more done. Have a great one all...

It does not seem possible that it is time for school to be out but I can say I am glad it is. I will miss the kids and the people I work with but I am in need of a rest. After I have rested a day or two I have a project I am going to try to complete while I am out....My house needs cleaned. I want to do room by room and get things organized and see if I can keep it that way for awhile. I do not mean to let it get so out of sorts but it seems like I do not have the drive to do it. I am hoping to get motivated and work like crazy till it is done.
I think all of us will feel better having it cleaned. Now the big thing I need is prayer....I have so much that I need to THROW AWAY. I need strength to do this because as I said in an earlier blog...I am a pack rat.
I will keep you up on how it goes. Hope all of you have a great summer.

I went with my grandson and the fifth grade to the zoo. They were all very well behaved and fun to be with. It was hot but they did not complain to bad. The fifth graders that are in my class was my group to keep up with. We laughed and had fun especially on the safari ride. Where if one of the girls behind me had not warned me I would have been nipped by one of the Emus. They say they hurt so I was very thankful. I was feeding a big bison and was not paying attention.
The tigers are my favorite and they were beautiful. The monkeys went crazy with all the children making noise. The zoo keeper had to give one something to calm it down.
All in all it was a good day. I am proud of my good looking grandson and you can tell it in the pictures that I took.

I just have to say that I have never had anything affect me the way the Relay did Friday night. I do not know of anyone that has not been touched by cancer in some way. If they have not had it in their family they know of friends or co-workers who have fought the battle.
The survivor walk was touching, the care givers walk was too, when all the bags were lit around the football field and you saw HOPE spelled out on the bleachers and listened to the story that was read it was awesome, but when they turned off the lights and Jennifer Fortner led the walk with torch held high around the track there was nothing like it I have ever felt. There was so many babies and young children there till the idea that you could walk that long and never hear a sound unless it was a quite sob from someone in the crowd was mind boggling. Only God could keep that many people totally silent that long. Even if I did not have family, friends and church members that are fighting the fight it would have still touched my heart.
Everyone should attend at least one of these wonderful support walks. If God lets me I will go every year and be more active if I can.
I appreciated all that the committee members and team members had done to make it all possible. They put their hearts into it and helped to make it such a success. My thanks goes to all of them. Also to all the people that had a part in raising the money to help find a cure. Bless all of you.
To those of you that are fighting the battle with cancer of any kind remember that the battle is the Lord's and the victory will be yours. Pray for a cure every time you pray. God listens and keeps his promises.

I know that anyone who suffers from allergies or asthma or being lucky enough to have both like I do is sick and tired of runny noses, coughs, itching eyes, stuffed up noses and not being able to breath like normal. I wish they could find something that would really help and not make you right dopey when you take it. I feel so sorry for children that have it because it is bad enough on adults and I know it is hard on children.
People that do not have to deal with it look at you like you have the plague because you look and sound awful. I try to not go around anyone who has any serious conditions because I know they have to worry about taking something and I do not blame them.
Well enough about these nasty allergies. I just want to say to all of you that read this I hope you feel better soon. Hang on surely it will let up soon. I hope so with all my being.

There are a lot of things that we have in this world that is important but friends are right at the top. I may be wrong but I think there are different levels of friendship.
You have people you either work with, go to church with or other social functions and they are friends. You talk with them, you listen to them and share things with them.
Then there are the friends that you can really talk to about anything and share things with them that you know you will not hear from someone else because they would never tell. A true friend that is always there for you. Always ready to lend a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. One you could call at anytime and you know they will come as soon as they can get there. I also think that a true friend is one that even if you do not see each other or talk everyday you still know that they will be there. I have a friend that I have never met in person but I know that I have a true friend in her. She carries a special place in my heart and in my life.
To have these kind of friends you have to be that kind of friend. You get out of a relationship what you put into it.
God blessed us with all kinds of people in our lives and I am thankful to say that he has blessed me all of my life with friends. Some that have come and gone. Some that came and stayed even if you or they have moved, or changed churches or different schools. Long distance friends that you do not see but talk with everyday.
Friendship is in your heart and right next door or across the miles does not change the love and kinship you feel with them.
I had a best friend in high school that was also my second cousin. We were never close growing up and really did not see much of each other. We went to different elementary schools and it was only in high school that we became close. We were tight. We shared everything until a day came that something came between us. Several years later we rekindled that friendship with not a word ever said about the bad ole times. We do not see each other often and we do not talk all the time but we e-mail and keep in touch. Friendship is all about forgiving too. Look at how God sent his son to die for us because he forgave all of our sins.
Friends also come in all ages. I have friends that are my age, much younger and much older. I do not consider age as a factor. It is the feelings and bonding that you have. I had a friend that was only eighteen. Every time we were at church she hugged me and told me she loved me. On the way to church one Sunday a man run a stop sign and hit her and she died several hours later. I still miss her smiling face every time I go to church. She was special and she made an impression on my life.
I consider myself very blessed to have not only a good teacher to work with everyday but she is also my friend. I only have to call to have someone to talk to. She knows when I am up and she knows when I am down. I very much know the same thing about her. That is being a friend. We fuss like two sisters but would fight for each other if someone was hurting the other. You can have daughters, sisters and other family members but they are different from friends. You love them in different ways. You need them in different ways. I love my daughters and I love spending time with them but there are times that I just need friends and it is the same for them. I know that there are things they can not share with me as their mom and they need friends for that. I am thankful for both my friendship with my daughters and my friends. God gave them both to me.
If you have friends let them know how much you appreciate them. They are a special blessing from God. Treat them that way.
Thanks JDG for being a friend. Hope the friendship never wavers. You are a blessing.

I am beginning to wonder if I am ever going to completely get the gist of this blogging thing. I did the Easter one and had several pictures besides the one of Meredith to add to it and somewhere along the line I lost them. I may try again later but I am just to tired right now. I forgot to re-read it and there are several mistakes in my writing. Oh well we are all just family anyway and none of us are perfect. I know I am far from it.
Hope each of you had a wonderful day. Happy Easter!!!