She is Growing Up

We are playing dress up this afternoon while Cub takes his nap. A little bit ago she put on her Barbie cheerleading outfit, and was jumping all over the room yelling "Yeah Cheerleaders!"... when she stood in the doorway of our bedroom, and paused for a brief second, I quickly caught this picture... now one of my current favorites.

This was the next moment...


I love our girl time...

Scenes from the Hunt

I mentioned before that this was the opening weekend of dove season here in Georgia... yesterday was the hunt here on our families land, and after church the first order of business was lunch. Many of the hunters had already gone out and made their "cover" by now, and I'll show you a couple of those pictures in a minute...

Everyone gathered at the tractor pull site, and after prayer and a few words on safety (!), the hunters had deer tenderloin, black eyed peas, fried okra, cornbread and dessert.

Here is a picture of Geoff and Cub on our Gator... they are heading off to get limbs for a friend to use later as cover. It took some doing, but I got Cub away from all the excitement to leave with us shortly after... I believe in the next few years he will be out there with the rest of them.

Be still my heart...


This is my Diddy's spot, right in front of our house... see his bucket under all the limbs he cut and placed? He also had a chair out there, and probably a cooler full of lemonade... his favorite.


My husband sat in our rock garden, which is great as it has a lot of shade... probably the most envious place as it was HOT yesterday. And humid too... the really sticky humid, as it had rained on Saturday and made it wet outside as well. Ugh!

Here is my Uncle Milton's cover... he sat in rows of sunflowers not yet plowed down, and put an office chair out for comfort. That's a new one, I believe... only Milton!


Momma, the kids and I went shopping... first we stopped at one of our favorite places, Cracker Barrel, for a veggie plate lunch. Then we made the rounds. Momma got all of her returns made, we bought a new car seat for Cub as he has outgrown his, and then we took the kids to the town's water works park.


It was a nice afternoon, and once again we avoided the sounds of all those shotguns for another year!

Dove Season Begins

It's opening day... and the men are all in their camo's, guns in hand and sittin' in a friend's field... waiting to take shots at all the dove flying around.

I just can't think about it.

Poor, pretty birds... fly away while you still can!

As a matter of fact, tomorrow these same men (husband, Diddy, brother, uncles, cousins, the preacher and half the community) will be setting up their cover here, in our fields. After church they will converge for a meal, and then they will set out looking for tree limbs and brush to cut down for their hideouts from the unsuspecting birds.

Remember those pretty sunflower fields from July?

Well, let's just say that dove love sunflowers, and here are pictures of BB and Uncle Milton plowing down the now very dead sunflowers, plus some of the corn stalks. And, in doing so, spreading the seeds all over the ground... for the birds.

Are you following this plan?



Yeah, me too.

It is the way of life here, and I am used to and even proud of, the men (and some women) and their hunting. They do eat the birds, usually the night of each hunt, so it is not for just sport. The hunt is law abiding and the hunters are gentleman... just good 'ol boys having fun and enjoying a dove supper, or two, or three, or ten...hanging out, telling tall tales of who shot how many bird, who almost shot who, and so on.

Momma, the kids and I usually vacate the property. Reynie and BB's house is far enough back she can't really see/hear all the shooting, so she has a lot of craft things planned for her weekend. But we stay long enough to get some pictures, visit a bit with everyone, and then we head on out for another adventure somewhere else. I am proud of the boys, but I do not want to hang around to watch, or hear, all the action. Our house sits in the middle of the hunt here on this property, and my parents pretty much is too. In the past, when we stayed home we would hear gunshot pinging on our roofs, and the sounds of 70 or so shotguns firing... all day.

Not really my idea of a relaxing afternoon...so tomorrow we will gladly go shopping. I know, they twisted my arm, but we have to go somewhere... why not the mall?

Now, the next issue is how to get Cub to come with us this year. He wants to shoot the toy rifle we got him for his birthday...

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Celebrating Cousin Fred

This has been an emotional week. As we reflect on a special life that was lost many years ago (see post below), we also remember and celebrate a life that passed into the hands of God early Saturday morning.

My cousin Fred was a diabetic, and was in need of a kidney transplant. He had a variety of medical issues in the past years related to that situation, but one thing about Fred was constant.

His infectious, kind smile.

For many weeks he had been in the hospital with some of these diabetic complications. Due to infection, they first had to take two of his toes, and then amputate the bottom part of his leg. After this, Fred was up and down medically. He was in a coma like state for much of this time, but many times when he was aware he had visitors he would give them that smile. Early last Saturday morning, after a hard fought battle, Fred closed his eyes and God welcomed him home.

His passion in life included growing things, the University of Georgia "Dawgs" and last but never least, his family and friends. You could usually find him at the "Old House" preparing for a gathering, or driving his truck around our small town to visit with his friends. God gave him the gift of a green thumb, and he worked with his youngest brother in the landscaping business. He was not a church going man, but knew and believed in Him. He was saved.

Yesterday over 200 people gathered at the Old House to celebrate his life. This is not where he laid his head at night, that was just around the bend at the family's main house. But the Old House is a very special place. It is the oldest building left in our county, and is a part of their side of our family's history.

Fred had become the main caretaker of this old place, and it was where many of us had birthday parties, baby showers, wedding showers, graduation parties, huge Halloween parties, hunting breakfasts and cookouts... and where folks gathered just because it was a Friday night. He loved being with all of his family and friends, and welcomed everyone.

As we stood under one of the tents yesterday afternoon, right outside the Old House, my cousin and best friend Dixie, his niece, said it best. Fred is everywhere there. His legacy is in the newly planted flowers that he tended so carefully, his brothers and their families, and he is a big part of the long and treasured history of that special gathering place.

After everyone left, the immediate family stayed for one of the things that Fred wanted most. He was cremated, and they spread his ashes among the flower beds around the old house.

I am certain Fred is smiling still, now reunited with his parents and no longer in any pain.

In Memory of Papa Jerry

21 years ago today, on a beautiful early fall afternoon, Geoff's daddy, Mr. Jerry, was doing one of the things he loved to do most in the world... fly airplanes. In a Pitts Special, he was getting ready for a Labor Day airshow, practicing an aerobatic maneuver called the Lomcovak. As Geoff and other pilots tell it, in this maneuver the airplane is purposefully going end over end, wingtip over wingtip.

This maneuver also causes a lot of G's, which is the force of gravity... it is said that Mr. Jerry probably pulled approximately 8 G's, which for a 100 pound person would be 800 pounds. Mr. Jerry weighed more than 100 pounds, so he would have felt even more force. It was during this time that he "G'd out" (gravity induced loss of consciousness), and basically lost his sense of what is up, down, left or right. He was "flying blind".

Tragically, at the age of 43, Mr. Jerry crashed into woods not far from here, and instantly passed away.

Geoff and I had just begun our Junior year of high school, and at the time we were broken up... it wasn't our first break up, or the last (as teenage romances seem to go!), but it was one of the most memorable for me.

Geoff had only been 16 years old for a couple of weeks, and we had not been out of school long for the day when the news came. We live in a small town, and word travels quick here, good or bad. This time it was the worst.

Since it was a Thursday, we had marching band practice scheduled for that evening, under the stadium lights. Geoff was a drummer... he played the Quads, and I was a majorette... everyone was so upset, and I can remember standing at attention, looking into the sky through tears as the sun was setting. It was beautiful. It was as if God was trying to give comfort, sending a gorgeous sunset to say that Mr. Jerry had flown safely into his arms, and was in heaven.

Geoff came to that practice for awhile and sat in the stands, and he was at school the next day. That night was our first football game of the season, and Geoff was in uniform, playing his drums with the band, in the stands and on the field. My heart broke for him, and I stammered at trying to find any words to tell him how very sorry I was. His family was like mine - his Momma is so sweet and kind, and his sister Lee, was (and still is), someone I looked up too. At this time she was a sophomore in college, and had been a majorette at our high school too.

Mr. Jerry was friends with my Daddy growing up, and our families know each other well. The whole community was in shock, and so saddened by this terrible accident.

Mr. Jerry was a pilot for Delta Air Lines at the time of his passing, and I will never forget how many uniformed Delta pilots and flight attendants were at the funeral. Not to overlook his large beloved family, childhood friends, Navy buddies, and other friends in the community. The old historic Methodist church was overfull, with the balcony sitting way more than it should, and people standing outside. I sat in the balcony with my family, and along with most there, cried through much of the service.

At the cemetery, a graveside service was held and a Missing Man formation was flown over us by fellow Delta pilots and good friends. What a touching and honorable remembrance for Mr. Jerry, his family and a community of friends who all loved him. He was buried with his Navy wings, medals and Delta wings pinned to him.

I have many memories of my own that I could share of Mr. Jerry, but one stands out in my mind more than others. I had just turned 16 years old, and had a new Pontiac Firebird. Since Geoff is 8 months younger than me, I drove down to his house to pick him up for our date that night. Mr. Jerry had just come in from a run, and hoped right on in my car, getting in the backseat. I looked at Geoff as he leaned up to the front and said "Where are we going?". He was a smart man, with a sense of humor... he knew that as soon as we left the driveway I'd pull over and let Geoff drive. He didn't go with us of course, but he made his point!

Many years later I too began my career at Delta Air Lines. As a Lead Flight Attendant I was always talking and joking with the pilots in the cockpit, and when many found out where I was from, they would always mention Jerry. Especially when I married Geoff, and had the same last name. I learned many great stories from those guys as they reminensed about layovers and flights they flew with him.

When Geoff and I got back together, got married and then had children, I remembered thinking to myself way back at the age of 16 how we'd name our son after Mr. Jerry (don't all teenage girls dream of the day they will marry their high school sweetheart and what their kids names will be?!)... I was so sure back then that I would marry Geoff. Our paths did take different turns for awhile, and at one point seemed all but lost, but somehow I knew then what our future would hold.

On that July afternoon in 2005 when our son was born, we named him Jerry Lee T. II. It was a special moment, and I like to think that Papa Jerry was looking down from heaven, soaring with pride.

"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth...
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
From High Flight, By John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Wordless Wednesday

Here Kitty Kitty... this is my cat "Booger". Isn't he beautiful?!

Geoff named him when he was a new kitten, and if you look close enough you'll see why... it kinda looks like he might have one!

Seriously, that is really how he got his name...

For more Wordless (or not so wordless) Wednesdays, go to 5 Minutes for Mom!

School Days for Cub

This morning Cub began his first day of school! He got up ready for the day to begin, and was so excited at the prospect of going to school "like Sissy does". Of course he wanted to bring his new Batman action figure, pirate sword, and eye patch.

After understanding the I would take good care of these precious items until he returned home, he was ready to get dressed and have his usual "cereal and milk" for breakfast.

Momma came over early with Elizabeth... she spent the night at their house last night, and after she got dressed, they headed off to kindergarten. It really helped out this morning as I wanted to love on Cub as much as possible!

I just couldn't stop hugging him, as if I was gonna squeeze him back to being a baby.

Seems like just yesterday he was learning to walk, and now he is a big 3 year old and going to PreK...


When we got to the church, he hopped out of the Jeep... ready to go in. I grasped his little hand in mine and we started toward the doors. As Elizabeth went to this Preschool last year, Cub is pretty familiar with everyone, and they were all calling out a good morning to him as we entered.

That was when he gripped me like his life depended on it, and decided he might not want to be there after all. Oh, the look in his eyes almost had me running out those doors, back to the Jeep and safety of the keeping him at home... just one more year.

That is when his wonderful teacher, Miss Jennifer, came over to save the day. She somehow coaxed us both to the room, and when Cub saw the construction toy in the middle of the floor, well... he was hooked. He leaped from my arms and headed over to play with all the trucks and tractors.


When I got home it was so quiet, I really didn't know what to do. There were no fights to break up between my kids, or boo boos to kiss and make better. No one to watch Toy Story with for the millionth time. I am sure I will come to understand that I have a good 2 or 3 hours to get something accomplished three days a week... but today I am just taking it in.

And watching the clock until I can go pick up my babies!

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