Caring Bridge

Today I learned of a neat website. It's www.caringbridge.org. The website is a place you can go to keep up with people who are in a hospital and can use the support of friends and family during a trying time. We have been keeping up with a friend who has been in critical condition in a Birmingham hospital. Friends can leave messages of support and find out updates on the condition of the patient.

This method of providing information to those concerned keeps the family from being bombarded with phone calls all day long - explaining what is going on at the hospital.

Johnny Isbell

My dad was born 106 years ago today. By nature, he was a quiet man but in all ways that mattered, he was strong and powerful. He was a strong Christian, an avid Auburn fan, a diligent farmer, a lover of nature and above all else, he was totally devoted to his family. He spent thousands of hours of my childhood reading to me, working puzzles with me, taking walks with me, counting stars with me and singing songs to me. He had such a positive impact on my life that I will never forget the day he was born - or any other day of his life for that matter.

Senator Ted Kennedy

If you are disabled and have experienced full accessibility in public places, thank Ted Kennedy.

If you have lost your job and have been able to keep your health insurance through COBRA, thank Ted Kennedy.

If you have been injured on a job because of faulty business practices and have been compensated fairly for it, thank Ted Kennedy.

If you are on Medicare and can afford your prescription drugs, thank Ted Kennedy.

If you can vote regardless of your skin color, thank Ted Kennedy.

If you are a woman and receive equal pay for the same job the man has in your company, thank Ted Kennedy.

If you are a child and have healthcare provided to you through the S-Chip program when you could not otherwise afford it, thank Ted Kennedy.

If you are an hourly employee and your employer is required to pay you a minimum wage when you otherwise did not make a minimum wage, thank Ted Kennedy.

For 46 years Ted Kennedy was the champion of human rights issues in the Senate and sponsored thousands of pieces of legislation which made life better for the common person.

Even those who disagreed with him idealogically admired him and said there may never be another person as influential and compassionate about the needs of others as he was.

Thank you, Ted Kennedy, for speaking for those who often cannot speak for themselves. You were the epitome of a true advocate!

Grandparent Pride

Will and Kristen had a stellar weekend! Will won the Montgomery County Country Club Invitational Golf Tournament and Kristen won the Principal Pianist position for the Etowah Youth Orchestra!

Congratulations, Will and Kristen ! You have both worked so hard to accomplish those things which you enjoy and I love seeing it happen for you.

"Say it Ain't So, Joe"

One of my all-time favorite movie actors is Morgan Freeman. And MSN reported today that he is dating his step-granddaughter!

Words to Live By . . .

I was reading comments from journalists after the death of their colleague Walter Cronkite and one of them was especially meaningful to me. It was from Andy Rooney of CBS's "60 Minutes".

Andy said:

"I've been proud over the years to see Walter become not just one of the best-known people on television but one of the best-known people in the whole world of people. He was proud of me, too, and there's no better feeling in life than that. I wouldn't trade Walter Cronkite liking me for just about anything I've ever had."

I would love to live so that people could say they wouldn't trade me liking them for just about anything they have ever had. I don't think one has to be famous to aspire to that kind of legacy.

The Word UP

The word UP is one of the most often used words in the English language. Here are a few examples:

We look UP toward the sky and wake UP in the morning.
At a meeting, a topic comes UP, we speak UP, our officers are UP for election and it is UP to the secretary to write UP a report.

We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP our jewelry, warm UP our leftovers, clean UP the kitchen, lock UP the house and fix UP the old car.

People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appitate and think UP an excuse.

We dress UP for a special occasion, and open UP a drain when it is stopped UP.

We open UP the store in the morning and close it UP at night.

If you are UP to it, think UP some ways, if it doesn't use UP too much of your time, that we use UP. Don't give UP, you may end UP with a lot more than I have.

Smart Cars - USA Style

When we were in Italy, we saw hundreds of Smart Cars. They are fuel efficient, are good for the environment, and certainly don't require much parking space. I have seen a handful in the United States but I'm guessing we will see more and more of them but given our desire to have everything bigger and better, I imagine we will see some Smart Cars that are "doctored up"!

Can You Guess Who These People Are ???

These are people you should know. Can you guess who they are??? There is a free beer for anyone who guesses correctly.

Bonnaroo

A friend of mine at work left this morning for Bonnaroo Music Festival. Among the many artists who will be performing there are Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Buffett.

It looks like a cool place to be!

"Bear Country"

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival has announced that it will take its play, Bear Country, on the road beginning August 6-20 in Birmingham. In case you haven't heard, this is a play about the legendary Bear Bryant of Alabama football fame. Needless to say, knowing how Alabama fans revere the Bear, tickets have sold out in every venue announced so far!

I have a couple of very close relatives who are Bama fans whom I imagine would be first in line to buy tickets!

Wedding Cakes

An Italian Bellini

The Bellini is a drink that was created in the 1930's or 40's at Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy, by bartender Giuseppe Cipriani and was named after a favorite painter, Giovanni Bellini. The Bellini has sparkling Italian wine as the base in Italy but it is often made with Champagne elsewhere. Amy and I had one on our last night in Rome and it was delicious!

Autos in Italy

Thanks to my husband and son-in-law and their interest in cars, they managed to photograph some Italian vehicles while we were there. If the cars get any smaller over there I think they will start putting some Bondo on roller skates and call it a vehicle!

American Idol Pool Winner

About two weeks ago, I relinquished the reins of the American Idol Pool to my daughter Susan and then left town for 12 days. When I left town, I was leading the pool in points and when I returned, Susan had soared ahead of me and won the pot! I'm not saying she is unreliable at keeping up with the scoring, I'm just saying . . . . . .

That is TWICE she has picked someone out of the blue who won - she must have an inside track to some information that we don't have!

ITALY --- Here We Come!

For almost two years, we have been planning our 25th anniversary trip and now we are packed and ready to go!

Some places we will be visiting are: Rome, Venice, Florence, Assissi, Tuscany, the Isle of Capri, Naples, and Pompeii. Eric and Amy are going with us and we are all very excited!!!

We will take lots of pictures and try to share them when we return.

Set for Failure

Relinquishing the Reins of Idol Pool

As of today, I am giving my daughter, Susan Hawkins, the envelope containing the money, and the list of Idol pool entrants and their selections. I have trained her to be forthright and honest and hopefully, she will conduct the pool in a manner indicative of her upbringing. Since I have a $20 stake in this adventure, I certainly hope I can trust her to do it right! :)

As of last night's elimination of Allison (John, Sara, and Kirk had Allison #4 and earned an additional 50 points) I believe I have a good chance of winning the pot so I have an extreme interest in Susan getting the scores right!

In case there is anyone in this world who may not already know why I am relinquishing my responsibilities to Susan, it is because on the day the winner is announced, I will be leaving Venice and traveling past the Palladian villas along the Brenta Canal and heading into the forested Apennine Mountains to Tuscany! Sorry I am missing American Idol - NOT!!!

American Idol Pool Update

After the 2 round of eliminations which have the same point values, here are the scores at this time:

Sara - 120 points
Amy - 85 points
Kirk- 50 points
Benji- 50 points
Kristen- 0 points
Claire - 25 points
Jamie - 50 points
John - 120 points
Terry W. - 110 points
April - 85 points
Susan - 85 points
Terry H. - 85 points

KUDOS to Will and Kristen

By the time I was Will and Kristen's age, all my grandparents were either dead or in such ill health that they could not enjoy the things that were going on in my life so I feel particularly blessed to be able to witness and be a part of the phenomenal achievements of my grandchildren!

Last Saturday, Kristen won a Superior Award in a piano competition which enables her to perform at the State Piano Competition. Then on Sunday, she won 1st Place in another piano competition which means she is the #1 student at the Chadek Conservatory of Music at University of Chattanooga, and she is only a junior in high school! With this award comes $1000 to apply toward her music education.

Tuesday night, Will was given the Fireman's Award on Auburn University's Golf Team. This award is given to the team member who is the torch bearer for the rest of the team. He is the team member who sets the example for everyone else. He is the one who goes the extra mile in everything he does. He doesn't miss a practice or a workout and is the one who encourages the rest of the team members when they are feeling down and out. He inspires everyone ,by his own example, to be dedicated and committed to school and team efforts.

I really do not know how two young people could do more than Will and Kristen do to maintain high standards for behavior and achievement! You are both a true blessing and an inspiration to us all!

One Word Riddle

There is a word in the English language that has 9 letters. If you remove one letter at a time until you get down to 1 letter, each remaining word is also a word in the English language. The word is "startling". See if you can come up with all the words - removing only one letter at a time.

Remembering Morris

Yesterday, my first cousin Morris, died after attending Easter services at his church. He was almost like a brother to me in my growing up years because we always lived on the same block and our backyards joined each other by way of my grandmother's back yard. We were all like one big family. Morris was three years older than me but we spent many hours during our childhood hiding Easter eggs, playing croquet, riding bikes, playing marbles and counting stars on warm summer nights.

As we grew older, we went our separate ways but always remained close. I could always count on Morris to be there when I needed him.

Morris graduated from law school and served in the Alabama legislature. He maintained a large law practice while owning and operating three banks. He was very active in civic affairs and loved geneology. He was the cousin who always attended all the family gatherings, weddings, baptisms, funerals, and school performances. He was the one cousin from my family who drove to Austin, Texas, to attend the wedding of my daughter and son-in-law.

When I retired from my education job and started my real estate career 19 years ago, Morris was the first person to list property with me and he encouraged me every step of the way. Then when I decided to branch out on my own and start my own company, Morris was the one who stepped up to the plate, stuck his neck out and loaned me $30,000 to get started.

Morris has not been in very good health in recent years so it was not a huge surprise that his heart finally gave up but even though his physical heart is no longer working, the heart of his soul will live on in his family forever.

He was the "kissin' cousin" - he kissed me every time he saw me and always called me "Sally". I love you, buddy, and will miss you terribly!

Poll Results to Date

After the first round of three eliminations which count 25 points each, here are the results:

Sara - 50 points
Amy - 50 points
Kirk - 50 points
Benji - 50 points
Kristen - 0 points
Claire - 25 points
Jamie - 50 points
John - 50 points
Terry W. - 75 points
April - 50 points
Susan - 50 points
Terry H.- 50 points

Lady Gaga

As the name of my blog implies, I am trying to remain open to new ideas, innovations, and changes of the times as I grow older but last night's American Idol presentation of Lady Gaga proves to me that some things are just going to be beyond my ability to understand the new generation.

You Just Can't Fix Stupid

These are actual articles from newspapers.

David and Prom Date

This is grandson David Pitts and his prom date. David was hospitalized for several weeks earlier this year due to a staph infection in his spine and he is currently in rehabilitation but he is a tough and determined young man and did not let that keep him from his senior prom.

You look great, David and your date is lovely!

American Idol Pool

For the past several years, our family and friends have participated in a small betting pool for the winners of American Idol. Listed below are those who submitted entries and the choices they picked.
The scoring is determined by Terry Hawkins each year and he submitted the following rules:

# 1 correct: 100 points
# 2 correct: 75 points
# 3 and 4 : 50 points each (correct in any order)
# 5,6, & 7: 35 points each (correct in any order)
# 8,9 & 10: 25 points each (correct in any order)

Sara's Picks:

1. Danny
2. Matt
3. Adam
4. Allison
5. Lil
6. Kris
7. Anoop
8. Scott
9. Michael
10. Alexis

Amy's Picks:

1. Adam
2. Danny
3. Matt
4. Lil
5. Anoop
6. Allison
7. Michael
8. Megan
9. Kris
10. Scott

Kirk's Picks:

1. Adam
2. Lil
3. Danny
4. Allison
5. Alexis
6. Kris
7. Scott
8. Matt
9. Michael
10. Megan

Benji's Picks:

1. Matt
2. Danny
3. Kris
4. Lil
5. Adam
6. Allison
7. Alexis
8. Anoop
9. Megan
10. Scott

Kristen's Picks:

1. Lil
2. Adam
3. Alexis
4. Danny
5. Scott
6. Michael
7. Allison
8. Anoop
9. Kris
10. Matt

Davidson Family Picks:

1. Danny
2. Kris
3. Matt
4. Lil
5. Allison
6. Megan
7. Adam
8. Scott
9. Alexis
10. Anoop

Jamie Edwards Picks:

1. Adam
2. Danny
3. Lil
4. Matt
5. Allison
6. Alexis
7. Kris
8. Scott
9. Anoop
10. Megan

John's Picks:

1. Adam
2. Matt
3. Danny
4. Allison
5. Lil
6. Kris
7. Anoop
8. Scott
9. Michael
10. Alexis

Terry Willmon's Picks:

1. Danny
2. Matt
3. Kris
4. Lil
5. Adam
6. Anoop
7. Allison
8. Scott
9. Michael
10. Megan

April's Picks:

1. Danny
2. Adam
3. Matt
4. Lil
5. Allison
6. Anoop
7. Alexis
8. Kris
9. Michael
10. Megan

Susan's Picks:

1. Kris
2. Lil
3. Danny
4. Anoop
5. Matt
6. Adam
7. Allison
8. Scott
9. Alexis
10. Michael

Terry Hawkins Picks:

1. Adam
2. Danny
3. Kris
4. Lil
5. Matt
6. Allison
7. Scott
8. Michael
9. Anoop
10. Megan

Happy Birthday, Susan and Terry

My daughter, Susan, and my son-in-law ,Terry are both celebrating birthdays this week. They were high school sweethearts and are now married and are parents to my wonderful grandson, Will. They are moving into a new home this week and are busy following Will around as he plays college golf.

You bring our family so much joy and we love you very much ! I hope you both have a wonderful birthday!!

The Toilet Toll

First, it was charging extra for luggage, then it was doing away with the peanuts, then it was charging for the blankets and pillows, but this is ridiculous!
Europe's largest budget airline carrier, Ryanair, is considering a new cost-cutting measure --- charging to use the toilet on the airplane!! Toll slots on each bathroom door!
Knowing me, I would get 3500 feet up in the air, have a bathroom emergency and be fresh out of pocket change! I just don't think that idea is going to work. I think the money they would earn charging for toilet use would be offset by cleaning services for those who didn't have the proper change for the slot.

Trust me, Ryanair, it ain't gonna be worth it!

Happy Birthday - Kristen and Amy

Two of my favorite girls are celebrating birthdays this week. My daughter Amy has a birthday tomorrow and my granddaughter Kristen had a birthday yesterday.

Happy Birthday Kristen and Amy.

I love you very much!

Hawaii - Here We Come!

My grandson Will qualified to play in his first AU golf tournament to be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, next week! What a way to start his career as an SEC golfer! His mom and two grandmothers are going along for the ride.

We will not have any fun without the rest of the family (it's a rule) but we will try to tolerate the 80 degree weather and gorgeous scenery so we can support Will and his team ! :) We promise to take lots of pictures for sharing.

I Can't Make Up This Stuff !

Morticians say the new trend in preparing the dead for display in the casket is botox injections, and other face and body lifts to make the corpse look younger!

People are actually pre-paying funeral expenses to include cosmetic-enhancing procedures to be done after they are gone. I can hear it now: "I further bequeath to my children and other heirs the sum of $3.00 as it will require the remainder of my estate to make major adjustments to my body in order for me to look good dead."

I don't get it.

Your Doctor Would Never Recommend This

In preparation for Super Bowl Sunday, the airwaves have been inundated with recipes to please the crowds gathered at our homes for eating and watching football. This morning Good Morning America had a recipe for Bacon Explosion ! These are the ingredients: 2 pounds thick cut bacon, 2 pounds Italian sausage, 1 jar barbeque sauce and 1 jar barbeque rub.

Directions include an elaborate task of weaving bacon strips together to form a casing, then frying more bacon to put inside , then rolling sausage into a roll, then cooking on a grill for about 2.5 hours. If you live through smelling the fumes from the cooking, I'm pretty sure you would not make it through the eating without clogging every single vein in your body. I think they should rename it Weapons of Mass Consumption!

Did You Hear the One About ??? - - - -

Edgar and Nina Otto of West Boca, Florida, just spent $155,000.00 to clone their dead dog!

Let me begin by saying I am a "dog person". Have owned many dogs, prefer dogs to cats as pets, have adopted dogs from shelters, have fed stray dogs, have "dog-sat" for people who went out of town and needed their pets cared for, and would never in this world do anything to harm a dog --- but dropping $155,000 smackers in order to get another dog just like the one you had is "over the top" in my opinion.

Last time I adopted a shelter dog it cost me $50 so assuming one can be adopted for about the same amount now, Edgar could have gotten 3100 dogs for the same amount of money. Oh yeah, and he already has 9 other dogs so it ain't like he is lacking for dog-panionship.

Just when I think I have seen or heard it all - - - something like this comes along to blow my mind!

Proud Grandparent . . .

I thought for many years of my life that there was very little to compare to the pride I felt when my children accomplished their goals and fulfilled their dreams. I still have that but now realize that the same feelings are there when my grandchildren achieve those things in life for which they have worked so hard.

This weekend, my granddaughter Kristen, was offered a full tuition music scholarship to University of Alabama and she is only a junior in high school. And my grandson Will who is attending Auburn University on a golf scholarship received a letter stating that he had been named to the Dean's List for academic excellence his first semester there.

Congratulations, Kristen and Will! I could not possibly be more proud and I could not possibly love you more!

January 15th is an Important Day. . . .

January 15, 1559 - Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England
January 15, 1870 - The democratic donkey made its debut in Harper's Weekly
January 15, 1892 - The 13 rules of basketball were established and published.
January 15, 1908 - Edward Teller was born and became the architect of the hydrogen bomb.
January 15, 1967 - The Green Bay Packers won the first Super Bowl, led by Bart Starr.
January 15, 1929 - Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader was born.
January 15, 1943 - The world's largest office building, The Pentagon, was dedicated.
January 15, 1974 - "Happy Days" premiered on television.
January 15, 1940 - Sara Isbell was born and ushered in the largest snowstorm ever recorded in
Fort Payne, Alabama, measuring an official accumulation of 18".

It's Those Side Effects Again. . .

The drug Fosamax, used in the treatment of Osteoporosis, has now been linked to 23 cases of esophageal cancer and also linked to a condition known as osteonecrosis in which the bone of the jaw dies off. But it may help your osteoporosis!

I know you have all read and heard the warnings of almost every drug on the market: "Take this and it will help your shoulder pain but it may cause rectal bleeding, oozing open sores, impotency, and blindness but you can count on it to help shoulder pain."

A recent magazine I received had one page of advertisement for some drug followed by four pages of side effects which may occur if you take it.

I think I have a handle on all that stuff. I do not take one single pill of any kind. I may be just a disease waiting to happen but the way I look at it, I would rather die from the thing that kills me than from the pills I took to cure it!