Response to Tags

25 Things About Me:
1. I think I was named after a baby on a radio soap opera show
2. My first pet that I remember was a white dog named Cookie
3. I once watched my mama (the sharp shooter) shoot a rooster's head off when he chased me in the yard
4. I am extremely proud of my daughters
5. I am shy and I don't meet people easily
6. I am not as sweet as I used to be
7. I love the men that my daughters have chosen to be part of their lives
8. I am blessed to have 3 of the most special, precious little grandsons ever
9. I am a reformed nail biter -still bite the cuticles some
10. I have found that I have an inner strength unknown to me for years
11. My mama and daddy have been married for 65 years....to each other!
12. I tend to name my cars and form attachments to them (I still miss my Sassy!)
13. I met Ed on a blind date and fell in love at first sight
14. While I was babysitting my sister Laura when she was an infant she fell off the bed she was sleeping on and I thought she was dead....I think I was 15 years old
15. I love my sisters and my brother - as we get older we seem to grow closer
16. I love shoes and have way too many in my closet
17. The most important job I have held in my life is being a mama and grandmama/insurance agent is my sideline
18. I learned to scuba dive even though I don't swim well
19. I found my oldest daughter's name in Seventeen magazine many years before she was born...Teena Paige was a line of clothes and I loved the name Paige. Ashley was supposed to be Aubrey Danielle but Ed nixed it and she became Ashley Ellen instead
20. My Keys yard is overrun with iguanas......grrrr
21. I love boating, most especially in the Keys and Fort Myers with my kids
22. My goal for 2009 is to exercise more, more, more
23. My cat Oreo snores really loud
24. I value my friends - good girlfriends (including sisters) cannot be replaced
25. I miss Ed every day of my life and I think I always will /he gave me wings

IT HAS BEEN A WEEK!!!

So glad it is today and not last Sunday this time. The nasty little bug I caught managed to hang on for several days after I made I made it back to Clearwater from the Keys. It took until Friday for me to even think about real food. There is a good chance that I will never eat another pretzel or drink Gingerale ever again. I can report that I feel 100% today and have even managed to put away Christmas decorations, clean out closets, clean the apartment and iron some clothes this weekend. Considering I have not been home one weekend for the past 6 weeks the cleaning and laundry was way overdue.

The Gators are National Champions again!!! I can't remember ever seeing a better football game and have never seen a better championship game. The Gators & OU were so evenly matched that it was nip and tuck the whole way. Tim Tebow announced today he will be staying for another year so with that news and not losing anyone off the defense we should have a good team next year.

I missed seeing my kids this weekend. After I spend so much time with them it's hard when I don't see them at least once a week. I feel so fortunate to be able to visit with them so often so I can't complain.

Happy 65th Birtday Eddie. It would have been a good day for you and we would have had a great party. I miss you every day .....

All Good Things Must Come to an End......

We were saddened a couple of days ago to hear that Rob Squires had died. He was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease 5 years ago and had fought the good fight to continue life for as long as he could. My prayers are with his family. I have gone through the sadness of losing a spouse but I can't imagine the heartache of losing a child. I am truly blessed in that I still have both of my parents and all of my siblings. We all loved Rob and will miss him.

My little Sook has engine problems and will probably need a new one....can't see throwing good money after bad. Would rather save up for a new engine that will last me a good long time. My thanks to Kevin for trying so hard to find a solution. Yesterday was not the first time we have had a tow in the Keys but it is the first time for Sook!

Then to top it off, last night Bama lost the Sugar Bowl to Utah. It was as if they did not even prepare for the game. I was so disappointed that they did not make a better showing. At least most of the other SEC teams have won so far. Just South Carolina and Alabama have not. BUMMER!!!

But having said all the above, putting all in perspective, we need to all be thankful for our families every single day that we have them in our lives. Boats can be repaired. There will be other bowl games. But our loved ones just can't be replaced and are forever gone from us except for the memories.

God bless all who read this post and Happy New Year 2009!