The Land of Dixie: 2008-04-27

Friday, May 2, 2008

I hate Monopolies

So for the last 2 days I have been stuck at the beach....oh wow you say what fun...no not fun. I could not leave the house because I had to wait there for a SCEG (electric company)to arrive to move the electric box off the house for 1 day to a temporary pole. This is so that our construction crew can finish the hardy plank siding on that side of the house. Seems simple but NO... there is a lock on the meter so only they can remove it. After 5 times of scheduling and no one showing up, they tell me the order was put in wrong . A supervisor then took over and set it up for Thurs. Of course , they do not give you any time frame, just the day.... they did not show. Several calls and complaints later they rescheduled for Friday.Same situation...did not show. I finally had to leave for other plans and now it is scheduled for Monday. I have not confidence that they will show on Monday but what choice is there??????????? The only electric company in SC sooooo I wait.

The workers at the beach are about 2/3 done on each project so none of it is finished and the old house looks worse than ever as it is all torn up during this process. I have faith though that when it is all done, it will be the best it has been since we owned it. I am anxious to get some downstairs cleanup done and get allllllllllll unwanted junk on the garbage pile. It is unbelievable how much stuff accumulates there !!!

We close on our new house May 23rd. Seems so fast !!!! The move is daunting but I know once we get there and settled in , I will enjoy it. We will have an overlap of buying and selling so that we can move one room at a time.

Our trip to NY was so much fun. We went up there for a wedding. The groom is a friend of Amy's from Clemson and the bride is the daughter of my dear friend, Judy in NY. The two met just as we were moving away from NY to return to SC. This past year has been a whirlwind romance for them and the wedding was wonderful.

It was good to see all of our friends and our NY adopted family while we were there. We stayed with the mother of the bride, Judy.

We do not have any travel plans for summer. In July Jim and Bo will be going to Guatemala with a mission team from our church. My big trips will consist of the 6 miles between the old house and new one and back and forth jaunts to the beach ( about an hour each way).

I just have too much to do for traveling right now. Hopefully, in the fall, I can get away to see my friend, Faye, in Austin , Texas.

Faye was here for a few days in April. We always savor each moment together.

Today, I am catching up on housework and laundry and will take out some time to spend with Sophie and Caleb...my little darlings. Jim is working today. Tomorrow we will all go to my sisters for a mother's day celebration. Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's day whether it is spending time with your kids, your mom or your memories.

Here is a photo of Faye and me a couple of years ago when she visited me in Niagara Falls.

Seems like a couple of years ago that we were stringing the streets of Folly Beach !!!

Here she is ... Stella Bird ! This is from a tea we had at my sister, Cindy's house. I hope when I am her age, I can feel and look half this good. She was about 84 here....will be 86 this month.

Those are some good genes !

Mother's Day

Sunday is Mother's Day. Thought you all might like to see a photo of Mom. She will be 86 in a couple of weeks. I think she is amazing. Her health is perfect. She only takes calcium and a vitamin each day. She can still shop, garden , cook and enjoy spending her money. Charles, her husband does most of the cooking and she does most of the money spending. This photo is a couple of years old but she still looks the same.
I have loved and still enjoying being a mom and now a grandmother. It is the single most rewarding job in the world. It is a real joy that all of my children are thriving and enjoying life.
Family remains the most treasured asset we have.
Today as we enjoyed lunch together, Kelly , Caleb, Amy and Bo and his 3 friends, I felt like the richest woman in the world. Having all my kids with me at once and one of my grands..... Bo and his friends left lunch and hit the road back to St. Petersburg to get to their summer jobs and I am heading to the beach to see what needs to be done to get the house back together and ready for the next big visitors... never know who that might be.
We are blessed beyond measure and cannot contain all the life that comes our way.
Next week, we start packing for a move... let's hope our backs don't decide to go out or some unwanted unexpected something does not show itself !!! Life is full of surprises.

Our visitors

Bo and his friends, Matt, Michelle and Jesse, were all here for the a long weekend. They were all recuperating from finals at Stetson Law . Bo and I gave them as much of Charleston as we could cram into the 4 days. They chilled at the beach house a good bit and we were able to meet them for dinner and lunch a couple of times. What wonderful friends he has made. I am sure when they all graduate in December it will be hard to go their separate ways.
Now we get back to real life. The beach house is undergoing major updates with windows, doors, siding and a new roof. Next we move on to the rescreening of the porch and some carpentry and painting inside and finally by end of summer we hope to remodel the bathroom and get new kitchen cabinets and add a laundry room to the mix. All of this will make the house more enjoyable for all of us who love to get away from the city.
Jim is getting ready for a bike ride to the Appalachian area. He and some of his motorcycle friends are gearing up for this adventure next week. I will take the few days alone to enjoy the beach and get some projects done at home.
We will close on the new house sometime this month and then the big move !!!!! I hate moving but hopefully, we will have this house for a long time and there will be no moves in the calendar again for at least a decade.
It will be nice to have more room. Hope that all of you will take advantage of our space. We love company.
Today, I am picking up my mom and we are meeting Bo and his friends for lunch before he takes off to Florida to start his job with the state judge in Tampa. This is a great experience for him and in the fall he will work in the solicitors office in Tampa as part of his last semester.
Graduation is Dec. 20th woooohoooooo

Off to the beach

I am heading back to the beach today ...guests arriving tomorrow and right in the middle of all the renovations. Bo and his friends arrive tomorrow and since two of them are of the female gender, I have to put a spit shine on the house.

The new house we bought is in Ashborough East. It is a pretty neighborhood with a lot of older homes. All the residents take a lot of pride in their property and the trees and shrubs are really beautiful. The house sits in the middle of a cul-de-sac which is nice and it has a pretty wrap around porch on front and a big screened porch on the back. We hope to put a pool in by late summer/next summer according to timetables of the pool people.

Jim is working for Boeing at the Charleston Air Base. He teaches in the C-17 simulator. It is a stress free job and his hours are very flexible so it is nice for him. He can work nights and get some golf in...or work days and have nights free. For a man who has worked 60 hours a week since he was about 18... this is a treat. He loves working with the pilots and most of his co-workers are flying buddies from the past assignments.

This weekend, he is speaking at the retirement of Tom Crawford ( the weather man), who is retiring from the reserves. On Sunday we head to Columbia to attend a banquet honoring Jim's old coach, Rusty Hamilton. He is being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Jim was inducted last year in the OUTSTANDING AMERICAN category. This year Coach H. asked Jim to introduce him at the banquet. What an honor that is.

Hoping to see my grandchildren today. Here is a photo of those 2 precious angels. Also posting my latest picture of my girls, Amy and Kelly.Kelly is enjoying being mom to them . She is an excellent mother,,,,,,,,,wonder where she learned that??

Today was so much fun. I printed this picture of Charley Spann and carried it everywhere showing her off to the world. Charley was born yesterday to Donald and Mary Beth Spann. Donald grew up in our youth group and is like a son to us. I feel so proud ...like a grandmother. This little one is blessed to have two wonderful parents who love the Lord and will raise her in a loving and beautiful home.

Jim and I also bought a house today . More news about that later.

Welcome to the Land of Dixie

Hey everyone,

what a year this has been. I am starting this blog to keep track of all our ins and outs. Hope you enjoy it. Starting with our retirement from the Air Force last year in May, we moved home to Charleston , SC. I will write a little each day to catch you up on us !! Hopefully, I will get news back from you. Dixie

Our new cadets, Sutton and Alex

We adopted two freshmen cadets this year. This is a photo from their first visit to our house where they basically ate, slept and did some laundry. Both of them are just wonderful and roommates and are both from Florida. We are looking forward to spending time with them and seeing them succeed at The Citadel. Sutton is on the left, Alex is on the right.Click on the photo to be routed to The Citadel website.UPDATE...The guys became part of our family this year and are about to finish their freshman year ..both with flying colors and wonderful grades. We are so proud of them and love them so much !! What a blessing !..THIS IS FROM FRESHMAN YEAR... NOW THEY ARE SENIORS !!!!!!TIME FLEW BY

UPDATES

Looking over my pages and realize that most of the information in the blogs is old. Here are a few updates.My cadets Alex and Sutton are now seniors. They have been unbelievably successful at The Citadel.Sutton , a business major is a gold star cadet, meaning his grades are 3.8 or higher and he has been given a commission in the Army that will take him into the Army at graduation with an officer rank. Sutton made the Summerall Guards which is an elite group of cadets who perform a silent drill for special occasions. This is not easy to get into...Congratulations Sutton ! Alex has also excelled in academics, deans list as an engineering major is a great accomplishment. Alex also made The President's List which is a list of cadets who are at the top of the game in many categories, personal , academic, military. He also has a Navy contract for a pilot slot at graduation.Both guys have received their rings (october) so they are on the home stretch to graduation now. I am so proud of them in all they have done but I will tell you the best part !!!!!!!!!Both Alex and Sutton have asked Jesus into their lives since coming to The Citadel. They love the Lord and both have been in regular worship and Sutton is involved in campus ministry. What a blessing. Love both of our cadets and will sure miss them when they take off to travel the world.Bo has opened his own law firm. You can view his website at
www.jrobertslawfirm.com If you need a good lawyer, call Bo. He is honest and will work hard for you.The grands are growing. Sophie has been in several plays with The Flowertown Players and excels in her schoolwork.Britton is an avid Scout and is doing well in school. He loves going to horse shows with Peter.Caleb is into karate. He loves to write stories and draw and still loves Superheroes.Olivia is talking up a storm and still loves her Grover. She loves books, babydolls and playing with her cousins.Joshua is a wild man. He is all about running, riding the four wheeler and jumping from the stairs. He is the family comedian.John Grady is cooing up a storm and is such a smiley boy. He is growing so fast and he is sooo cute !Nanny is enjoying her apartment at the Assisted living place. Her short term memory is not good but she remembers things from the past pretty well. She would love a visit from any of you any time.Jim is still teaching in the simulator for the C-17 for L2 communications on the air base. He also does quite a bit of public speaking taking the gospel to men's groups and churches all around the southeast.I am still leading the women's at my church .

Merry Christmas

December sneaked right up on us... What a beautiful fall we had. I was sad to take down all the fall decorations... they are my favorite colors. Thanksgiving was such a blessing as we had all our children here and 3 of our 5 grands. I count my blessings every day and at the top of the list is the fact that all of our children now live within minutes of us !! God knew I did not want to share !
Today is Dec. 1st and I am feeling a little overwhelmed at the task of turning the house into a Christmas backdrop. I always feel that way and it always gets done....so off I go to open the first of many crates and bins ! Merry Christmas Ya'll. Have a blessed one !

Truly an Empty Nest !

With Bo settling into Tampa and Amy moving to the farm and Kelly and her family growing and living a few miles away and now my cadets leaving for summer and my grandson leaving my care to go back to his stay at home mom... I am truly moving into the empty nest stage of life. While I will miss all of them and would bring them all back here if I could.... I do have a million plans for all my free time. I think I am excited about all my projects but I am facing the fact that I cannot use any of my motherhood duties as an excuse for not getting stuff done. Once June hits, I am going to have 24 hours a day to use as I please ...so watch out ... I am going to become painter, writer, interior designer, crafter , traveler , grandmother , extraordinaire... and most of all will have time to dote on a one of a kind husband who has generously and quietly sat on the back burner to all this crazy moving, wedding planning, and full time grandmothering this year.
My summer project begins with a Cadet porch pot that is overdue for a friend who purchased it at an auction a year ago. After that, I am headed to the beach house to start some serious decorating and updating .. hopefully I can use the summer to get the old house rentable. So many friends have asked us if we rent. I hope to get it rentable and get a friends and family rent brochure together by end of summer. While I do not want to rent to strangers, the renting of the house to close friends can help them by allowing a cheaper rent than they could get anywhere else ...thereby sharing our blessing... and can add to my funds to improve the place little by little to make it more enjoyable for everyone.
I do not see an end to that project so while that is going on... I will also be finishing some much needed painting and decor in our Ashebourough house. It is a lot of upkeep but a great place for our family to gather and enjoy life.
This summer, our family will grow as Kelly and Tom welcome Joshua James Reser in August ... I am really looking forward to a newborn. I just love that stage and while it is hard to believe I can love someone as much as I love the others.. I am sure that he will carve out his own little place in this world and be another unique , precious , and wonderful love in my life.
I hope the coming year will give us opportunities to spend time with lots of friends for surely friends and family determine the quality of life that we have... add that to good health and a vital and loving relationship with the Savior and it does not get any better... well maybe if I could lose 50 pounds... that would be the icing on the cake... and since my excuses for "no time to plan meals and exercise" are gone in a few weeks... maybe I will find my way to do just that......