Kristen

My granddaughter participated in the FPHS Calendar Girl contest. She looked so pretty and she was very poised and graceful. We were all so proud of you, Kristen.

Where is the SPCA ?

There is a trend sweeping the country that I do not think I can live long enough to understand --- dressing dogs and cats in clothes !

Do you think our pet friends want to wear clothes ? Trust me, they don't ! I remember the conniption fit our cat pitched when my brothers (at a very early age) tied a scarf around her neck and put booties on her feet to watch her try to get them off !

Now, pet clothes are everywhere. A quick search on the web for pet apparel proves mind-boggling ! Some sub-categories include evening wear, robes, shoes & boots (remember how our cat hated those booties), dresses, costumes, accessories, and sportswear.

If I had thought of this idea myself and was making a gozillion dollars selling it to people who have more money than sense, I might feel differently about it. But since I didn't originate the concept, I think I'll market a training video for dogs and cats which teaches them how to bite, claw, and scratch their way out of the clothes AND give the same treatment to the owners who try to adorn them.

Another Fall Picture from Fort Payne

I took this today while taking pictures of homes for our real estate advertising. Couldn't resist stopping for a minute to soak in the beauty of it.

French Press Coffee

One of my favorite eating establishments is a small restaurant tucked away in the tiny town of New Salem, Georgia, on top of beautiful Lookout Mountain. The food is delicious (the crispy squash is a personal favorite) but I always end the meal with a cup of French Press Coffee. I think I am going to ask for one of those individual French Press coffee pots for my birthday.

If you have never tried it and you are a coffee drinker, try it some time. I guarantee you will love it.

My Favorite Time of Year

I was working out of the office this morning and had my camera with me when I passed by this beautiful scene. Just had to snap a picture.

Information for those who don't care.....

A FOX SPORTS report claims that Mike Tyson wants to fight women on his next tour. I thought he had already done that -

Congratulations Blake and Will

Grandson Will and his best friend Blake won 1st and 2nd place in the Southeastern Junior Golf Tournament this weekend. Blake had a two-day score of 136 and Will had a two-day score of 139 , finishing with an eagle on 18 ! It was a great day !

Almost Perfect

Yesterday was one of those days - almost perfect in every way.

1. Weather was absolutely gorgeous. Blue autumn sky, cool temperature and sunshhine.
2. My grandson, Will, shot a 69 in the Southeastern Junior Golf Tournament.
3. My Auburn Tigers beat undefeated Florida 27-17
4. My children and grandchildren were with me all day.
5. The thing that kept it from being perfect - one of my family members was in Texas.
We missed you, e, it was a grand and glorious day.

A Call from the Past

Forty-five years ago, I had a best friend named Kittye. I was a very young mother at the time living a long way from my family and Kittye was the person who was always there for me. We shared many wonderful times together.

Circumstances caused us to both move to different towns and we managed to visit a few times and correspond frequently but as years weny by, those times became less and less frequent and I have not seen her since 1982.

Over the years, we had both moved a few times and I had tried to find her and she had tried to find me. One day I even approached a lady in an airport who resembled Kittye and asked her name but of course it wasn't her.

Yesterday, I got a call from her - she had finally tracked me down ! It was a somewhat bittersweet call because I learned that she had tried desperately to find me three years ago when her husband died of cancer. (I was living in Florida at the time and she had no way of knowing that)

We talked for an hour last night - trying to catch up on half a lifetime. We live three hours from each other now and I will certainly plan a visit to see her !

True friendships are one of life's greatest blessings !

Wound Licking is Never Fun But . . .

Our beloved Auburn Tigers took a bad beating Saturday when the Hogs rolled into town. It was certainly not Auburn's best day but I understand that - I am not at my best every day. Fortunately, my bad days are not broadcast on national T.V. and then hashed and rehashed a thousand times by the media.

Despite a disappointing game score, we cut another huge notch in our memory log ! We tailgated with family and friends, got goose bumps watching the fabulous marching band, high-fived the players at the Tiger Walk, shopped at Tiger Rags and J&M, and watched with pride as Will (my grandson) got to meet with the head golf coach at a preliminary recruiting session.

As always, we left there chanting, "It's GREAT to be an Auburn Tiger!"

Quote of the Week

"Politicians are like diapers - they should be changed often - and for the same reasons." - Robin Williams

Still Trying to Figure It Out . . .

A recent post by my daughter Amy (on her blog) about reading her high school yearbook prompted me to go in the attic and find one of my yearbooks. She mentioned so many quotes from friends and I know her book was covered in notes and congratulatory messages.

Mine, on the other hand, had no notes, no autographs from friends, and no good wishes written to me by anyone. On every single picture of myself I had printed the word "me". I imagine psychologists would have a heyday with that !

I think it's just plain weird !

For One More Day

I just ordered the book by Mitch Albom entitled , For One More Day. I have read Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven by him and they were the kind of books that stayed with you for a long time. They aren't something you can put down and not remember anything about it the next week.

I saw the author interviewed on GMA and the book, For One More Day, is exactly what you would imagine it would be. If there was someone in your life who is no longer here and you could go back and spend one more day with them, what would you do or say ?

I have already thought of things I would say to my mom or dad if I could spend another day with them or what I would say to my friend, Juanita, if I could spend another day with her or to my extended family member, Wayne, if I could spend another day with him and the list goes on and on.

I hope that in reading this book I will say and do the things that I should to my loved ones now while they are still here because unfortunately, in this life, we don't get the chance to have that "one more day".

Kirk's New Van

Kudoes for the County Fair !

This may not mean much to some but today the County Fair opens in our little town and what excitement it brings ! It isn't just any County Fair - it has won numerous awards for Best County Fair in the state and continues to attract hundreds each night as hardworking people display their accomplishments.

There is a huge tent of prize livestock, including pigs, cattle, roosters, game hens, rabbits and rare breed chickens. Then there is the tent which displays other talents such as quiltmaking, knitting, crocheting, flower arranging, baking, sewing and canning. It is still a significant feat in our county to win a blue ribbon at the Fair.

Almost every club and organization in tha county has a display and the retail businesses (especially farm oriented businesses) bring their state-of-the-art tractors, hay bailers, combines, and trucks for all to view.

Last but not least, there is the carnival which provides gut-slinging rides for the strong and side shows and arcade games for those with weak stomachs. The smell of funnel cakes, popcorn, hotdogs and candy apples permeates the air.

I have an idea that the County Fair may be one of those things that will not survive another generation but I'm glad I have lived in an era where it is still a vibrant event which we all look forward to each fall ! " Start up the cotton candy machine, guys, I'll be there in a little while."

Doctor's Office Waiting Rooms are Bad for Your Health

There is little in this life that I hate worse than going to a doctor. But a "thingy" that came up suddenly on my leg and started growing prompted me to go and I had to endure the dreaded doctor's office waiting room. Last week, it was two hours before I was seen and this week I had to go back to have the "thingy" removed.

I packed a lunch because they told me they were "working me in". That's always a bad term - translated it means you probably need to take some meals, and a change of clothes. And the temperature in those places is usually set around 65 which means I also take a blanket. So, in I go with my camping equipment.

All the people in that room were old and sick ! It was depressing. I'm fairly old and I had the majority of them beat by about 20 years. One man was coughing and choking to the extent that I thought he wouldn't live until he could wait out his time for his appointment.

I decided to amuse myself with reading and my choices of magazines were Child Crafts, a December 2001 edition of Field & Stream and a fairly current issue of Auto Week so I decided to watch the 9" screen T.V. which was bolted to the ceiling about 20 feet from my chair. The program selection was permanently affixed to the Food Network and when they said, "Start by sauteing your duck breast in duck fat", I decided to forego watching T.V. and to just sit there and stare at the afflicted.

After waiting in that room for another three hours, the shots, cutting, bleeding and stitches were a welcome relief !

Choosing a baby's name is important . . .

Last night I read an article about a woman named Ilene Dover. I'll bet it has been tough going through life with a name like that.

What is it with Naked ?

Two articles in the news caught my eye this week. One was about a guy dubbed as "The Naked Cowboy" who plays guitar dressed in nothing but a cowboy hat and boots. He has been arrested on the streets of New York several times but is still planning on making his first CD due out next year.

The second article was about Detroit Lions assistant coach Joe Cullen who is in trouble for driving naked through a Wendy's drive-thru and ordering a burger and fries. He was reported by the clerk at the drive-thru window and was arrested for indecent and obscene conduct.

I don't get it. In my opinion, after about age 3, nakedness loses its cuteness. I think after that it is best to confine naked exposure to showers, bathtubs, hospital operating and delivery tables, and a very few other private places.

The professionals would probably say Joe and Cowboy need therapy - I think they need a full-length mirror!

Remembering 9/11

As we get older, it gets harder to remember details of events that have enfluenced our lives but there are some events which have such an impact on us that the details are indelibly stamped on our memory - not only so we won't forget but so we will be changed by it. The day of September 11, 2001, is one of those days.

I was watching Good Morning, America, while getting ready to go to work and saw the planes hit the World Trade Centers, not fully understanding what was happening. I stopped on the way to work to mail a package to my daughter Amy who was getting married in a few weeks and I was told about the other two planes and that it was determined that our country was being attacked by terrorists.

I remember calling my children who were spread out over three states to make sure they were okay and as the hours went by, I remember that the horror of the situation began to sink in as we all watched for endless hours the pictures of the tragedy which were displayed over and over , maybe in part so that we would not ever forget.

I believe that we cannot live in fear and despair and that we do a disservice to those who lost their lives if we do not learn from the experience and that we look for some good - even if it is just good lessons to be learned.

One lesson is that our time on this earth is fragile. We never know when we leave for work on any given morning whether or not we will return home so we should remember to treat every person we see as if it may be the last time we will have an opportunity to let them know how much they mean to us.

Another lesson we should learn out of such a tragic experience is that that the human spirit in America cannot be destroyed by anyone - especially terrorists. If you don't believe that, revisit the tapes that show hundreds of firefighters going up the stairs to rescue people when going down the stairs to get out would have made much more sense.

And finally, savor every moment you have with your family and those you love. Don't let the fast-paced world of work and responsibility consume you and consume all of your time. Take every opportunity you possibly can to spend time creating memories - which at some point may be the only thing you have left of your time together.

If we do not learn from 9/11, much that was lost will have been in vain.

War Eagle !

Last night, I attended an Auburn Club meeting and it was great ! Imagine a room full of orange and blue with the speakers taking us down memory lane of their days at Auburn.

Beginning with a local retired veterinarian who was a track star at Auburn when it was still Alabama Polytechnic Institute, on to a local all-American football player who played during the Shug Jordan days, then an Auburn basketball player who at 6'11" is still our town's tallest guy. The program also included stories from a local man who played football at Auburn during the glory days of Bo Jackson, Lionel James, Greg Carr and others who played under Coach Pat Dye. And finally, a local Auburnite who has been officiating SEC football games for many years shared lots of sideline stories and admitted that he had been called dumb, blind, one-sided, etc. many times .

The most amazing thing to me was that 6 guys , all outstanding college athletes, from ages mid-40's to mid-80's, could stand up and relate game statistics, almost play by play, remember names of guys that played on their teams and the opposing teams, and give detailed accounts of events that happened to them at Auburn even though it was anywhere from 25 to 65 years ago.

To have that kind of impact, I think you could say it is a very special place !!!