A blog about nothing by someone with opinion on everything.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Trunk-show-today--Hollydays-tomorrow-plus-news-from-Dusty-Brown-Style.html?soid=1104524641160&aid=0BHxsZgt-SE

2011-11-04T12:10:00.000-05:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Trunk-show-today--Hollydays-tomorrow-plus-news-from-Dusty-Brown-Style.html?soid=1104524641160&aid=0BHxsZgt-SE

Sale!

2011-09-26T13:49:00.002-05:00

I am having a sale in my Etsy shop! 30DaysHasSeptember will get you 30% off!

www.etsy.com/coppercottonandcomp

Olivia the Pig makes us giddy.

2011-05-15T11:59:00.003-05:00

I recently found a blog online that I really adore. Our Kids Mom is really neat!

Just a few moments ago, I decided that I might take Miles, 7, to a movie today. Lola has a stomach bug and I had been wanting some girl time with my big girl.

As a part of the Kidtoons initiative, Carmike is playing Olivia and the Great Outdoors, so I googled it for a bit more info. Right off the bat, I went to this posting, where I learned that "Kidtoons is a small organization dedicated to bringing fun, affordable, safe family oriented programming to movie theaters nationwide".

We think that we will, in fact, enjoy the film. Sadly, we aren't going to make it to this film today because it starts in half an hour, but this Olivia flick is certainly on our summer list!

P.S. I registered for a little contest they're hosting for an Olivia prize pack AND I signed my kids up for the birthday club; they should each receive a movie pass around their birthday. They are going to be SO stinkin' excited to find out!

Saturday 11 to 2 Trunk Show

2011-05-06T12:12:00.001-05:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Trunk-Show-Savings-from-Dusty-Brown.html?soid=1104524641160&aid=AC8kVySbRhI

Drop by Dusty's house at 3238 Prater Court on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.* to peruse Dusty Brown merchandise with a special discount of 30% or more. As always, you can add a pair of earrings to any necklace for $5!

Your purchases will be ready to give in chocolate brown boxes, ribbon tied and presented in a small bag. How easy it that?! Hope to see you there.

30% off means:

Retail $16, sale $11.20
Retail $20, sale $14
Retaisl $25, sale $17.50
Retail $35, sale $24.50
Retail $40, sale $28

30% off or BOGO Bezel Tray Rings:

Retail $20, sale $14 or two for $20

30% off Antique Skeleton Key Necklaces:

Retail $50, sale $35
Retail $65, sale $45.50
Retail $85, sale $55
Retail $110, sale$70

PLUS Dusty's Famous Earrings Deal:

Add earrings to any necklaces for $5

*Need another date or time frame? It might be possible! Email me at Dusty@DustyBrown.net.

If you got the hotline, please send 'em on up!

2011-02-11T12:00:00.000-06:00

In my lifetime, my daddy has always been in good health. He got lots of physical exercise, never had a weight problem, etc. He'd complain about his 'gut', but he's a handsome, healthy man.

In 2004, he found out about a congenital birth defect. He had a valve in his heart replaced. Actually, his awesome doctors at St. Thomas replaced two valve and did a bypass while they had him in there, but he went in for one valve replacement. He had some complications and some hard days of recovery, but now seven years later, he seems the healthiest he's been since that heart surgery.

On Tuesday, they will be removing one of his kidneys. During a routine scan for his heart, they discovered a large mass in his kidney. It has to be taken out right away but luckily, it is isolated to the one kidney. The prognosis is very good; there is no sign of cancer in the lymph nodes, bones or blood. Theoretically, when the mass/kidney are removed, he should be perfectly fine. However, being a Believer, I would appreciate all of your prayers and thoughts that we do continue to receive good news and that there are no complications, etc.

The fact that we even know about this is a miracle in itself, and it gives me a level of peace that all will be fine. The mass was found during a scan for cardio health. My parents didn't think it was even time for the scan; my mom intended to see if the confirmation message was actually a mistake. When the doctor's office never got back to them, they went on in for the scan. The scan showed some spots that alarmed the staff. They ordered a different scan. THAT scan found the mass. We could have just as easily postponed the appointment due to timing or snow and not discovered this until too late. I have total faith that it was meant to be found because, as they say, the Lord's not finished with him yet.

I guess my true prayer request is that you pray for an easy recovery and fast healing. Pray for minimal stress, for my mom as she waits for news on her husband of 47 years, for my sister as she flies from Oklahoma, my other sister as she either travels from Louisiana or waits for news at home, for my parents' dogs Butch and Lilly as they miss their Pop and his special attention...just pray whatever is in your hearts!

Have you seen the new Sesame Street E-books?

2010-08-25T10:39:00.004-05:00

This is so cool! I can't wait to let Lola "read" some of the interactive/audio Sesame Street books on her computer!

Lola is four and a half; she'll have her magnet school testing in January. These e-books will give her even more confidence and site word experience. I mean, the listen and learn books highlight the words as they're read by the funny Sesame Street character. Thank God my girls have their own laptop (my old HP) because I would never get mine back from Lola once she sees this. And they even have a rotating selection of five books for free reading/listening. Pretty cool!

I will give you an update when we've had a chance to really dig into it...but right now I am loving this resource!

Dear Asain spammers

2010-08-17T10:38:00.002-05:00

I don't know which country you hail from, as I can't decipher your language symbols, so forgive me for lumping all Asain spammers together. However, it would be greatly appreciated if you would stop spamming my blog comments! None of my blog readers can read your advertisements anyway!

Just a little reminiscing...

2010-08-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite blogs entries...

A blog about nothing by someone with opinion on everything.: The nightmare of Chuck E. Cheese...and how I wante...: "We took Miles and Lola to Chuck E. Cheese tonight. Several people have told me that C.E.C. sells beer. I should have looked into it, because..."

Junior League of Murfreesboro: Event Detail: Hollyday Marketplace

2010-08-12T09:42:00.000-05:00

For all of my art friends and shopping friends! Please plan to come out to support your local community on November 20th for the Hollyday Market hosted by Junior League of Murfreesboro. This is an event that gets better and better every year! I participate and love it, plus tickets are not expensive AND go to charity. It is far less for a ticket to our marketplace than to Christmas Village, plus you can't beat the location right near The Avenue.

Junior League of Murfreesboro: Event Detail: Hollyday Marketplace

Lola's little best friend...

2010-08-09T09:56:00.001-05:00

Caywood Builders had a little fun entertaining some clients a... on Twitpic

In case you're wondering, that little buddy in the pic is Lola's main man, her age 4 bestie, her *potential* prom date in 12 years. One can only hope that they grow up to stay the greatest of friends. :)

I have just about had it OR up to my eyeballs in allergies...

2010-08-06T00:59:00.002-05:00

I am breaking down tomorrow and calling an allergist. I can't take it anymore. Itchy eyes, stopped up nose, running nose, pain in my upper teeth, pain in my ears. Ugh. I need relief. Something strange has happened this year. I am just starting what may be my third round of severe allergies.

Last year, it became obvious to me that if I spent too much time out at my parents' home in the country, I inevitably got sick with bad allergies. If I spent way too much time, I got a sinus infection. Now this year, I have been terribly sick twice already and fear that I'll be worse tomorrow than I am today. This is really bizarre to me, as I am 34 years old and it just started.

I'd say that I've always had allergies that I thought were bad. However, last year I learned what true bad allergies felt like. And this year? Oh I certainly know for sure. So what causes someone to develope a severe seasonal allergy all of a sudden at 34 years old?! I do believe I will do the little spot test and find out. Daily Zyrtec doesn't cut it. I need the real deal, even if that means monthly allergy shots. Thoughts?

Do these teeball shorts make my butt look big?

2010-07-21T05:45:00.004-05:00

I woke up at 3:45 a.m. My back hurt. I cleaned a little, had some grits, drank some water, read yesterday's paper and now I'm heading back to bed.

First, though, I'll let you know that I can't believe that Miles heads back to school in 2 weeks. I am anxious to know who her teacher will be but we can't find out until August 3rd this year. Miles makes me so proud to be her mother. She reads so well and her art? Yeah, it's off the hook for 6 3/4 years old. She is also an entrepreneur. She is producing drawings every day to sell in my booth at the Greenway Art Show for $1 each. Bless her heart. She is taking on the role of big sister and role model very well on most days. Sure, sometimes she shows her baby sister how to drag a bar stool to the front door and undo the chain lock, and sure, sometimes she encourages Lola to draw on the bathroom floor with toothpaste, but she sure is pretty and smart and talented.

Little Lo is growing up like crazy. Her newest fascination is taking care of her baby dolls. Now she's always liked them, but this is different. She is a precious Momma to her babies. All seven of them. They get their babas one after the other, they get their diapers changed and they get shushed back to sleep. Sometimes one might get a whack on the head for crying or 'not settling down', but I swear, I would never hit my kid on the head! I don't know where she picked that up. We've been working on that one! She's really into tattoos on people right now. Yeah.

In other news, Lola teeball team is kicking booty and taking names. The Blue Jays have done me proud. The kids all love me. (It is only fair to acknowledge that I give them treats after practice. LOL.) Lola loves her teeball shorts and asks to wear them at other times, which just cracks us up. They are short little sold black athletic shorts (the kind with the tiny holes all over the polyester-ish fabric?) from Kmart with a heart shaped pocket on the butt. Nice. She looks like a kid in the 70's. She isn't afraid to pimp her teeball hat, either, which just kills me.

Phillip was recognized at work for his outstanding performance at the company. He was the one employee named NBJ AllStar for the quarter. He also stepped right up and agreed to assume some extra responsibilities when help was needed. He's going places, I tell you. Straight to the top, I tell you.

In random news, I am working hard on PR for Junior League and absolutely loving it. I also have a few shows lined up for the fall, so I need to get my booty in gear on merchandise to sell. Life is good. We miss Mandy and Neil because we've all been so busy that we haven't had as much time to hang out this summer, but that will get better soon. We took the house off the market, though it is still for sale if anyone is interested. We don't know what to do. If we stay here, we should refinance; if we can sell it, we should grab one of the great deals available. Just taking it day by day. It hasn't been off the market for even a month yet, so we are just taking some time to think. My parents harvested a crop of 375 lbs of new potatoes, which is wonderful. My dad seems healthier than he has been in a while.

Who knows what the future holds? I do intend to blog about it, though. I miss blogging. Bear with me!

My besties are 4 and 6...

2010-06-09T22:46:00.005-05:00

This summer is shaping up to be the best summer of my life. Man, it is so hard to even think about topping the summers of my childhood! I just can't get over how much happiness I get from spending time laughing with my girls. It feels so good to have Miles at home with me. I think I had missed her more than I realized!

I guess this summer's big leap in improvement is partially because they are older and more able to have fun this year at ages 4 and 6, to be exact. Another helpful factor is our involvement in organized sports. Miles played spring soccer and Lola is playing teeball. (PS I'm Lola's teeball coach.)

We have been able to go to the lake and pool without as much worry and to get out of the house for some exercise through their sports. Miles can read now, so sometimes she snuggles with a book. Lola is more than happy to sit in the floor and play dollhouse, My Little Pony or Polly Pocket for literally hours at a time. They are both easier to please when it comes to healthy foods that I feel good about. They have been precious. And evil. But precious more often than evil. ;)

Here's to hoping for an entire phenomenal summer of sweet memories with my two little best friends. The three of us are pals and I like it.

Hard blogging times in the house of Brown...

2010-05-03T10:54:00.003-05:00

So it has become a nuisance to blog, and I hate that. I love blogging. However, With Tumblr and Facebook, I am finding it more and more difficult to actually come over to Blogger and follow through with spending time on my blog. I have always used my blog to truly capture our lives, and for the past few months, I've hardly captured anything. I'm sad.

Reasons to Choose Murfreesboro...

2010-04-08T11:23:00.003-05:00

Someone challenged me to create a top ten list for moving to Murfreesboro. I ended up with a baker's dozen.

1.) Well-rounded community, not overtly just one genre of people
2.) Close to Nashville (35 mins.) but small town feel
3.) The schools are good and the teachers are usually vested in the community since they often went to MTSU.... See More
4.) MTSU football. Lots of tailgating and fun if you like that kind of thing!
5.) Plenty of choices for kids' sports leagues, plus adults can play softball, on dodgeball teams, cycling teams, etc. The city also has two sports facilities, Sports Com and Patterson Park, that have pools, workout equipment, classes and walking tracks.
6.) Greenway system is lovely and free to use. We have two large parks, Barfield and Seigel.
7.) Close proximity (30 to 60 mins) to lakes for boating, skiing, etc.
8.) We have a great library system and some local theatre groups.
9.) The mall, The Avenue and local shops mean you never have to drive out of town to do your shopping unless you are just adament about a specific store that we happen not to have, but we have plenty of all the big name choices and lots of locally owned shoppes.
10.) Cost of housing is very fair and much lower than Nashville or Franklin.
11.) Great local music scene. MTSU is a leading school internationally for recording industry, which means lots of buddin muscians around the 'boro.
12.) This community cares! We have a lot of philanthropic opportunities, like the Junior League of Murfreesboro.
13.) Less than an hour and a half to Chattanooga, which is a fabulous town for day trips.

A Rite of Passage for a young lady

2010-03-04T00:08:00.003-06:00

Someone got her very first pair of heels today, and it makes her Momma want to cry. We are almost done with kindergarten, and the more time passes, the more I understand why moms' have empty nest syndrome when their kids leave the house for college. Maybe it isn't the fact that they leave; maybe it's the fact that you can't deny that they are grown.

A big shout out!

2010-02-20T22:47:00.004-06:00

A huge shoutout to Coen Brock for getting into the Discovery School! Congrats, Coen! You're growing up so much and you will love kindergarten. We are so very happy for you and your mom and dad are so proud of you!

One of my besties, Shea, and her son, Coen, Discover School student

Terrible blogger

2010-01-29T17:02:00.003-06:00

I have been a terrible blogger since the fall. I just don't have as much time to blog! I am going to get back into writing on my blog very soon!

Recent developments worth blogging about, though I haven't done it yet:

Miles can read books all by herself!
Lola is very into her jeans and refuses to wear much else.
Miles got a big girl bike for Christmas and I need to post pics.
Coen totally 5-year-old kissed Miles last night at Mellow Mushroom and she blushed and then said she wanted to kiss him again and again and again. Ahhhhhhhhhh!
We got a real snow today! It took us an hour and a half to get home from Shea's! That's about 8 times the normal amount of time.
Miles has gotten a 5/5 on her last three AR test! Woot woot!
My jewelry will be featured in the February/March issue of Murfreesboro Magazine and on their site!
I am going to ODI (Organizational Development Institute) for Junior League in March and I can't wait!

Christmas Eve 2009

Christmas on the Square 2009

Goggelers, and other essential items for the lake

2010-01-05T17:58:00.002-06:00

Lola has gotten me tickled so much lately. Why, just now, she randomly told me that if you go to the lake with your 'goggelers' on, you can't see anything. And that if you go into a lake with alligators in it, alligators will eat! you! up!

She has been growing up so incredibly fast. She is smart as a whip and loves to giggle uncontrollably. She prefers to sleep in one of my tshirts instead of pj's or a perfect sized gown. Santa brought her a Tinkerbelle scooter and you should have seen her face. Boy, oh boy. That scooter was just perfect.

Vacation's all I ever wanted...

2009-12-23T14:07:00.002-06:00

Christmas vacation is going very well here for the Brown family! My children are enjoying themselves thoroughly and Phillip and I are taking it easy. Each day, we come up with some craft or food to make and a way to get out of the house. So far, so good. Previously, Miles has cried when school was out, but this time she is giggling and happy. I think she understands that everyone is out of school, not just her. (At fall break, she seemed to think that the rest of her class was still at school having fun and that we were just keeping her home. We could not convince her otherwise, and she cried like a mopey, depressed thirty-something.)

To think that tomorrow is Christmas Eve is astounding. The weather is so nice and mild. The sun is shining! So much for a white Christmas, huh? That's ok. My childhood memories always seem to include beautiful sunny Christmas days in Louisiana, so I'll talk a nice mild Tennessee Christmas.

We had planned to go to Liberty tonight to Mandy and Neil's house, but it looks like we are going stay in town. They have three more puppies to give away and need to meet some potential adoptive families for these three, so it would be hard to get together. They came over Friday night and I was able to give her the Little Wayne painting I commissioned from Jeff Bertrand. She loved it. We gave Neil some leather work gloves, some bungee cords and a copy of Capote. I guess you just have to know Neil to understand that gift combo. :)

I am very ready for Friday morning. Santa is bringing so many wonderful things this year! In fact, I may have gone a little overboard. Possibly. Slightly. But not really. We have lots of gifts under the tree and will all be getting many things that we wanted...but every penny spent was cash money, so that isn't too bad, right? No lingering debt after the holidays means it is ok, right? But I digress.

2009 has been a strange year. We've sent a child to kindergarten and we've passed along how good it feels to keep on volunteering in this community. We buried Papaw Joe but we've celebrated birthdays with lots of little friends just learning to be themselves. I went back blonde. Lola became a true LSU fan. (She's watching tv, wrapped in an LSU thrown right now. Don't prod her or she will ask you, "How 'bout them tigers?") The entire world said goodbye to MJ. We congratulated Britt on her engagement.

Merry Christmas to each and every family, with warm wishes for 2010!

Snowglobes

2009-12-22T21:51:00.004-06:00

We made homemade snowglobes and it was really cool! This is an easy activity as long as you have adult supervision and the kids absolutely loved it!

You will need:

One tight sealing glass jar for each snowglobe, we bought two jars of pears at Dollar Tree and used those jars. Phillip got the labels off with a razor and acetone while the kids ate some pears. ;) This was cheaper than buying empty jars.

Water

Glitter, we should have used the larger kind instead of the fine kind I had

Glycerin, found in the soap making aisle of Hobby Lobby, $3.47 for a big bottle

A figurine, toy, etc., that will fit inside the jar and has a base that can be glued down; we let each girl pick a little figurine from Dollar Tree.

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

An ornate button to glue on top of the finished product; I have a huge collection of vintage buttons, so we used gold-tone honeycomb buttons.

Thoroughly dry your jar lid. Place a large dollop of hot glue right in the center and glue your figurine or small toy down, making sure to center it. In the jar itself, fill it most of the way with water. Add a nice splash of glycerin. Sprinkle in some glitter. Add a hint of blue food coloring if you'd like. You may need to add or dump a little water to get it basically full when the top is replaced with the figurine inside. Replace the lid very tightly. Turn the jar over and hot glue a pretty button to the top. Shake and enjoy!

My own version of people at Walmart

2009-11-29T22:44:00.000-06:00

Friday, we really saw a big, fat redneck woman in too-small sweatpants and her man, who was a fat redneck (white, duh) guy wearing a black button up shirt, unbuttoned with wife beater, of course. On the back of the shirt was...a grey line drawing of Notorious B.I.G. with rhinestone accents on a crown on his head. At Walmart. Of course.

'Tis the season!

2009-11-12T12:00:00.002-06:00

Because I want to be careful

2009-11-04T22:58:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, I had my second mammogram ever. The first was in 2006 before my surgery. This time, I went on the recommendation of my fabulous OB/GYN, Yolanda McGriff. Dr. McGriff had mentioned to me before that my family history indicated that I should consider the testing for the breast cancer gene. The testing is very elaborate, and in order for insurance to cover it, I basically had to have a mammogram and meet with a surgeon to discuss my family history. This information will be documented as a true need for the testing, thus my insurance will cover the testing. Everything looked great on my scans, fyi. I have to go back in another day and have my blood drawn for the testing. Once I get the results, I can decide on my future actions.

More then likely, if I have the gene, the surgeon will recommend a bilateral mastectomy and replacement to drastically reduce my chances of developing breast cancer in the future. (Just to clarify, if I do not have the gene, I can still get cancer.) However, with the gene, I have a much greater likelihood of having breast cancer at some point in my life. The odds are like 55% to 77% or something. Dr. Baskin, the surgeon, said that based on my family history (three of my mother's sisters had breast cancer), I should already be doing yearly mammograms and if I have the gene, I also need an annual breast ultrasound. Wow! Isn't it crazy how far technology has come? So many lives could be saved if more people took these precautions like I am! Just something to think about...

Collecting Costumes...

2009-11-03T22:58:00.002-06:00

Costumes are currently being collecting for distribution in 2010 to area children in need. Please visit this page for more info. Drop off location is Mills Family Pharmacy thru November 13th or contact me Dusty@DustyBrown.net to make other arrangements. Used costumes are accepted, though you are encouraged to take a gander at the Halloween clearance if you're feeling generous! Our family donated three new costumes for a total cost of $5.22 by taking advantage of Kroger and Walmart's Halloween clearance tonight. Please consider contributing! Children will be selected to receive a costume based on teacher recommendation, Boys and Girls club recommendation or similar requests.

All up in their faces

2009-11-02T22:21:00.010-06:00

I was just reading US Weekly. In it, a few "stars" claimed that they had nose jobs just because of medical issues and absolutely NOT due to looks. Now first, I should clarify that I don't give a rat's if someone wants a new nose. I wanted and got new boobs three years ago. Then I promptly gained 40 pounds, but that is a whole different subject. Back to the intended subject, I know one family member and more than one friend that had a deviated septum repaired...and none of them look different at all. Which leads me to the point that if you ONLY had it for medicinal reasons, then why does your nose look dramatically different? Exactly. Just own up to wanting a new nose, people. I would not personally mess with my face. Then again, I think I have good features on my face. I would absolutely mess with my flabby arms or double C-section abs. I'm just sayin'.

Second, I just read where Holly from that Playboy show Girls Next Door eats one fast food/junk food meal a day and nothing else but Raisin Bran. That is a horrible dietary influence on young girls!

I miss the early 80's, when chics were hot and still considered 'skinny' in a size 8 or even size 10 jeans. I mean, really. Next time you are with a friend who wears an 8 or a 10, look at them. They are NOT fat; they are slim. Some fo them might night be totally toned, but they are slim! Crap. I'm 5' 3", and when I wore a 9/10, I had no shortage of interested cute, popular guys. They liked the fact that I didn't look like a seventh grader. According to Hollywood, anything over a 2 or maybe a 4 is a total lard-butt. It is ridiculous.

I'm officially ashamed of my three year subscription to US Weekly.

Announcing a new blog....

2009-10-28T22:35:00.001-05:00

Just please go visit this site, please! Homemaker Homegirls Inc. thanks you in advance.

Y'all cain't even fathom how much I want to watch this multiple times in a row.

2009-10-28T03:02:00.005-05:00

Yeah, I wrote "cain't". You have a problem with that? Sometimes you just have to write it the way you want someone to read it, and any true southern girl just has to bust out the "cain't" every now and then.

What made me bust out "cain't"?? I'll tell you what did. This did!

This Is It

2009-10-28T01:52:00.004-05:00

Thank you Michael for all of the old memories, but I'm so glad I was able to see this side of you.

What can I say about the Michael Jackson film, This Is It? Well, for starters, it was phenomenal. The footage truly makes you feel like you were there, a part of it, like you knew him. He was far more normal in the film than he was projected to be in life. He was far less effeminate, noticeably less strung out, far more normal, more humorous and particularly humble in regards to his dancers, musicians and singers.

I left the film so happy that I was part of history. I saw the film at the earliest possible point in time for anyone that wasn't someone to M.J. himself. I saw it when it premiered to the world. I felt included and a complete resurgence of all of the feelings that were felt when he died. I hope that any Michael Jackson fan gets an opportunity to see the film in theaters. It was heart warming. I was really sad when the credits began. I could have watched another hour of his rehearsal footage. It was that good.

Of course, there were a few drawbacks. Someone sitting behind us clearly had a foot fungus of the corn chip variety and we smelled it frequently throughout the showing. We also got a few funny looks for wearing the sparkling gloves that I made for Jen, Meag, Emma and myself. Those things didn't change my opinion of the experience for the worse. By the way, thank you, Jen, for inviting me! I hope your sparkling glove makes a nice addition to your scrapbook!

If you call yourself a fan, you must see This Is It. Then again, if you call yourself a critic, then you truly must see This Is It. I think you'll reevaluate your opinion.

Holy sweet pralines! Only 3 days...

2009-10-27T11:25:00.002-05:00

Three days until my date with Half Pint and her fam! Casey is treating me to Little House on the Prairie at TPAC. I am so excited! Melissa Gilbert is playing Ma, too.

P.S. I still hate Nellie Olsen.

Mashed potatoes! Gravy!

2009-10-27T11:23:00.000-05:00

Field trip fun

2009-10-22T12:47:00.003-05:00

Miles went on her very first real school field trip yesterday! We both enjoyed our day at the Walden Pumpkin Farm. It was beautifully sunny and nice outside.

Lined up to get on the hayride...

Several little girls that seem to be kindergartens besties...

We did a hay ride, petted baby goats and calves, saw turkeys, chickens, pheasants, horses and pigs. We got to pick our own pumpkins to take home and Miles went through a hay maze.

I think the most exciting part for her was riding on a school bus!

Shots

2009-10-19T19:47:00.001-05:00

Miles and Lola got flu shots and H1N1 nasal mists today, so we are much more confident that we won't have any major illnesses at our house this flu season. Also, Lola would like for you all to know that she does NOT have the swan flu.

Somebody loves Little Richard

2009-10-09T01:23:00.002-05:00

It will never cease to amaze me how many hits I get from my posts on Little Richard !

Disney on Ice -OR- how we kicked off celebrating six years of Miles

2009-10-08T00:14:00.006-05:00

I realized tonight that I never blogged about Disney on Ice. This was our second year seeing the show at The Sommet Center. Since Daddy works downtown, we met him at work and set out on our evening of fun.

For starters, we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory again this year.

Later, we walked down 2nd Avenue and Broadway to the venue and found our seats.

The girls brought their hats from last year to avoid the temptation to buy new souvenirs, and I'm glad we did that because I didn't see much that caught my eye. Workers came around selling $15 snow cones, but I assured my kids that I'd buy them the cup for $8 at the Disney Store and they dropped it.

The show was wonderful, full of their favorite characters, lights and some faux fireworks, too.

Lola has grown up so much since last year, so she was into it far more. Miles was more into sitting back and admiring the production. Lots of smiles from our group, nonetheless.

On the topic of best friends

2009-10-07T00:26:00.005-05:00

Mandy is my actual, functional, best friend. She is my best friend from childhood who has known me the longest and to this day, knows my deepest darkest secrets. I rely on her to be my rock, my cheerleader, my confidant and my partner in crime on a regular basis. We haven't always seen each other much more often than once or twice a year since she is a bit of a rambler (or has a history of being one) and has spent time living elsewhere, but we will always be on that level with each other. We are each a part of the others' families and we know each other in and out. She can see right through me and she isn't scared to call me out. Our husbands were fast friends and are hilariously, two peas in a pod. If she calls me out on something, I know it is for real and that I need to really think about what she said, because she knows me deep down to my soul. I'd give her a lung, a kidney or my bone marrow, and she knows it. She'd fly to Mexico in the middle of the night to kick some corrupt government booty and bail me out of jail. That's just the way we are. She has a couple of other best friends, and she would do that for them, too. The few other people that she counts as best friends have really different personalities, like apples and oranges, just like my short list.

I also have best friends from college that I rarely see but will always consider best friends. They are not all at the same point in their lives, so I can't hold it against them that our lives don't always correspond these days. I have two children; they either have zero or live an hour away. I have been married 8 years today; they either haven't walked down that aisle of life yet or they didn't marry someone that makes an effort to be a great friend to my husband. They still mean the world to me, but they aren't really filling that void at this point and they will never compare to someone that has grown up with me and is truly here for me when I need her. I know we'll be friends til we die, though, and that at one point, my life revolved around them, so they will remain what I consider a close friend or even one of my best friends.

I also have a few friends that are by far, my best friends in my momtourage. Shea and Jen are my main homegirls. I love them to death and I rely on them for certain things. I also know we will be friends outside of the mom role. I think Shea and I will be stalking Donny Whalberg at a retirement home, but she had two best friends before I ever met her, Juli and Sara, and that doesn't offend me. We're get each other on a different level. We are parents but still people. I couldn't make it through the daily grind without them.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that its hard to feel like you have hurt one person by calling another person your best friend when you don't mean any harm or insult, because I can't even begin to list all of the other people that are important to me. I didn't write this for any specific reason but just because I regularly see that as women, we (not meaning anyone listed here) don't always think it through when we get our feelings hurt. Agreed?

Good times in the 'Noog -OR- when Money married Ellen.

2009-10-05T13:16:00.009-05:00

Phillip and I spent Saturday in Chattanooga. We ventured to the city on the river for a friend's wedding and had some good times, for sure. We attended the wedding of Jeremy and Ellen Money at the Convention Center. The ceremony was nice, and Ellen's dress was gorgeous. I really liked the style and the way part of it was gold. The train was nice, too!

Once we wished them well and sent them off, we all headed downtown to Market Street to spend some quality time at Deluxe. I liked Deluxe a lot. It reminded me of the downstairs of Sebastion's from many many years ago.

The night was really nice because we got a chance to visit with old friends that we rarely see and spouses or other friends that we're getting to know more and more. Some of the guys there this weekend are younger than me, thus from a different era at the Sigma Chi house, but we have mutual friends. We hope to see all of them more often now.

It was also nice because this was Phillip's first real opportunity to meet some of the guys that he's heard about for years. Well, only a few were there, really, Matt Hutton; Brian Nale (Anjeanetta's little bro) and Money, but still. Now he will truly know who I'm talking about when I refer back to silliness from college. There was a group of us that spent all of our time together back in the day, and we sorta grew up together. We were all great friends. These guys were part of that group, as were Missi, Kirby, Anjeaneatta, Mary Katherine, Flair, Patrick, Casey, Brackin, Alex Green, Bliss, Peanut, Stinky, Harper, Reed, Fuqua, Mickey, who am I forgetting?? I wish Patrick, a big part of the H127 puzzle, had traveled down for the weekend but alas, we'll catch him on his next trip. (H127 was our apartment number at Rosewood. It was three Chi Omegas who were also little sisters, and H127 served as the gathering place for a big group of people on a regular basis from 1997 to 1998.)

I know that when we're all old and gray, we'll still have each other as friends. We've all grown up to be good people, and we've created our own families that might one day get together for an Indian Summer road trip... and that sounds really nice to me. I also hope we get to have our very own 'Big Chill' one day, except nobody has to die to bring us all together for a weekend, but I digress.

Thanks for the memories, Money!

Two more super long, stretched out days until...

2009-09-29T21:51:00.002-05:00

Thursday night we head to Disney on Ice!! We are celebrating Miles' birthday with this special family treat. Her birthday isn't for another week and a half, but she's also having a party on the day before her 6th birthday, so she's getting to stretch out her celebration!

On this weekend...

2009-09-21T01:04:00.008-05:00

I totally stole the style of my title from Angel.

Anyhoo, this weekend was the bomb. Like the atom bomb. Awesome. And painful, but I digress.

Friday night, we hosted Mandy and Neil for a little sleepover/birthday celebration for Mandy! We had a ball. The kids spent the night at my parents' house and we stayed up late giggling just like we did in 6th grade. Saturday, Mandy, Neil and I hung out around the house while Phil went and got the kids.

He took them to Franklin, where his brother's wife, Aunt Melissa, took Miles on a shopping spree for her upcoming birthday! Miles scored two skirts, a blouse, some knee socks, some adorable new mary janes, an awesome coat and a Build-A-Bear unicorn. Lola got a unicorn, too. Then his parents asked if the girls could stay the night.

Saturday night found us at Shea's house for a birthday party for Jen and Shea. Good times and plenty of laughs with a group of awesome friends! THEN it happened. As we were leaving, I slipped on Shea's front steps. It literally happened as I was warning Phillip not to slip because the rain had made them super slick. I have a mammoth sized bruise on my right booty cheek and another on my back. Ouch. Super ouch. I'm in pain. Regardless, it was extremely fun.

Sunday, I did a few chores around the house while Phil went and got my babies. Then we watched the rest of the Titans game before I made the cookies for mini fruit pizzas. The girls helped make their own concoctions once the cookies cooled. Very delicious, if I do say so myself! I made Lola a new blankie and patched Miles' old blankie with two silly hearts that I zigzagged into place. Mandy and Neil came over again after the girls went to bed and Neil promptly took a power nap on my living room floor. I swear, how that boy can sleep on hard wood floor is beyond me. We talked about putting a bed back up in the extra bedroom since we already know that they'll spend a lot of time here this winter. I just can't have someone sleeping on my floor on a regular basis. The thought of that makes my back hurt.

Needless to say, seeing so many friends this weekend was awesome, but we're ready for a new week around the Brown household. We are also praying for sunny days, since I currently feel like I live in Seattle!

PS Here is my super easy version of fruit pizza. I included the extracts for added flavor and I recommend using the small cookies because a big one gets soggy:

Base:
1 package break apart sugar cookie cough

Cream cheese spread:
1 bar of softened cream cheese
1 T of frozen orange juice concentrate
About 4 heaping tablespoons of marshmallow creme
splash of almond extract
splash of vanilla extract

Topping:
About half a pound of fresh pineapple (about half a cored pineapple), 1 container of strawberries, one kiwi, 1 pint of blueberries

Break cookies apart. Use 1.5 squares for each cookie so they will be a little bigger. Bake as directed. Cool completely. Meanwhile, mix all cream spread ingredients together, whipping it up real good. Set to the side or better yet, refrigerate. Chop pineapple into small cubes, slice strawberries, slice and peel kiwi. Mix all fruit together with the blueberries.

Allow people to build their own mini fruit pizza using 1 cookie with a layer of cream cheese mixture topped by fresh fruit mixture. Yummmmmm-my!!!!

It's another Saturday night...

2009-09-19T13:50:00.003-05:00

We had so much fun last night celebrating Mrs. Mandy Vogeler's birthday. It was very low key and so relaxing. In the end, the boys went to bed (separately, of course LOL) and Mandy and I stayed up and giggled endlessly. Gotta love celebrating someone's birthday with her for the 22nd year of friendship.

Tonight we head over to Shea's house for a joint birthday party for Shea and Jen. It is a family fun party, but we will be there without the kids since Phillip's parents surprised us by inviting . Today, Aunt Melissa took Miles on an early birthday shopping spree! She got some new clothes, new shoes, a dress coat and a Build-A-Bear unicorn!

BTW, Neil just told us a hilarious story about water balloons in college. He and his roommate would leave the bars 20 minutes early so that they could make it back to the dorm room before the masses began to walk by after closing time. They would launch water balloons from their dorm room window using a huge slingshot apparatus that engineer Neil created, and his roommate would tell him when to launch. He would launch the balloon that inevitably soaked someone.

The thing is, they lived across the street from Greek Row, so the victims would always just assume that someone in a fraternity house did it. No one ever looked across the street to see these two guys roaring with laughter in a top floor dorm room window.

One night, a group of guys became enraged and began beating on a fraternity house door. Fire trucks and cops ended arriving to restore peace and Neil and his roommate stood around in the crowd just watching, trying to look innocent. It may not sound that funny now, but we all just fell out laughing like maniacs. I guess you had to see the presentation of the story in person!

I love a Rainy Night

2009-09-17T21:09:00.003-05:00

This week has been nothing but rain in Middle Tennessee. Literally, we have woken up to rain and gone to bed with rain. We have been entirely too lazy but it feels so good to be lazy sometimes. It is also better for my checkbook! The week has mainly consisted of Lola and I lounging around watching kids movies and taking naps. We've avoided getting out except for picking up Miles. I am ready for some sunshine but I think I'll miss the rain!

Fall vegetable fun

2009-09-17T21:06:00.002-05:00

Tonight, Miles' school held a fall festival. Games galore and food for sale just about sums it up. Except that Lola kept asking me all day long if it was time to go to 'the fall vegetable' yet.

I love this!

2009-09-15T16:26:00.002-05:00

My friend, Mandy Caffey Vogeler, makes some awesome mixed media art, but when I saw this post, I just knew that I had to share it! Enjoy!

When I say D, you say A, When I say DA you say R!

2009-09-15T13:01:00.005-05:00

I am joining the Daughters of the American Revolution. I was asked to join by Mrs. Betsey Murphree at my Junior League meeting and she told me last night that they voted yes on me. We got a little tickled because I didn't even know I was officially under consideration and did not actually intend to apply until next year, but it's cool.

I am a ninth generation DAR. My great, great, great, great, great, great, grandfather, Captain Hans Heinrich Felder, led colonial troops to victory over British soldiers in the South Carolina low country in a few different battles. The period piece movie "All for Liberty" was based on his troops. So there you go. You can learn something new about me everyday if you want to. LOL!

I'll let you know how it goes; I'm not really sure what to expect. Betsey told me they get together for dinner once a month, all sharing a blood link to our country's beginning, to surround themselves with other people who have an interest in preserving our country's history. I can dig that.

Amen, sister.

2009-09-15T11:37:00.004-05:00

This morning, I saw a friend's incredibly poignant status on Facebook and couldn't help but nod my head in agreement. What did it say?

"The only people you need in your life are the ones that need you in theirs."

Nobody puts Baby in the corner...

2009-09-14T23:19:00.002-05:00

How sad it was to glance down at my buzzing cell phone earlier and see a text telling me that Patrick Swayze had died. I wasn't quite ready for the last dance of the season. RIP Johnny Castle. Dance on!

What's going on in our world

2009-09-13T19:06:00.006-05:00

The weekend started off with some really sweet girls heading to Blockbuster to choose a movie after a pizza dinner! We came home with a Scooby Doo flick and Coraline. Later, delicious white chocolate macadamia nut cookies were served upstairs on our silver Aurthur Court bunny tray. Needless to say, it was a night of indulgence but sometimes it's fun to be a little spoiled! If it helps, we did take a nice walk around the neighborhood to get our blood pumping.

The next day, we had plans to go to tailgating at the MTSU Blackout game. However, Phillip woke up Saturday motivated to get some things done around the house and we had a change of plans. Furthermore, the kids were being a little sniffly and whiney. It was disappointing to bail on seeing our friends but truthfully, I was completely exhausted anyway. Meanwhile, Phillip located my old lava lamp from college and cleaned it up. I got said lava lamp for either my 21st birthday or Christmas that same year from Casey and I have always loved it! I had wanted to retrieve it from the storage closet outside for a while so that I could put it in the girls' bedroom. They were so happy to watch it as they drifted off to sleep last night! My best friend, Mandy, has one in her house, and that got them interested. They were too excited to find out that I had one, too!

Today we headed to Franklin to visit Phil's parents. I ran over to the mall for a few things but otherwise we just had a nice relaxing visit. Tonight I do believe we'll be watching the VMAs...and that's basically a wrap for this weekend.

Why do we find random things that we love but can't replicate?

2009-09-03T01:23:00.004-05:00

I am a wonderful replicator. I can often find a way to reproduce recipes that I like to much acclaim. However, we all have a few things that just really make us happy yet we can not ever seem to reproduce these things, right? Here are mine:

Stones River Country Club balsamic vinaigrette: Oh my. The best balsamic every. Little bit tangy, little bit sweet. Can't find anything close outside of the CC.
Fresh Express Ginger Sesame dressing that comes in their Asian salad kit: the perfect combo of flavors without being bitter. Yum to the max...except the kit cost $4.50 when it isn't on sale.
Fried pickles like they had at Puffing Billy's circa 1998-2001: battered to perfection in a thick, bready coating instead of a thin crumbly layer. I have tried everything possible and can not recreate that breading. The closest thing is panko, but panko is not what they used.
Pizza like Jet's or Pizza Perfect: a thick Sicilian crust that comes out crisp and delicious.
Honey mustard from Zaxby's: what is up with this one? Absolutely no honey mustard on the market has the perfect sweetness AND zing of Zaxby's!
Waffle house eggs: how do they make them so perfect when I can see them cooking them and they aren't adding anything out of the ordinary??
Demos' chicken and rice soup: I have tried recipes that I've found online, including the lemon juice that I know they add, but mine came out with a broth that is entirely too thick.

Anyway, can you tell I'm hungry but avoiding a late night meal?? All of the things on the list make my taste buds very happy and but wallet very empty. Maybe I need to try again!

I'm gonna make a statement and leave it at that.

2009-09-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

My kids will grow up to love me more than sunshine. I am a disciplinarian when necessary and a best friend when possible. I am a momma most of all. I watch out for them and protect them and love them with all my heart. I teach them well and it shows in their accelerated intelligence and artistic abilities. They are hilarious characters that are well liked and outgoing. They are courteous and considerate most of the time, which is great for their age. We choose healthy snacks most of the time but also know that a little bit of pizza or a happy meal once a month is worth the fun. Anyhoo, my point is just that I am so thankful that I am not a full blown lunatic raising children that will grow up to literally hate me when they reflect back on their childhoods. Not everything has to be a harsh reality at 3 and 5. The end.

Book

2009-08-29T01:01:00.004-05:00

I'm currently reading Puff, which is classified as a comic novel. Let me tell you, a comic novel it is. I have laughed out loud repeatedly, and I am so glad that Shea let me borrow it! I haven't had time to read like I normally do here lately, so I am happy to be enjoying my favorite form of escapism once again!

New month, new season, new budget

2009-08-24T00:37:00.003-05:00

The weather isn't the only thing changing. Life is changing around here. We now have a school girl and a suddenly extroverted Lola running around this joint. I am loving it. Another way that life is changing is that I am starting a new budget this week. Being more accountable for my spending. Watching what I buy so that I don't waste money. Being more conscious of how much we blow on wants instead of needs. I think it will have a great impact on our family. I am excited!!! Yes! I am excited!

I am officially signed up to be a room mom.

2009-08-17T21:50:00.010-05:00

The past few days have been an emotional roller coaster! I've felt elated that my studious little girl was finally going to start kindergarten because I absolutely know that she thrives in a stimulating environment, but I've also had moments of completely inconsolable sobbing at the notion of letting go. Today was the day. She started kindergarten.

She wore a precious little brown pleated hem A-line dress from The Gap with her new high tops and little bow barrette. She carried her Baby Bambi backpack and she colored her morning work like a champ. I know she will do so well in the world of academia. It just takes some getting used to when you've taken care of this person from the time they were a little 5 lb peanut until now...virtually every single day.

Here you see Miles listening to "The Kissing Hand" just before we left.

When I picked her up, she came bouncing to the car, exclaimed what an awesome day she had and asked if she could return tomorrow. That alone made everything all better. It isn't that I don't want her in school yet. In fact, a big part of me is overwhelmed with relief. I love my girls and we have a ball, but disciplining your child is heartbreaking, and when you stay at home, you discipline, discipline, discipline all day long sometimes. Some days, I am ready to strangle someone by lunchtime. My children are generally well mannered, and maybe that is why I stress so much over bad behavior when I see it. Staying at home is a huge blessing and I wouldn't trade it for anything but it is a job that allows no breaks or lunch hours, so you can imagine how trying it is; furthermore, at times your 'customers' at this job beg and pull on you left and right whenever they please.

I am not good at goodbyes, so the thought of taking her in and leaving was extremely hard for me. I have spent the last almost six years taking care of her every need, going to story time, treating her to the zoo and lunch at 'the pizza parlor' and celebrating birthdays at Walt Disney World. For every stressful moment at home, there has been one of pure bliss. Just about the only way to describe ending your time as the hands on care giver for a child is bittersweet. You are relieved to no longer have to handle everything but you are in a panic that you won't be handling everything!

When we arrived at school, we happened to walk up just as Miles' cousin was walking in. What a God thing! It took my mind off of wanting to cry and it made Miles' day!

All in all, the first day is over and I made it without crying again all day! We already have our clothes ready for tomorrow and our game plan set for the morning routine. Wish us luck and pray for success at school for Miles, please!

Random fun

2009-07-29T00:28:00.003-05:00

I already posted this on Facebook, but for those people still not on FB, here ya go:

ok I'm answering this but I am also listening to some mad beats as I type this and dancing while sitting, if that makes it any more interesting...LOL. I will apparently always be a hip hopper at heart cuz I can go wherever I like and going anywhere with me is one big fantastic voyage. questioning my lyrics? Check it out. I didn't misquote it. Just because it isn't the title doesn't mean it isn't a line in the song. :) And by now, surely you know that I'm serious but I'm also joking.

Do you eat food of the floor?
well not habitually

Have you done anything you regret in the past week?
Absolutely nothing to regret :)

Have you hit anybody in the past week?
UGH I think I probably swatted my child's butt for being bad one time...and don't even think about judging me for it if you don't have kids. :)

Do you like anybody right now?
well of course

Do you like weird food nobody else seems to like?
I am very, very picky, though I am sure that there is something. I do love artichoke hearts as a pizza topping.

Would you actually consider yourself a weird person?
I KNOW I am a weird person. :) I am also: artistic; extremely smart; classy, eloquent and well spoken when I'm not being silly; stylish; and genuine. So I'm ok with being weird. As I'm famous for originally coining this quote, I will say that a lot of idiots might think I'm a nerd, but I'd just die if I was an idiot, so we'll just call it even. My entire family is freaking hilarious. I'm talking holiadys ALWAYS end with everyone around the dinner table for a couple of hours and somebody laughing til the cry.

Has anybody in your family made fun of you?
I'm the youngest of four kids.

Have you ever been hurt emotionally?
Does the Pope wear a funny hat. We ALL have.

Have you ever failed a test?
yes but usually do pretty well with very little preparation

Have you ever lied to your parents?
yes

Do you still lie to your parents?
No

Do you work for your money?
Stay-at-home-mom

Have you ever lied about your age?
No unless a fake ID counts

Have you ever made fun of someone at school?
never for being disadvantaged, yes for being a douche. My parents would murder me if they found out that I made fun of someone for being less priviledged. I would have gotten a talkin' to about that. I didn't want to create a scenerio that resulted in a talkin' to.

Have you ever given out info on the internet?
not really but I have a blog

Are you angry at anybody?
nope

Have you ever held a grudge?
absolutely but the recipient deserved it. Don't make me name names.

Do you spend your money for good use?
say what?

Have you ever cried over something really stupid?
Probably

AND SOME RANDON INFO that I am adding just for your enjoyment:
I took lessons in the following at some point in my life: piano, tennis, modeling, toll painting (that's the 80's crafty country style if you didn't know) and pottery plus foreign language (french) from age 5. Yeah baby, I was a pageant contestant and that meant you just had to take modeling. LOL! PS For the tennis, it was my mom, dad, sister Dinky and me when I was 15. It was my dad's idea that we do it as a family. LOL!

I am the youngest of four. My name was Amy when I was born but my mom called a nurse in and had my birth certificate changed when my dad went home to take a shower. Swear to God.

I got a trampoline one year for Christmas, a bb gun for Christmas in 2nd grade and a horse named Mandy in third grade. I think my parents were trying to create a Mary Lou Rhetton/Annie Oakley hybrid child.

I got my for real driver's license on my 15th birthday because my parents straight broke the law and took me out of state and lied about my primary residency.

The week I turned 16, my dad got mad at me for not picking up on a five speed easily with him sitting in the passenger seat screaming at me for stalling, so he told me to take my car out on Friday night and figure it out. I did but only after Sandy and I stalled out trying to back out of a parking spot of Sonic on Broad Street. I proceeded to drive around Murfreesboro like a maniac in a really fast car. I got a lot of tickets. I look back and wonder why in the world I didn't get the keys taken away from me?!?!?!?!?! At least I never got my Riverdale parking pass temporarily suspended for speeding in the high school parking lot, right Ayslin????? AHAHAHAHAHA. Sorry girl but I'll never forget it.

Happenings around our house...

2009-07-22T13:28:00.003-05:00

Wow. Exhaustion is an understatement of my physical state since the weekend. The one thing that makes it much more bearable is the notion that the money raised at the rubber duck derby went to the Child Advocacy Center! It feels so good to make a difference and to know that my kids saw me working as a volunteer. Furthermore, it makes it a lot easier to be at home with my children if I am also busy with a community project. I love my kids, but I am high strung and is just isn't my nature to enjoy the uncertainty and often the unproductive nature of being a SAHM! I would like to see more of my mom friends commit to some cause, any cause!

This coming weekend marks my MOPS retreat; the Belle Aire MOPS leadership team is heading to Center Hill for some girl time at the lake. I am serving as the publicity chair once again, so the retreat will be a fun time to route our road map for the year. The international theme for MOPS this year is about space, so I have to think of ways to make a fun connection to Jesus and space!! Suggestions are welcome. I'm talking newsletter theme, decor theme, etc.

Miles starts school in 24 days and I just can't believe it. It seems like just a year ago that I snuggled my little monkey baby in her nursery. I miss the mural that her fabulous daddy painting while she was still in my belly. I feel certain that the current owners of our old house painted over it, but I pretend not to believe that! It was just so phenomenal...a washed out, dual-tone toile. So original and so much talent shown in it.

I know that I will be ok in the actual classroom, but I have a really big gut feeling that I will have to pull my car over and cry like a baby when I leave the school. Having said that, I am really excited about being at home with Lola alone for the first time. She is anxiously awaiting her one on one time, though she hasn't grasped the fact that sissy will be gone in order for us to have that one on one time. We'll have to see how that goes. Anyone that knows Lola is aware that she isn't too thrilled to be separated from Milesy. Pray for little Lola's heart as she embarks on this solo time at home and for little Miles' heart as she begins a journey that might be challenging since she can be exposed to children that are not raised in the same manner as my children.

On another note, I am actually enjoying this dreary, lazy day. There is just something relaxing about the drizzle. Normally, I'd be pretty disappointed at the lack of sunshine...but after this weekend, I need an excuse to stay at home all day!

Busy as a bee

2009-07-14T00:12:00.004-05:00

Wow. We've been a busy little family lately! This past Wednesday, I took the girls to the CAC Duck Derby tagging party. They entertained themselves playing, mainly. At one point, though, I got super nervous when I couldn't see Miles anywhere. I was cleaning ducks when asked my friends to pardon me for a minute, as I couldn't see Miles. Lora (of The Lula Smith Collection fame) then pointed out to me that Miles was behind me at another table, amidst a group of adults, just cleaning those ducks like her life depended on it. I am so incredibly proud of the volunteer's heart that she already has! Speaking of Lora, she is a friend and an artist, so she's cool like that. She makes me laugh forever and her husband is real sweet and she loves Jesus but doesn't make a fuss if you drink a little, so I like her. Plus, she's super cute and has wicked style and class, so she makes me look good.

On Saturday, the girls and I took a little journey to the library and to Uncle Dave Macon Days. We enjoyed ourselves, except I could strangle the jerk that set up some inflatables and wanted $10 per kid to jump. Honestly, I don't think a festival should allow them if they are going to be so blatant about ripping people off. Why? Because it ruins the entire outing for the parents that have to listen to constant begging. Ahem. Parents such as me. Back to the subject of UDMD, I was sad to see that even though they were adamant about not allowing random people to invade the art area, they DID have Gutter Guard, Bath Fitter and several others like that. I am glad I did not do it this year. We came home, napped or rested and headed out to my parents' house for dinner.

We've had my niece, Brittany, and her boyfriend, Matt, in town from Louisiana this weekend, so we had dinner with them on Saturday! Lots of fun time sitting around talking and shopping at The Avenue's Ulta and being there when she got the call saying that she was hired for a position that she wanted! Great times. We're sad that they are going home tomorrow.

Tomorrow both of my girls go to the dentist for their cleanings! Pray for no cavities again this time!

Lake time!

2009-07-07T10:27:00.006-05:00

Our July 4th weekend was off the hook. We were quite busy! Part of the weekend was spent on Tims Ford. We took lots of pictures and I'm posting just a few of my favorites.

Ready to hit the water...

Aunt Dinky and Lola swimming at the dock...

Drake and Phil showing us their guns...

All four kids hanging out up front...

Miles and Lola in one of my favorite shots of the day!

Wow!

2009-07-04T23:29:00.002-05:00

We are all devastated that Steve McNair was found shot to death in Nastyville today! I can not believe it. He was one of the good guys. He had one little ordeal once, but he wasn't in the cops for serious crimes like some NFL players, and he was a country black dude. He was so likable! We're gonna miss him around here. It will be very interesting to follow the case as it unfolds, though I sure wish he hadn't been killed.

Who heard me??

2009-07-01T01:20:00.002-05:00

I was on WGNS to speak about the Child Advocacy Center and the Duck Derby today! It was so much fun! I think I'm addicted to being a spokesperson now!

Don't forget...
July 18th
Family fun fest at noon, drucks race at 4:34 PM
Sportsman's Lodge on Medical Center Parkway

Adopt your ducks at local businesses or

at www.duckrace.com/murfreesboro !

Irons in the fire OR Why some people think it's their place to comment on my obligations

2009-07-01T00:47:00.007-05:00

If you know me, you are aware that on top of being Momma to Miles and Lola and a wife to Phil, I am a Chi Omega Alum, a Junior League member, a member of the MOPS steering team at Belle Aire and on the planning team for the Child Advocacy Center's upcoming Duck Derby.

Not that long ago, someone commented to me (unsolicited, of course) that I had too many irons in the fire. Are there times when I just wish I could stay at home instead of attend a meeting? Of course. Would I miss all of those groups if I stopped my involvement tomorrow? Absolutely. I would be crushed. I would feel less fulfilled.

On a daily basis, I see the benefits of staying at home and volunteering. I am there to give my girls the encouragement they need but also sculpt their ideas about what is acceptable behavior or what it means to be well rounded. I dance with them, I sing for them and I paint with them. I take them to the library, the zoo or to play with friends. I am able to do all this while maintaining my other commitments at night.

I believe that my children are heavily influenced by seeing me work for these groups as a volunteer. In fact, Miles is already showing so many signs of a perfect little public servant. She is on fire with the notion of doing good for others! Just take a minute to process that. My daughter, at less than six years old, expresses interest in volunteering. She wants to be like me...and I specifically make it a point to set an example through voluntarism. Now how can that be a bad thing?

I know that I do not have too many irons in the fire, and quite bluntly, I think my opinion on that little fact matters more than anyone else's.

I want to love you, P.Y.T., Pretty Young Thing...OR Remember the time?

2009-06-25T18:49:00.010-05:00

Seeing the news of Michael Jackson's death is so unexpected. Watching the coverage, I just get more and more sentimental and sad.

I will never forget the day that we woke up to the news that MJ's hair had caught on fire as he filmed a Pepsi commercial. We were driving to Mississippi to visit some of my parents' friends and it came on the radio. Plus Dinky got the Thriller LP for Christmas the year it came out and we spent hours looking at the big fold out picture of Michael holding the tiger cub. We were caught up in how bizarre his wrist looked. If you lived it then you know what I mean because it was impossible not to notice how his wrist had two tendons or veins or something that popped out really far.

When I heard "We are the World" tonight, I thought about a night in 1983-ish when I stood out in the yard at dusk and processed the fact that if Michael Jackson might happen gaze at the moon right then, we would be looking at the the same thing at the same time. It was a pathetic! I was a huge fan. We bought the teeny bopper magazines to read all about him and we watched The Wiz when it came on tv.

We had a 2 story playhouse with a balcony. We would pull the trampoline over beneath the balcony, turn on the little tape deck of songs, including MJ's biggest hits, recorded from the radio and perform a concert and then do trick-like flips off the balcony. My dad would drag the trampoline away but then we'd get some friends together and bring it right back across the yard while he was at work. One time Dinky landed on the springs on her back but otherwise no one ever got seriously injured. He finally gave up. P.S. Our playhouse had a working bathroom upstairs.

We sat stunned when the video for Bad debuted and he was so light and barely had a nose compared to his natural, original features. We followed his career and wondered what in the world had happened to him but we never quit loving his music. His moves still look the smoothest.

I will always remember Michael Jackson fondly. May his glove always sparkle more than any disco ball. I always held out hope that I would see him in person.

Do you ever have those moments?

2009-06-24T03:27:00.013-05:00

Do you ever have morbid thoughts about yourself now that you're a mom? I know I do. Not morbid thoughts in the sense of graphic info, but morbid thoughts like how you'd like to be remembered should something tragic happen to you? As bizarre as it might sound to some people, I really think those thoughts are necessary when I have two little girls who would be left in this world without me.

I do know that I would want to be cremated, and that I would want certain music played at my services. I am a funny person, and I would automatically want some music to crack people up. I would want some Elvis singing southern gospel music mixed with some baptist hymns that were my favorites growing up, like Victory in Jesus, Because He Lives, Old Rugged Cross and so on played. I can't forget to include The Brown's 'Three Bells'. (All the chapel bells were ringing...) That last one if from the 50's or 60's if you don't recall it.

The hymns are important to me because those were my favorite church songs at Pine Grove when I was little. The Elvis is because I think people that know me would immediately realize that I picked those to be hilarious. Seriously, in this day and age, doesn't it crack you up to hear Elvis sing Amazing Grace?!?! It would be flamboyant, just like me!

I wonder if other people think the same way I do?

Furthermore, I would hope that my husband found love again...and as crazy as this sounds, I would like for it to be with one of my friends! Yes! I said one of my friends. Why, you might ask? Well, because any friend would not come in and try to replace me. She would also value my children more than a stranger would as a step-mom. Plus, I know my friends. I choose my friends wisely. I do not choose fake, childish people as my true friends.

I am well aware that I might get some comments telling me that I've lost my mind, but just think about it. The more you consider it, the more sense it makes.

I would want my girls to know just how much they fulfilled my life, and for Phillip to know just how much I respect him. He works so hard for our family. I am able to stay at home and take care of Miles and Lola because he gets up everyday and commutes to Nashville. Nothing has ever made me happier than to see a smile on my girls' faces or to hear how much they look up to me. They fulfill me in every way.

Though I might complain sometimes, I would never, ever trust a stranger to take care of them as well as I do.

I would want my girls to grow up to be Chi Omegas and Junior League members, since both of these organizations mean so much to me. The truth is, I make a difference in our community, even if I am normally humble about mentioning it. I volunteer for my community on a regular basis!

I would like to see them each marry a Sigma Chi or a Kappa Alpha. Silly, but it is just a part of me. I would want my girls to group up under the wings of Miss Mandy Cany Kelly, Missi and Julie and Leigh Ann, who could share old stories about me as they grow up. I would want them to look for a husband like their daddy or Brent Campbell or John Trail.

Don't be alarmed; I plan to live a long, happy life! I don't mean to sound like I expect to meet my maker any time soon. I just think that these subjects are important and I'm not a shy person. I don't mind sharing my strange thoughts; I just hope you all understand where I'm coming from as a momma.

How Miles was injured OR Broken bones are cool to kids!

2009-06-18T23:59:00.006-05:00

So much has happened in the past week. I haven't even thought about blogging about it all yet, but here I am tonight.

On Monday evening, the girls got restless around 4. Since Phillip wouldn't be home until 6, I decided to head over to the park with them. After all, we literally live within blocks of a fantastic block and my girls are at an age where I can watch them play without having to actually be on the equipment making sure that they don't fall and hurt themselves, right? Ha! Yeah, right!

We got there and set our things down and before anytime at all, Miles had befriended two little boys. They began to run wild on the playground and the grassy area just behind it. As the little group of new found friends ran back to the play area, Lola lagged behind. I yelled out to Miles to wait for Sissy. Then, in slow motion, I saw the whole thing.

She continued to run but looked over her left shoulder to check on Lo. Just as she looked forward again, she began to tumble. Feet left the ground, and her little body catapulted forward, coming down first on her right elbow and then on top of her forearm. She immediately started screaming in a piercing way. The boys' father asked if she was ok from across the playground, and I yelled back that I was about to find out and smiled.

When I got to her, she was screaming bloody murder that she needed to get home. Now any parent knows that a child asking to leave the playground must really be hurt. Her arm bent back and forth just fine, but I wondered if it might be really injured.

That night, she woke up crying in pain and it was far more swollen. I almost took her to the ER, but she calmed down and went to sleep. First thing Tuesday a.m., we made an appointment to see her pediatrician. Sure enough, her arm is broken! Even the smallest air cast, size xxs, was too big for her sweet little arm, so we have a partial cast and a fancy ace-type bandage over that.

She's hanging in there better than most adults, and hopefully, she will be done with this completely in less than three weeks. Please pray for my Milesy girl. This is her first real injury in life.

Voluntarism must run in the genes...

2009-06-14T21:55:00.001-05:00

I am just so tickled to report that this morning, when the preacher asked for volunteers to provide food for VBS, without any prompting or discussion, Miles hurriedly raised her hand high into the air to bring sandwiches!!! How sweet is that?!

Summertime in the city

2009-06-10T11:53:00.004-05:00

Thus far, we've spent our summer days roaming around the zoo, splashing at a water park, going to the neighborhood playground, exploring and creating at the Discovery Center, visiting Mrs. Mandy and Mr. Neil's to sit around a campfire and look at the stars and going to the library. We managed to get out of the house more regularly and the kids are exhausted by bedtime! Yes! We've tried to catch fireflies and we've had a picnic underneath a big shade tree on the lush green grass. We've had Push Ups and fresh watermelon. We've picked flowers and investigated butterflies. This summer in the city is turning out quite well.

We're in the process of sorting through our clothes for Goodwill and decluttering as much as possible. Hopefully, we'll be able to sell our house soon and figure out where we go from here. I am not worried about it all. We just want a place with a bigger yard. I am not sure if we'll rent or buy. We are not even remotely interested in buying a place on the same day we sell this place, as we got burned by that three years ago. Considering that the economy is far worse now than it was in 2006, the risk isn't worth it.

We are just going with the flow. Phillip has to touch up the trim and I need to repaint an area over Miles' bed. When we have this joint sold, as in papers signed and closing behind us, then we will make a final decision. If that means that we have to stay at my parents house for a month, so be it. I will just be happy to have a nice big yard again. I miss my old house, though I don't miss the immediate neighbors to the right OR the neighborhood, as it has gone to pot. I just miss the ability to play out back with the girls. And they want a trampoline so much, and perhaps Santa can bring it this year if we actually have a yard to put it in.

callin' Old Navy out

2009-06-04T22:02:00.001-05:00

Can I just take a minute to call out the buyers for Old Navy? I went into our local store tonight. It is a nice large location that should have plenty of merch. No! It did not. They had a grand total (I counted) of 16 dresses of various styles in stock. On top of that throughout the entire women's' department, they hardly had anything in sizes beyond small and medium. Now let me tell you, this hot momma is not a small or a medium. So you know what Old Navy? You can just kiss my grits.

I've come to a conclusion...

2009-05-30T12:31:00.002-05:00

I do believe that I'm dehydrated. My husband diagnosed it last night, and I feel confident that he's correct. I've been sick with allergies, and according to Phillip, the medicines that I was taking can cause dehydration. It makes perfect sense. Yesterday afternoon, I suffered through the most God-awful migraine I've had in years, and at Kroger, I really thought I might puke right there in the first frozen food aisle if I didn't get out of there ASAP. I didn't process my ailment as a lack of hydration until he mentioned it...but all signs point to a positive on this. UGH. I really don't feel like drowning in Gatorade.

Sorry!

2009-05-28T23:50:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay in a new post. I am feeling very unmotivated...suffering from a bit of blogger's block. HA! Maybe I've coined a new term!

Our first time to host a sleepover

2009-05-25T23:39:00.014-05:00

I said it before but I'll say it again. Memorial Day weekend has been fantastic this year!

Tonight we're hosting out first sleepover ever. Miles and Lola's cousin Josh is in town from another state, and we bargained with the girls that if they got *their room cleaned up, they could invite him to spend the night. Luckily for them, their momma (aka me) really loves them and really despises the mess that they'd made, so they had some help. Okay, a lot of help. Then again, they are 5 and 3! They did chip in! In the end, his mom (aka my sister) said yes and he accepted our invitation.

Josh and Miles

First on the agenda was playing some Wii with a little snack of popcorn! Josh really showed us his skill when he jumped right into Uncle Phil's (aka my husband's) Star Wars Lego game. Later, they played Connect Four, Bingo AND Operation. Now they are watching Wally. Bless Lola's heart, she fell asleep on the couch and missed the later festivities.

Miles is really grown up, too! She is quite the hostess. Right now she is arranging for them to sleep in sleeping bags but on her bed. I just had to run up and help her get her mouthwash open! That child has the best dental hygiene this side of the Mississippi. I think I may have a future dentist on my hands, though she has narrowed her ambitions down to the following possibilities, in all seriousness:

Scientist
Veterinarian
Magician
Doctor
Artist
Trapeze artist
Astronaut

Earlier, Josh very sweetly told Phillip that he'd probably stay up until 1 or so, which made Uncle Phillip smile. I know Phil enjoyed showing Josh how to play a particular Wii racing game, too. We only see him once or twice a year, so that's pretty priceless. Josh is polite and agreeable. He calls me Aunt Dusty even though I would respond to just Dusty. He worried that he forgot his toothbrush until I assured him that skipping just one night would be okay considering the circumstances. It is an absolute pleasure to have him over for the night.

Blog highpoints

2009-05-25T13:06:00.007-05:00

I certainly plan on blogging this week but since I might have a few new readers, I want to share some of my personal favorites in the history of my blog. Feel free to read back as far as you'd like, but if you don't have time for that, you might learn more about me and my blog through these specific posts, ranging from very recent to the very beginning...

The Podium

2009-05-25T01:03:00.002-05:00

If you happen to have ended up on my blog due to my apoointment to The Podium over at Confessions of a Blogaholoic this week, thanks for reading. I'm a stay-at-home mom to two girls, Miles and Lola, an artist and a wife. I blog because I don't have the patience or the time to scrapbook, but I'm a freak when it comes to preserving memories. Welcome to this wildly fantastic life of mine. I hope you enjoy the blog.

It must be a mystery! OR how we celebrated Lola this year....

2009-05-24T22:07:00.003-05:00

How can it be that over three whole years has passed since I held my baby, Lola, for the first time? Was it really just more than three years ago that I sat in Outback, trying to eat a good dinner before a c-section scheduled for the next day, and tried to ignore my contractions? That just blows my mind. Lately, Lola likes to walk around the house and announce that certain things just must be a mystery. I'm so glad my baby likes Scooby Doo just as much as I did.

That precious, cheeky baby came into our world on May 18, 2006. We are so proud of our big girl these days, but it sure is bittersweet to see another year pass. Of course I am happy to be done with Pull Ups. But Lola is a big girl now, and she doesn't need my snuggling as much.

This weekend, we celebrated Lola's third birthday with a party at her Mawmaw and PopPop's house. Her best buddies came out to the country for a day of celebrating. They swung, they ran, they drove the Barbie jeep...

It was such a phenomenal day. Oddly, I felt like it was the best kid's party I've ever thrown. I loved the relaxed atmosphere that my parents' house allowed. We were way out in the country, surrounded by tall trees and green grass. Everyone was very comfortable and we laughed around the dinner table. I just realized that I forgot to tell my friends that the table we gathered around was the same antique wooden table that I grew up eating dinner at everyday.

Jen, Mandy and Shea all made the trek out to good ol' Unionville. Phillip was excited that their husbands came, as well. When it came time for Coen to leave, he cried. It only took a second to come up with a win/win solution. I told Shea and Denton that we'd just bring Coen home in about two hours. They were really worried that he'd have a meltdown, but we insisted and they let him stay. He was perfectly precious...not a problem in the least. In fact, after he took Lola muddin' in the Barbie Jeep, they swung together and then we all gathered around that same old wooden table and shared a perfectly ripened watermelon. Oh, Lord, what a cliche this must sound like!

By the way, when I say Coen took Lola muddin' in the Barbie Jeep, I really just mean he drove her through a mud puddle! Furthermore, those two were a hoot, riding around the yard like two teenagers! I had to yell to Lola to sit down, as she stood up and egged Coen on. Some memories are absolutely made to be remembered until the end of time.

Today was one of those memories. You know, it is funny, but it felt really nice to have those particular people together in one place. We might just have to make a habit of this.

Papaw Joe's not sick anymore

2009-05-15T19:45:00.005-05:00

Last week, Phillip's Papaw Joe passed away. It was an expected passing, but it was still his grandpa. We loaded up and headed to Shreveport, Louisiana, for the services. We got a chance to see his family on both sides, which was nice, and he served as a pall bearer.

At the visitation, Papaw Joe was wearing a pin on his suit that said "Official Hug Inspector". He was a greeter at his church and he was so loved that they gave him this pin sometime ago. At the funeral, several men spoke about his strong faith and his positive attitude towards life in general. Everyone seemed to speak so highly of his character. The truth of the matter is that Papaw Joe was very sick, so I'm pretty sure he's happy to be dancing with Jesus right now.

Papaw Joe was born in 1928. He served his country proudly, retiring from the US Air force, though he did not want a military burial. He was funny and loving though I've been told that he could be stern when discipline was needed. He was a daddy and a pawpaw and a great grandpa, too. He was a good person, and he will be missed. His wife, Phillip's grandmother, Mamaw Bobbie, passed away in 2006.

The last time I talked to Papaw Joe, he could not hear me worth a dang. Finally, he nicely but abruptly told me that his ride was there for Wednesday night church and he had to go.

I'm still glad I called.

Announcing...

2009-05-05T15:05:00.002-05:00

If you're a regular reader of my blog, or if I'm linked to your blog, well...take notice! You might want to snazz up your bloggie-blog a little in the next week or so. I will be on the podium over at Confessions of a Blogaholic for the week of the 25th!!

Funkin' out in every way

2009-05-01T11:39:00.009-05:00

I like a plethora of old tunes. I even enjoy a good punk show in person, though I prefer something that makes you want to dance or some classic country. Give me some Vern Gosdin, some Alabama, some George Jones. Give me some Red Hot Chili Peppers, some Phish, some Police, some Conway Twitty. Of course, Casey would shoot me if I forgot to include Lorettie. Give me some classic Dolly, some Duran Duran, even give me some Metallica. Hit me up with some Jay-Z, some Dr. Dre, some Ice Cube, some Tupac. Just make sure there's some funk in there somewhere.

I don't know when my adoration of funk music began. Based on what I see in my children, perhaps I've always liked that deep-down desire to move my booty to the beats, horns and percussion of funk. Miles and Lola both openly 'wiggle' to the beat. Maybe I was the same way. I don't recall.

I do clearly remember just how much I loved "Fantastic Voyage" by Coolio in the spring of 1994. I've always loved Atomic Dog by George Clinton and Fame by David Bowie. I just love the funk. Phillip and I saw Parliament at 328 in 1999 and it was a phenomenal show, as expected. (Phillip has seen them five times.)

Now I wouldn't classify funk as my favorite genre...more like my favorite genre to funk out to, which seems pretty redundant. On the flip side, there is virtually nothing that can beat a live band with horns playing classic 60's hits like Mustang Sally and Stand by Me. Then again, most of these bands play a fair amount of funk in their setlists. Generally speaking, I'd have a hard time declaring a particular genre as my favorite.

I count Fleetwood Mac as part of my short list for the very best bands of all time. How could you ignore Gypsy, Landslide, Don't Stop, Silver Springs...just to name four hits for the band? Stevie Nicks even inspired the bridesmaids dresses for my wedding.

Furthermore, I do believe that Dan Fogelberg's Same Old Lang Syne is one of the greatest musical compositions in history. Go ahead. Laugh. That song gets to me. Every. Single. Time.

In regards to music and memories, well classic country wins that category, hands down. Nothing can take me straight back to childhood quicker than some of the country music that my mom or dad loved. Granted, certain songs from 80's pop and rock can do the trick, but 'This ain't my first rodeo' by the late, great Vern Gosdin, is pretty hard to beat.

Down by the Creekbank

2009-04-29T20:20:00.006-05:00

When I was a little girl, we lived out in the country. Often times, we'd get a little opportunity to take a dip in a creek. My mom and dad would sometimes wake us up on a Saturday morning to head to Mississippi to visit Bill, a friend of my dad's from the Air Force or LSU or both, I can't quite remember. Anyway, on these day trips, my dad would spot a beautiful landscape and pull over. We'd pile out of ol' Bonnie and go exploring. Sometimes the location was an old abandoned home stake. Other times, we'd pick up tiny rocks from an ankle-deep riverbed. We always had a ball.

On Sunday, I got a chance to pass this memory on down the line to my kids. It made me so happy to wade in that creek with those girls. Miles found a nice flat piece of rock and quickly announced that she wanted to take it home and paint on it to remember that creek. She also launched into a full on sermon about how God made the creek, the rocks, the beautiful sunshine, all of it. God and Jesus are bigger than all of us and the whole universe, she explained.

We splashed around, watching the tiny minnow dash past our toes. Phillip got downright soaked when he slipped on a large rock and landed on his behind! Miles and Lola were adamant that they needed to take a bath in the creek and stripped down to their skivvies. It was freezing cold, mountain spring water, but they were in hog heaven.

So my question is why, with my children in hog heaven, did I find myself having my very own little pity party last night? Somehow, I managed to get caught up in the material things that I want versus the material things that I have. Granted, I am able to stay at home with my children and I have a reliable car. I can pay my bills and I have a sturdy roof over my head. I am involved in my community and help make a difference on a regular basis. However, I found myself dwelling on the fact that the things that I have at 33 are not as nice as the things that I had at 25.

At 25, my husband and I were just married. We bought a two story house on a big lot and I drove a newish Volvo wagon. We traveled on the regular and we had money for things that we wanted. Unfortunately, my neighbors were not ideal, and in 2006, we decided to sell our house. We bought a townhouse to live in with the hopes that we would be able to keep it as an investment property when we built a new house the following year.

As life usually does about this time, we caught a curve ball or three! The market fell out from under everyone, the economy tanked and our ability to build that dream house plummeted from reality...fast, unless we wanted to take the chance of spending a bunch of money with a scary trend in employment. Time slipped away, and before we knew it, we've now been stuck in this townhouse for over two years. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a cave or a dungeon. My husband loves that fact that all of the outside maintenance is taken care of. It isn't tiny. It is convenient to shopping and an outstanding city park.

But it isn't my old house, and my Vibe, well it doesn't quite ride like that Volvo did. I don't have an over-sized seat to envelop me. I don't have a larger house with plenty of closets and a two car garage and a luscious, green lawn. So I dwell. I dwell on the fact that I've found beautiful, high-end houses that are 3000 square feet and in a nice neighborhood with a pool for $220,000. I dwell on the way the people respected me on the road a heck of a lot more in that tank versus my current wagon. I dwell on the way we used to have parties or cookouts regularly, but now, I don't have room and my house can't stay clean enough for hosting friends due to lack of storage space (and two little helpers). Plain and simple, I loved it at first; after two years and 5 months, I'm over it.

Admittedly, we've had a few unfair events since 2006. An insurance snafu cost us $4000 out of pocket when Lola was born. Our buyers for our house insisted that we move out two days before closing, so we paid movers $1300 to move us. The buyers then backed out three hours before closing, so we also paid for two homes for six months. Our final sales price profited us only 1/3 of the original selling price six months earlier. Some units here have gone into foreclosure, and there are currently two units for sale at less than $90,000. That's a huge loss for us. We can't compete with those already for sale at that price. Thus we're stuck. Stuck in this cave, in my own personal dungeon.

The pity party finally came to an end later last night and I reminded myself that I do have Miles and I do have Lola and I do have Phillip. I have a partner that was absolutely made for me. My children look like us, they act like us, they make us laugh to no end. They're both smart and artsy. I am very blessed. I would love to have a new house again, but right now, I get to stay at home with my kids and mold who they will be. If at five and three years old, they already show polite, smart and artistic characteristics, I must be doing something very, very right. I think I'll keep things the way they are for now.

Just for clarification, though, I won't turn down a bonus room, or a third row seating SUV, if you have one to give me!

Busy days behind us...

2009-04-27T22:15:00.004-05:00

Wow. This weekend has been phenomenal, eventful and exhausting, all at the same time.

Thursday started the madness when I took the girls to the zoo by myself. We met the Hokanson's there! It was too much fun.

Miles had a blast on the zebra!

Later, we spent Friday night at the MOPS and Pops dinner. Delicious food and good friends...

Saturday, the girls went to spend the night with Memaw. Phillip and I went out for a while. On Sunday, we went to Cannon County to see our friends, Mandy and Neil. We waded in the creek and Mrs. Mandy made homemade pizza. Monday has been beautiful. Miles and I ran a bunch of errands while Lola stayed at home with Daddy. (He took today off.) Later we did art on the patio, as Miles painted on a flat rock from the creek yesterday. It was a memorable weekend!

So long, Dor'thy. We're gonna miss you while you're gone.

2009-04-25T15:07:00.003-05:00

Bea Authur has passed away. I'm speechless. We're truly gonna miss our Golden Girl Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak! I have to add more later. Here is a link to a funny YouTube video featuring Dorothy, Sophia and Rose.

Bunco!

2009-04-21T21:29:00.003-05:00

Tonight I played Bunco as a sub for my friend, Penny's, Savannah Ridge group. It was a lot of fun! I even got three Buncos! One nice thing is that it was literally about three minutes from home. That made it a lot easier to be there. I;ve played before, but it was further from home and I never got into the swing of it. Also, that group's play night contradicted with my Junior league meetings, so I had to drop out.

Red dye #40 looks just about the same before or after comsumption...OR why I need several extra sets of sheets these days.

2009-04-20T14:20:00.011-05:00

Oh dear Lord. No one in my family ever has any allergies to foods. How did I end up with a kid who can't handle too much milk and has a zero tolerance for liquid forms of red dye 40?

To backtrack a little, when Lola was a baby she had a random issue with projectile vomiting after taking her bottle. It wasn't frequent enough to identify a milk allergy, and the soy formula made it worse. Once she switched to traditional milk, we noticed that a cup of milk could make her violently ill several hours later. It wasn't immediate, but based on the 'evidence', you could see that she had not digested anything properly since she'd had the cup of milk. We eliminated milk from her diet without a problem, per Dr. Castleberry's approval. Dr. Castleberry was also somewhat happy to see parents that weren't worried about keeping milk on her menu. We make sure she gets plenty of juice or water and she is just fine. Healthy as can be! To quote my brother-in-law John, she might be nuttier than a squirrel's turd sometimes, but she's healthy.

The nutty one is on the right.

Other forms of dairy don't bother her. She can even eat a bowl of cereal in milk without issue. She loves string cheese, too! But give her a cup of straight milk and you can bet that you'll be in there changing the sheets on her bed and giving her a bath at 1:00 am.

Fast forward to 2009 and we noticed a bizarre reaction to Hawaiian Punch and such. It was very easy to pinpoint because we rarely, rarely buy HP. However, both times that I did buy it, she puked red everywhere within minutes! We made it a point to tell everyone to please make sure that she was not drinking any artificial red drinks. We noticed it is other brands, too, as long as it is the thick red color.

The other night, we took the kids to play at the mall's play area and let them get an Icee. It never crossed my mind as I ordered both girls a cherry Icee. Big mistake. We were barely home when she said she didn't feel good, belched tremendously for a three year old and then let that Icee fly. Last week, she reacted similarly after eating a hot dog at a cookout. I am assuming it may have been one of those hot dogs that is intentionally more red than regular old hot dogs, but I can't be sure.

The point is, there is clearly a common thing making her sick...and it is red dye #40. She doesn't have the behavioral issues that I've seen on some sites but the upset stomach is just too predictable to deny the connection. She has her little three year check up in May, and we have to remember to tell Dr. C all about this!

An interesting thing, though, is that she is perfectly fine (with exception to the hot dog that one time) with the dye in food products. She has no reaction to fruit snacks, chips, etc., that contain the dye.

Back around to the point, how in the world did I end up with a child who has an allergy to dye that most people don't have? A picky eater, I would have expected. I'm about as picky as a person can be, and I would have to admit that she gets it honest! But an allergic child? Never dreamed it was possible.

Please pray that baby Lo doesn't accidentally ingest anymore liquid red dye #40!

TG&Y was the bomb...OR...how I spent part of my childhood flying to Denham Springs in a Bonneville

2009-04-19T20:24:00.021-05:00

I've noticed lately that I have a blog reader or two in Denham Springs, Louisiana. The funny thing is, a 1980's version of Denham Springs is a place that I am quite familiar with. I've never lived in Denham, but I have lived in Bayou Barbary, about 25 minutes away. My mom would sometimes decide that we needed to go to town after school, and off to Denham we'd go. Drive through the Hardees right there on the main drag by Popeye's Chicken and then to modeling, TG&Y, whatevs. We were rolling with the flow in the back seat of the ol' Bonnie. That Pontiac Bonneville was smoooooth. White with a navy blue vinyl top and navy velvety seats!! When my mom got behind the wheel and gave it some juice, man oh man, ol' Bonnie sure could fly.

Furthermore, my dad, the *ever-so-handsome-and-he-knows-it* Dean Felder, is from Denham Springs: he played basketball, was a 4-H officer and was voted most courteous for the class of 1952, which also happens to be one of the classes that had to finish out the year in temporary tents after the old high school burned. *He's not a jerk about it but he does spend way longer than most men fixing that hair.

Proof is in the pictures: My daddy (2nd from the right) with his fellow 4-H officers, 1951 or so

Memories of Denham Springs for me surround trips to Aunt Nell's house, with her little dog Penny yipping around. Uncle John had all of his WWII medals in display cases and we loved to stare at them. If I remember correctly, I think he also had a case of some rattlesnake rattlers. We also went to Denham weekly to take modeling lessons at the American Legion with Ann and Lisa Carpenter. You could do your modeling thing, up there practicing your strut and turns as 'Cool it Now' blasted out of the jam box and then just trot right on over to the snack bar to buy a small bag of an off brand of chips from a veteran! How cool was that? Sometimes after pageants, we would go to the McDonald's near Kmart and the interstate. I also can't forget to wax nostalgic about just how much I loved a trip to the now defunct chain store, TG&Y. Why, TG&Y is where I got my thoroughbred horse stationary in or around 1985, for Christ's sake. Not to mention the day my mom found a cookie jar that looked like a stack of pancakes for Sis (Allyson), who loved pancakes, natch!

Sometimes you were in Denham Springs for a wake or funeral. The funeral home was on that main drag past KMart, and they had those little bitty paper cups with the two-loop handle for coffee. I haven't been in there since before 1986, but if I went in right now, I know I could go to the left and down the hall to find the coffee, except I don't drink coffee. By the way, people in other parts of the country don't call it a 'wake'.

I have lived in Tennessee for over 20 years now, but I still remember. Let me know who you are if you're reading my blog, peoples. I want to know who's stalking me!

Denham Springs 4th grade class, '46-'47
(Daddy is in the 2nd row, all the way to the right)

Welcome to the family, Butch.

2009-04-19T10:13:00.010-05:00

My mother claims that she isn't a dog person. My father admits to loving dogs, but usually claims he 'does not need a dog right now' if offered one.

Last year, my dad got a shelty mix, Lillie. Right up until he got her from a rescue group, Daddy was adamant that he did not want another dog. Lillie is sometimes called Sea Biscuit because of the warp speed at which she can run around the house or yard in circles; she was immediately spoiled with toys and treats.

Their previous, dog, Foxy was hit by a car and found in their driveway on a drizzly October day in 2004. My mom found her. They were late to Miles' first birthday party because he was burying her out at the cabin site. He was recovering from open heart surgery. He felt responsible for her death because his surgery delayed the cabin's completion and she wasn't fenced in out there. It was true devastation to him at that point in time. When they got to the party, you could tell he'd been crying. Open heart surgery is notorious for severe depression during recovery anyway; now he had a dead dog to break his heart even more. But I digress...they did open their hearts again to Lillie last year.

Like any good beauty pageant emcee, I should tell you that Lillie's favorite activities include eating too many Beggin' Strips and chewing on shoes left on the porch. She has a fluffy, shiny, black and tan coat and she can run like the wind but often lays in the sunshine to regain her energy for the next go-round.

At first, my mom claimed to be aggravated by the headache of another dog. She complained about the little things. Then Lillie made an obvious gesture to my mom. She sure did love following Daddy around the farm, but she also showed that her true adoration went to my mom. She is very affectionate when she sees my mom coming into view. I'm sure you can guess how this ends. No! Lillie did not pass away. My mom loves Lillie and can't keep from talking about what a good dog she is!

Fast forward to 2009. I received a picture message on Friday of a precious little dog but no text to tell me about it. I called to ask, expecting it to be a dog that wandered up, with my mom just practicing sending texts with pictures from her phone. Nope! My dad added Butch to the family! Butch is a border collie puppy and he is an absolute doll. My mom and dad both love him! My dad had called to tell my mom that he was bringing home a 'really pretty surprise' and my mom had assumed he'd show up with a new calf. When she pulled into the driveway, there was Daddy, working on the fence with Butch jumping around his feet.

In case you're interested, Lillie and Butch have hit it off just swimmingly. Lillie is larger but they are not dissuaded from playing their little two-chamber hearts out. Oh, and my mom has taken to Butch right away. In fact, she's the one that named him Butch.

Just sittin' on the backsteps of Mawmaw's house: Here you see Lola and Miles meeting Butch, or Butchie, as Lola calls him.

Back in the day when I was young...

2009-04-18T22:52:00.001-05:00

Sometimes having kids makes you remember the small things that mattered growing up. Of course, just exactly which memories you have would depend on the decade, but for me, childhood memories that float to the surface include:

making homemade ice cream in the cylinder thing with rock salt, ice and the loud grinding sound
playing ghost in the graveyard or swinging statues with my sister and cousins
hosting slumber parties on a regular basis for a large crowd of girls
jumping on the trampoline
spending all day long at the King George pool
shooting hoops and playing a round of horse at home
Playing with our Glamour Gals
Watching The Little's, The Smurfs, Gilligan's Island reruns and the like
Friday Night Videos on the 13", turn-dial, black and white tv in our bedroom

When you read my list, you might notice that I've left off something that most people would have included right away. I have no reference at all to grandparents. As the youngest child of older parents, all of my grandparents had died by the time I was four years old. In all fairness, I did have a step grandmother, but it wasn't the same at all, as my mom's dad had died several years before I was even born.

I do not have the fond memories that other people have of spending the night at Mawmaw's house, Papa taking them fishing, helping them in a garden or so on. I can always remember other people talking about what they did with their grandparents that weekend or over the summer. It was never an issue while I was growing up. It just was what it was, if you may.

Now that I am Momma to Miles, 5, and Lola, nearly 3, I am extraordinarily thankful for the time that they get to spend with Mawmaw, PopPop, Memaw and Papaw. They have completely different experiences at the two places. My parents live on a farm in the country. (They haven't always lived there. In fact, as late as when Miles was born, they simply owned the land and planned to build a 'cabin' there.) Now they have gardens, occasional animals, two dogs (Lillie and Butch) and eight acres. On the other hand, Phillip's mom and dad live in a bustling area of Franklin. Their house is part of a retirement community, and though large, does not include a yard for ripping and running. It doesn't matter which set of parents they go to visit. Both spoil them just like a grandparent should.

It's Friday...

2009-04-17T21:08:00.004-05:00

Today: late for MOPS, lunched at home, napped, played at the park, time outs at Kroger meant being forced to ride in the buggy, grilled out, mini ice cream sammies for the girls, made no bake cookies, bath time meant washing their feet off with a warm washcloth before they even got in the tub b/c their feet were just that filthy, bedtime included numerous knock-knock jokes and many versions of "I see stripes, I see stars, I see __________'s dirty drawers"or "I see stripes, I see stars, I see ___________'s not wearing drawers". (My dad made the mistake of saying this is something they used to say when he was a little boy in the 1930's or early 1940's.)

TESTING! TESTING!

2009-04-17T20:22:00.001-05:00

Is this thing on? I am attempting to upload a blog posting.

Rock of Love disappoints...

2009-04-13T11:40:00.002-05:00

I can not begin to explain how disappointed I am in Bret Michaels. Taya?!?! Really? Seriously? I can't believe he picked Taya. She is just nasty. Very dated style. Obnoxious fake, monotone manner of speaking. Just wrong.

more info til later

2009-04-11T13:20:00.003-05:00

OK, My brother-in-law saw two cars in front of him on Medical Center Parkway get completely lifted off the ground and flipped over by the tornado. My mom was at Lowes, my sister was at Electronic Express, my dad was in Shelbyville and we were home. At one point I could hear it so loudly over behind Savannah Ridge. That must be when it hit Bradyville. It sounded like continuous thunder, though you could telling it was really whipping winds and then I heard the 'freight train whistle' several times. It was horrific to hear. I felt a momentary panic, trying to overwhelm me, but we were fine. Will blog more later.

Tornadoes

2009-04-11T10:45:00.002-05:00

I had planned to blog about yesterday's damage. I will, but I don't have time right now. Thus I will keep it brief. For a glimpse at the reality of it, visit my friend Sarah's blog entry about the damage. Her parents' house was destroyed. Additionally, the two lost lives were the wife and new baby of a friend from college, John Bryant. Please pray for his family and for his recovery, as he is still in ICU.

More later...

Chunks

2009-04-10T10:08:00.002-05:00

Lola has just thrown up for the 6th or so time since 1:00 AM. We were still awake at 6 AM. Run out of the bed at 9:30 due to more vomit. I'm running out of sheets and pillows. Ahhhhh!

Last week

2009-04-10T00:48:00.003-05:00

I have never had a chance to explain last week. Ugh. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Phillip got deathly ill on Sunday night, couldn't really be out of the office because the only other person that could do his job was on vacation, went to work, came home, suffered through Tuesday and Wednesday at work, went to the doctor on Thursday and then on to work, stayed home sick Friday. *exhale* Plus the kids were in rare form because Daddy was basically MIA sick in the bed non-stop when he was home.

On Tuesday, I had a MOPS steering meeting. On Wednesday, I took Lola to the doctor for an infection on the skin behind her right ear. Then Friday, I had a regular MOPS meeting. On Saturday, I had a Junior League retreat and later, an Easter egg hunt at Shea's.

I really think I should just not look back on it again.

Site changes

2009-04-10T00:36:00.005-05:00

So tonight I did something that I've been debating since October. I changed my website. The dilemma involved came to fruition when I had my hard drive replaced in the fall. My hp laptop #2 crashed. Somehow, only a portion of my files were lost. Sounds great...except the missing items included my 'checkbook register', my files for my site and some priceless pictures (Walt Disney World and more!)

Phillip has worked on a new site for me using more professional programs like GoLive, but he hasn't been able to prioritize finishing it lately, as he's been doing a lot of ads for a specific company. My new site is not finished, but the website has been outdated since late fall. I can't make quick changes and re upload the ftp. I lost the files. This means that I had to decide whether to leave the outdated site up, or to upload a new, simplistic site for use until Phillip finishes mine. I finally went with uploading a new, simplistic site for temporary use.

Though it isn't as visual as my previous version, it includes all of the same info, but with new photographs of current merchandise for the Spring/Summer 20009 season. I decided that it was worth to me to show my new work than to have the older site with all of the styling, just until my new one is done. I have seen a preview of the redesign and I absolutely love it! I can't wait to see the finished product.

If you've never been to http://www.brownbagstudio.com/ or http://www.dustybrown.net/, check it out.

Feather hair accesories...

2009-04-09T22:40:00.003-05:00

Handmade by me

$12

(SOLD)

Sorry

2009-03-31T23:24:00.002-05:00

I haven't been blogging lately. I am too busy. Phillip is very sick right now, and the kids have been more needy since last week, for some odd reason. I'm exhausted but I'll blog again very soon.

Break out the car magnet, bust out the bumper stickers...

2009-03-19T10:45:00.004-05:00

My baby's going to McFadden School of Excellence, a Murfreesboro magnet school. We got the call yesterday. Yippee! She was so proud. I had her call both sets of grandparents and her daddy at work to tell him and it was hilarious. She was very adamant that she should start today. I had a hard time convincing her that she won't start til August. :) She can't wait. She already has it all planned out to see her cousin, Skylar, in the cafeteria everyday. We'll see if it works out that way.

Miles' first wobbly tooth

2009-03-12T14:07:00.004-05:00

Before:

After:

The tooth fairy left $5 under Miles' pillow. Miles used that $5 to buy a $20 Hungry Hippo game. Ha! Lola got a really neat, vintage looking jack-in-the-box for being such a big girl who never, ever needs Pull Ups anymore!

More time at the park

2009-03-06T00:44:00.006-06:00

Today I took the girls to the park. We had some drama at first, because two little boys decided to be bullies. First the pushed Miles down and then they kept hitting her intentionally with a frisby. Finally, they blocked her into a tunnel slide and taunted her. I had to tell them to buzz off and they said I was mean. Later, we had a more postive time because the bullies left. It was a beautiful day and it was made even sweeter when baby Lola came running to me to report that she needed to use the bathroom. We rushed across the playground and she continued her new big girl talent of keeping her big girl panties clean and dry! I'm so proud of her.

My sunshine, Miles... growing up too fast.

Another one of Miles...

Lola had a ball ripping and roaring...not to mention the static electricity!

Lola was pooped out by the end of our visit!

Magnet School

2009-03-06T00:42:00.000-06:00

Miles met the criteria for McFadden School of Excellence, a magnet school, but was placed on the waiting list due to the number of siblings above her on the list. Siblings get first priority. There are 40 spots for kindergarten. Other schools have 12 to 14 kindergarten classes but McFadden only has two. We are not too worried. She’s number 14 on the waiting list, so I am confident that she will make it into the program. If 14 people turn down their spots, she gets in. Last year, the entire waiting list got the opportunity to go there b/c people accept other magnet school offers or choose public schools closer to home, etc.

We are so proud of her for meeting the criteria and I know that whatever is meant to be will be. If she doesn't get a spot, Barfield is where she was meant to go!

Creative writing 101

2009-03-05T01:51:00.003-06:00

I have to find a way to organize my thoughts enough to create a novel. I don't think there is anything in this creative world that could make me as proud as publishing a well liked novel. I know I'm capable of the creative writing and the vivid imagination. I study the books that I read and make a mental note of the things that I like about each. I just can't get focused enough to sit down and tap out a true outline and then a novel. I'm fairly frustrated with myself tonight.

I do know that I've certainly decided that I would never want a novel written by me to have a slow start, and that I'd like to write southern fiction. I also know that I'd prefer that my novel be set in another time, and I think this is where I'm running into my writer's block. Perhaps the first step is to do more research on my preferred time frame and gather more knowledge for accuracy in writing.

Another thing that I do know is that one day, I hope you'll walk into a bookstore and see a popular southern fiction novel set somewhere between the 1940's to 1960's with my name on the cover.

On the agenda for Tuesday...

2009-03-03T01:08:00.002-06:00

My girls are soooo happy that Mr. Neil is coming over to hang out with them while Momma goes to her Junior League meeting. They are ready to have so much fun. I wonder how many piggy back rides he'll give them before I get home???

Bittersweet

2009-03-02T14:54:00.003-06:00

I saw this poem on me friend, Jennifer's blog, and I loved it! She attributed it to Ruth Hulburt Hamilton.

Song for a Fifth Child.

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due.
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew.
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo,
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my RooLook!
Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

School bus safety

2009-03-01T22:14:00.005-06:00

Hey, everybody! My family needs a big favor! This is composed by my sister, and I would appreciate it if you could help us out. Note where it points out that having older buses on the road won't save the money they believe it will, due to increased maintenance. I know that some people might say that this is a self serving purpose, but we need your help! I know you would prefer that the school buses carrying your precious cargo remain no older than currently allowed. Last year, the arugment was that all buses needed to add seat belts, but this year, they are saying they can be five years older and still on the road with no seatbelts. It doesn't make a lot of sense. By the way, I already sent an email to all the reps on the list and it took about three minutes.
Dusty Brown

The state legislature is voting Wednesday to extend the time a school bus can be driven to transport children from 15 years to 20 years. The primary reason for the bill is saving money. It is bad legislation because it means older, less safe buses with dirty diesel engines will stay on the road longer. Because of higher maintenance costs on these older buses, school systems won't save as much money as they are expecting to save by passing this bill.

I have listed some state representatives and two samples letters asking them not to vote for this bill. Will you please help us by sending one of the attached letters or something similar to the representatives' emails before Wednesday?

We really appreciate your help! Thanks so much!

Barker, Judy rep.judy.barker@capitol.tn.gov
Brown,Tommie F. rep.tommie.brown@capitol.tn.gov
Dunn, Bill rep.bill.dunn@capitol.tn.gov
Harwell, Beth rep.beth.harwell@capitol.tn.gov
Hawk, David rep.david.hawk@capitol.tn.gov
Hensley, Joey rep.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov
Jones, Ulysses, Jr. rep.ulysses.jones@capitol.tn.gov
Lollar, Ron rep.ron.lollar@capitol.tn.gov
Maddox, Mark L. rep.mark.maddox@capitol.tn.gov
Turner, Larry rep.larry.turner@capitol.tn.gov
Weaver, Terri Lynn rep.terri.lynn.weaver@capitol.tn.gov
Winningham, Les rep.leslie.winningham@capitol.tn.gov

If you need help with what to say, here is a sample:

Dear Representative _____________ -

I am writing to ask that you not support the legislation that will be coming before your House Education Subcommittee next week. Currently there are 8 bills dealing with school bus life extension, and each of them in my opinion is bad legislation.
You are being asked to extend school bus life based on local government’s recent requests. At first glance this certainly seems to make sense that in tough economic times we search out possible ways to save money. However, upon further review of the facts this type of measure could have far reaching negative impacts.
If we allow this type legislation to occur we will be putting our children’s safety and health secondary to revenues. The State of Tennessee has enjoyed a wonderful pupil safety transportation record! Why would we allow poor planning at the local level to impact the safety of our children?
Please do not allow this legislation to pass in its current form.

OR

Dear Representative _____________ ,

It has been brought to my attention that legislation will be coming before your House Education Subcommittee next week. This legislation attempts to extend school bus life from 15 to 20 years. Please know this legislation could have a negative impact on our school age children.
As you are aware, the local, state and national economies are in bad shape. However, this is not a reason to put the safety and health of our children in jeopardy. Extending school bus life from 15 to 20 years jeopardizes a good documented record of pupil transportation in the State of Tennessee.
Please do not allow this legislation to pass in its current form.