Horrible Storms & A Sweet Happy Birthday

I'm sure by now everyone has heard of the horrible storms that ripped through the south yesterday afternoon through late last night.

Tornados and high winds didn't damage unknown to many small communities scattered throughout western/middle tennessee.

It wasn't until morning, upon the rising of the sun, that the damage to a small community called Green Grove in Macon County, Tennessee.

My son-in-law's grandparents and uncles live in this small town, along with several of his mom's high school friends.

The grandparents are doing ok for now, but it appears it will be 3 - 5 days before they get electricity back. This creates issues because she's on oxygen.

The tornado swept less than 50 yards from their house, taking their tabacco barn.

The house survived vitrually unscathed.

The uncle didn't fair as well. He lost everything to the ferocious storm.

His house. His barn. His tractor.

He is one of the stubborn ass people who never leave when a siren or alarm goes off.

He is the one that, come hell or high water, will stay put.

It nearly cost him his life.

His house collapsed around him.

He spent all night, in the dark still aftermath, trapped.

They found him shortly after day-break with few minor injuries.

The friends weren't as lucky.

They didn't hear the alarms or alerts on TV.

They didn't have time to run or hide or find shelter.

She was found in her home. He was found approximately 200 yards away from the house.

Please take a minute to consider a few things:

1. Do you know what to do if a disaster strikes your area?? Where to go?
2. Do you have emergency supplies stocked up somewhere safe??
3. Do you have bottled water, batteries & a flashlight??
4. Do you have a certain spot where you & your family will meet up should you get separated?

I'm sitting here thinking about my daughter's inlaws and it's times like these
when disaster really hits close to home.

I wonder if technology will ever be able to pinpoint trouble coming early enough to warn people. Warn them early enough to find safe shelter.

Very scary.

Please keep all of our blog friends that I know of in the south in your thoughts and prayers... Chuck, Flat Coke & Flies, Real Live Lesbian, and Mushy.


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Today is Miss A's birthday!!


Seventeen years ago today she made her first appearance into this cruel, hateful world.

The brat didn't want to come out.

So, I got sick of it and schedule the doctor to go in and get r' dun.

Three hours, an epidural, a psychotic episode on my gramma, and a severe alergic reaction to demerol later... there she was.

Finally.

So, here's to you kid!

May your blush be rosy, my your shoes be many and may your boyfriend be generous!
Cheers.

Just think. Only 4 more years and we'll have you a kegger!

Mommy loves you!

Happy Birthday Gramma!

My Grandmother turned a ripe 82 on Monday.

Happy Birthday to the woman who raised me. The one who taught me how to cook. The one who loved me no matter how bad I had screwed up. The one who thought I did no wrong.

The family got together and had her a ho-down on Sunday afternoon.

She doesn't know it or realize it, but she did. The doctors say Gramma has Alzheimer's, and that it is in the "dementia" stage.

Whatever. As long as she can eat and have a good time with us, they can call it whatever they want to. She's still as sassy as she ever was. She just gets confused now and then.

She has never failed to recognize me or remember who I am both in person and on the phone. She forgets that my Nat (oldest daughter) is mine. And she is totally blows her away that Lil T belongs to Nat, not me.

Anyhoo. We brought Gramma a really cutsie foo foo pill box back from Germany when I was over there in October. It was in a bag from the little German store, which had writing in.... you guessed it... German.

So, Sunday we all get together, as we do every Sunday, but this week we have a special dinner and birthday cake for Gramma.

I walked in the door to find her sitting there staring at the cake.


"Who's birthday is it, honey?" She asked me as she hugged me.

"It's yours Gramma. It's your birthday! Cool, huh?" I tell her.

"I'm 82?" She asked referring to the candles.

"Yep. Ain't nobody that old, Gramma." I told her as I gave her the bag with the pill box in it. "Look it. I brought you something back from Germany for your birthday."

She was clearly taken aback by the writing on the bag that wasn't in English.

"Honey, what does this say?" She asked.

"Gooberstankin." I tell her all serious.

*blink*

"Gooberstankin. Come on Gramma, say it and you'll be speakin German. Gooberstankin."

Well, she ignored me and opened the bag. But Nat didn't ignore me, she was listening the whole time.

"Mom? What's gooberstankin?" She asked all sincere.

"You're kidding, right?" I forget sometimes how naive and silly my kid is.

"No. What does it mean?" She asked again.

"Nat, baby. Mommy was making up a word that sounded German. Goober-stankin. Get it?"

"No. I don't get it." Bless her heart.

"You know. A dude has a goober. And stankin is just stankin. You put them together and you have a word that sounds German." I tell her.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" She gets it, "You were just trying to get Gramma to say goober... I get it."

That child of mine, bless her little heart, is a dork.

Gramma never did say gooberstankin. I tried all damn day to get her to say it.


Gramma blows out the candles...


Gramma sucks the icing off of the candles (the original pirate)

Happy Birthday Big T

Tony's birthday was Tuesday, but we started celebrating over the weekend. When there's a birthday, it lasts through the weekend before or after, sometimes both... cuz that's the way we roll.

So, last Saturday, it just so happened that his favorite bluegrass pickers were in Maryville for their final show of this year!! Go BlueMoon Rising! You saved the day, boys, because I had no idea what to get my man, the who has every-damn thing.

So, we ventured to the Palace Theater for a knee slappin, toe tappin helluva time.
They did two one hour sets and at half time they took the time to wish Tony a Happy Happy Birthday from the stage. They also signed a t-shirt for him wishing him a good one!



On his birthday Tuesday, he was Hooter'd. He'd never been to Hooter's before and it's one of my favorite places to go.


Who doesn't love tits and ass? (Oh God, if that didn't sound sexist.. wait I'm not a man)...