NANA NOTES

40 YEARS TODAY

Fourty years ago today I was getting ready for my wedding.  I did not know what I was getting into--neither did Ed.  We were very young and thought we knew what love was.  I asked him this morning if he ever thought we would have made it this long.  And then I said, "of course, because that's what you do!"  He agreed. We haven't always had it right, but we've always had it.  It's better now than it ever has been and I'm glad.  Yes, I would marry him all over again.  Fourty years ago it was young and in love--now it's older and loving each other.  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, PAPA!!

There is no wedding picture to scan [not that I would want you to see it :)--I can't find the book after we moved twelve years ago!!

IN MEMORY OF BJ

It was a sad day at our house today.  Ryan found BJ by the highway.  He's now in the Cotton Branch Pet Cemetery with our other beloved pets that we have lost.

REUNION 2008

The 2008 Southward Reunion is a sweet memory.  For three fast and furious days we had plenty of sunshine, swimming, food and fellowship.  We started Saturday morning with the Great Bude Run.  The picture speaks for itself. Veda and Tom placed in their

age groups.  Leigh and I did not.  We all got door prizes--we even traded with some people to make sure everyone got something neat!!

We stopped by Sam's T-ball game and watched him hit an "in the park" homerun. He had a huge cheering section.   Then it was off to lunch for the hamburger cookout.  Everyone loves it. We had about 50 for lunch and it was awesome.

The midafternoon snack was boiled shrimp and Shara's homemade quacamole [made by Carolyn and Shirlee].  We all have her recipe now!!  If you want 150 jumbo shrimp to disappear fast put them in front of the Southward clan.  That goes for the quac too!!  We love it.

More swimming; some napping; lots of talking--then it's time for dinner.  Shara had made spaghetti sauce and others contributed the other parts for the dinner.  I don't have to say that we ALL enjoyed it and dinner was delicious.

Everyone left pretty quickly after dinner because we were all tired.  Promises of "we'll be here for church in the morning" and good nights were being heard.

Sunday morning Ed and I fixed breakfast for those at the house.  The Southward Clan filled three pews at church and then it was home to a delicious lunch prepared by Janice and Linda.

Good byes were said and pictures were taken.  By 3:00 PM everyone was on the road to home and we're already dreaming of next year.  We're all talking about how we have to loose weight before then--the weight we gained this weekend---oh, what fun we had!!!!!

Click on the "Southward Reunion 2008" picture album to see all the pictures.

 

 

MOVING AT WARP SPEED

Today was a very busy day.  I was up at 6:15 AM and walked three miles.  Then it was off to the grocery and then home to the stove.  I baked four cakes--Chocolate Cream, Blueberry Pound, Cream Cheese Pound, and Brown Sugar Pound.  They all look delicious.  We aren't allowed to cut until Friday when the family starts arriving.  The yard looks good; the pool is ready and the painters are almost finished with the front of the house.  The inside will have to wait until "after the shindig" as they put it.

Linda was cleaning in the laundry room bathroom when she noticed this out the window.  It's a mockingbird nest with three babies in it.  (Maybe you can click on the picture and make it larger so you can actually count them.)  That was Friday when she found them.  Today I looked out there and they are gone.  I am guessing that they have learned to fly and are on their own.  They too are moving at warp speed!

I haven't posted in several days and the "blog people" have added new features.  I really like it.  I'm not taking advantage of all of them tonight (moving at warp speed) but I will soon.

Let me leave you with this scripture:  Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Romans 12: 11-13

 

 

MY CHARIOT TO THE GARDEN TOUR

My college friend Karen came down on Friday to visit for the day.  Our regular Garden Club meeting was a planned garden tour and luncheon at one of the member's homes.  Karen [being newly retired and a new garden club member] was delighted to be involved in this adventure.  This is how we rode to the meeting. She told me she had a red convertible but this thing was gorgeous!  My hair didn't blow at all!! :)

There were ten of us that attended the meeting. [Karen took the picture-#10] Becky and Jim Nix's garden was beautiful--full of color and and statues.  Beverly and Doc have a "green" garden. Beautiful as well--with lots of "yard art".  Melody's garden is a work in progress she says.  Her plans are big (as is her yard) and her time on the property is limited right now.  I see great things coming.  I particularly loved her new potting bench.

Lunch was delicious--salads and dessert brought by the members.  We enjoyed visiting and ended up our year with a fun time.

Karen and I left there and came back to tour Cotton Branch.  She reads my blog and sees the farm pictures.  She wanted to see it for real.  She got the grand tour and then we came back home and talked for hours.  When she got home she emailed me and said it was like we'd never been apart.  The conversation started right where we left off years ago.  I told her that's what a friend means--time doesn't matter.

A little background-we met in college; we don't remember how or why.  She introduced me to my husband and made sure he was going to be good to me.  I was in her wedding.  We had children at the same time.  She had breast cancer.  I had breast cancer.  Her cancer returned.  My cancer returned.  She is active, active, active and really loves God.  See any resemblances there?  I've known her over forty years.

Click on the picture and see what two friends look like in a hot red convertible!  We had fun!!!  Thanks, Karen for coming and spending the day.  It was great.                                              

RAINY DAY SPA

Today was a rainy day at Cotton Branch.  Thank goodness I had scheduled some spa time for Libby and me.  Kate and Debbie came for facials, pedis and massages.  The rain fell and we relaxed--a whole afternoon of talking [or quiet], laughter and fellowship.  It's nice to have two good friends who are wonderful "spa" professionals.  Thanks Deb and Kate! Kate took pictures of Libby [r] and me [l] with our "mud masks".  It really was mud!!

Aah, then on to the feet!

You'll just have to take my word for it on the massages.  Life is good!

TECHNICALLY CHALLENGED!!

Jennifer has "Twitter" on her blog.  It's a cute little sidebar that gives you tidbits of what's going on if you don't have time to do a full blog.  Some folks think it's silly but I personally can keep up with my grandchildren via this method.  I have been trying to set it up on my blog for a while now.  I CANNOT DO IT!  Matt has told me that I am a "techie Nana" and that he is confident that I can do most things on the computer as long as I work at it long enough.  Well-------I am beginning to wonder.  "Twitter" is kicking my #$%^!!  After an hour this morning I am giving "Twitter" to the birds.  I will come back later when my nerves are settled and I am not ready to tear the computer to pieces.  I think I hear the yard calling me.  I am loving planting color!!!

PRICELESS. . .

I received flowers twice this week.  The one on the left is from my sweet niece Abbey.  She went to a festival last year with the school and bought something to drink in the blue bottle. She saved it.  When she read about my bottle tree blowing over and breaking all my beautiful colored bottles she sent me this one.  How sweet is that?!  Her mother put some of the jasmine from our old house in it and brought it to me.  Abbey is also the precious granddaughter who stands in the prayer line at her other grandmother's church to pray for me.

The beautiful bouquet on the right is from my dear sweet husband.  He has been surprising me with lovely flowers off and on since I was diagnosed in February.  They all have been beautiful and had special notes attached.

I'm sure Abbey had to pay for the drink in the bottle.  The jasmine was free. The flowers Ed sent cost as well.  But as the commercial says------------------Flowers---$$$         Delivery---$$$$           Love attached---PRICELESS!!!

UPDATE:   Today was my fourth chemo treatment.  I was blessed to have three friends sit with me for four hours while I received four drips.  Afterwards we went out to lunch and went plant shopping.  Talking nonstop and enjoying each others company was the highlight of my day.

GAME PLAN:  Treatment will change after CAT and PET scans in three weeks.  Depending on what the scans say, we will either do weekly chemo or radiation.  This is the result of a new study that has just come out that shows a much higher survival rate (I'm in favor of that!!!).  I will be taking the Faslodex shot monthly for the rest of my life instead of the Femora pill for five years.  (Same study--same result) The shot is a "kick @#$ shot" that hurts for about three days but I can live with that if it means that I will live longer!!  My life is in the hands of two awesome men--God being the first and Dr. Rod being the second.  God loves me and Dr. Rod eats the cakes that I take to his office. [He doesn't eat sweets!] That's gotta tell you something!

FESTIVAL OF MUSIC GARDEN TOUR

My friend Jimmie Lou invited me to go on the garden tour in Natchez.  I had a shot on Friday morning so that worked out just right.  Rain was threatening but we made it to four homes that morning.

   

The second garden was small and loaded with roses. Everything was neat and groomed and beautiful.  Two gardens actually ran together and were pretty much the same.  The fourth was a very small patio garden that had tons of container plantings.  I loved it!!! She used every inch of space plus some.  I guess my love of "yard art" made me love this garden.

Our first garden was a well groomed lawn with pretty plants that had already bloomed out.  What I really loved was the raised bed vegetable garden that Butch Brown had planted.  He had lettuce, tomatoes, english peas, broccoli, greens, squash, peppers--you name it--all kinds of herbs.  It was beautiful.  We teased him about planting it himself but he promised he did. I love to be there for the harvest.

The rains came after we had lunch with Phil at the Eola with his "lunch bunch".  We rode around to look at some homes and tried to see the last garden but couldn't.  It had huge bronze statues--a family of bears, a lion, and many more.  Maybe we can go back sometime.  There was more history there to whet your appetite for adventure.  Until then, I think I'll plant more pots!!

COUSINS UNITE

For the fourth time in ten years family and friends gathered in the Tishomingo UMC to say goodbye to a family member.  It's a small church with stained glass windows and a fellowship hall that has hosted many dinners for the Southward family.  It's heard the laughter and the tears.  I managed to get this many "cousins" to stand still for a pic after Uncle Hal's funeral. The service was beautiful and I can imagine the reunion going on in heaven.

Shara (third from right in orange) called last night to say that Uncle Joe is in the hospital with complications of diabetes.  He and Uncle Fairless are the only ones left in Mom's family.  Please be in prayer for Uncle Joe as decisions are being made for his care.  Uncle Fairless and Aunt Lonette are planning on coming to the reunion on the 24th. Pray for their health as well.  We look forward to a fun gathering of all the cousins who can be here.