Good Bye 2010

In just a few hours 2010 will be history. As it comes to a close, I looked over some of my goals for the year that I jotted down for myself in my iPhone last January. Let see how well I did:

Do for others - check (but room for improvement)
Cook more exciting things - check (but room for improvement)
Bible study - check (but room for improvement)
Prayer time -check (but room for improvement)
Loose 10 pounds - check (but can lose more)
Cemetery hop - check
Genealogy - can do much more
Learn camera - NO
Redo the kitchen - check - very successful
Rick's building - NO
Get rid of farm house - No
Trip with boys - Yes
Trip with Rick - Yes
Trip with Girls - Yes

I will have to ponder for several days to decide what my goals will be for 2011.

Have a very safe New Year's Eve.

A Few Pictures of the Holidays

Santa and the kids!

 The annual creative gift challenge!

Greg and Chad

The girls playing "dress-up".

It's Over and No Depression

     I read an article about how the days after Christmas are such a let down that many people are depressed. I assure you this is not me. Christmas was wonderful with many highlights with memories that were made.
    Wednesday night the boys arrived with an old-school Nintendo system with the game they never could beat as young children. When Rick and I got home it was just like the sounds from 20 years ago. Same dialog, same actions, same emotions; just bigger bodies. For the next four days, it was great. The food, the games, the gifts, the grandchildren and the fellowship were all wonderful. I did control my temper this year during the games. Last year I got so upset that I threw my game pieces after being beat numerous times. This year I was still beat the majority of the games, but I did not let it bother me. So what, if I can't roll a "FARKLE." Life will go on.
    Rick won the creative wrapping again for the second year in a row. This year I did get THIRD place. This is my first year to even get any votes. Each year the competition gets tougher. I did a slide show of some pictures from the last 10 Christmases. Diana and I took a great deal of ridicule of our lovely Christmas sweaters from the past. So Jenna, Di, and I  did a little "dress up" of three classic sweaters in my closet. The pictures are lovely.
    Yesterday after lunch I realized it was over, and time to  get it all down. Hours later it did get finished. Bennie Scoggins was smiling. I missed her standard by 24 hours, which is still good for me. Although Christmas is tucked away, I have a camera disk with pictures and great memories of Christmas 2010.

My Christmas wishes were all fulfilled; I hope yours were, too.



 

My Christmas Wish #5

Today's wish is a little different. My wish for you today is that you have it all done, and that you can enjoy the rest of this holdiay season, UNLESS... that is not your style. Carl never shopped until Christmas Eve, and the Davis boys have been known to follow in his steps. Their line was that there are fewer things on the shelves, so that is less things for them to have to pick from. Yesterday I was talking to Chad. He said he had not started. I have to admit his reasoning was different. It went something like this, "You know, Mom, Jesus might just come back before Christmas, then I would have put myself through all that stress and expense for nothing."


It's not hard to tell where this is going. Do we really expect Jesus to come back? Are we ready? And what would we have done differently this Christmas if we new it was our last? Can you imagine celebrating Jesus' birthday with HIM! WOW! Chad, your procrastination in shopping made me do some soul searching.

Christmas Wish #4

Christmas is a time of gathering with family and friends, exchanging gifts, eating meals together, and maybe playing games. However, for some people, Christmas is bittersweet because a loved one has died, broken relationships, or just not enough money for all the "stuff". I was amazed in SS how stressful Christmas is to so many families. Yesterday at church we had one of the most amazing worship services celebrating Jesus' birth. We truly experienced the reason for the season. Borrowing a comment from my husband, "if you did not get something out of that, you are on your way to Hell." That was his way of saying if was very emotional and real. 

My wish for you is that you try to take the stress out of Christmas and take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.I know that my God does not want His son's birthday to be a PAIN. This was God's greatest gift to us, and like everything else, we humans have messed it up. So whatever it takes - focus on God's perfect gift.

Christmas Wish #3

May this beautiful season fill you with

Happy memories,

Pleasant todays,

and

Joyful tomorrows.

Love to all who reads this.

Today is the last day of school for 2010 and this school semester. This school year is officially half over. As an educator, I can proclaim this wish. I have so many happy memories of these 33 years. My days are pleasant, because I love my job. In one day this week, I got to play with a new iPod Touch, an iPad, and a Kindle. My tomorrows will be joyful, because that is a choice I choose to make. Borrowing a phrase from school,

 "make it a great day or not, the choice is yours".

Christmas Wish #2

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd,

I would bring Him a lamb.

If I were a wise man,

I would do my part.

Yet what I can, I give Him,

(I) give my heart.

Christina Rossetti

My Christmas wish today is that you have also given Him your heart.

My Christmas Wishes #1

May you be filled with love this Christmas season and may it remain to bless you everyday throughout 2011.

Do everything in love.

I Corinthians 16:14

A Little Bit of Heaven

Today we had a ladies' day out and went to see "The Gift of Christmas" at Prestonwood Baptist Church. With 1000 members performing a Broadway performance, we witnessed a glimpse of Heaven. It was so magnificent that tears came to my eyes several times throughout the production. I kept thinking WOW! if this is this good - what will heaven's choir sound like! Even more astounding is that I may get to be a part of that choir. Jenna did mention that I might even get to sing and CLAP at the same time.  That really would be a little bit of Heaven.

WOW - It worked

      I invite all who read this to watch the movie about mothers on strike called "On Strike for Christmas" on the Lifetime channel. It summed up what is really important about Christmas. The mom in the movie was feeling unappreciated and taken for granted, so she went on strike. Her husband and two boys had to do it all. It was stressful for all, and the mom was sad. It was very entertaining to see the male figures trying to survive, but they did in their own way. A few of the tasks they did were good changes for the family. However, at the end the mom realized she no longer had to be supermom and the family discussed what is really important - sharing love and being together. Memories are being made even if things are not perfect. Great movie for all!
      I said all this to say that I did shopping different this year than ever before. I went out one day and did the majority of it. I am not going to say it was any better, but I will say it worked. I am far from a supermom, nor do I ever feel unappreciated. I know that 80% of the things I do during the Christmas season is for ME. I love the decorations, lights,  hustle and bustle. I also am one of the fortunate ones to have help with the decorations - thanks, boys. Also, thanks to you, Rick, when it comes time to do the cooking. I know that I will be able to count on you to help out there. No "strikes" for me - just a different way to shop.

Let's Go ...Shopping

I am taking today off from school to go do some power shopping. I was so excited that I did not even stay in bed any later than I would for a work day after staying up much later than normal knowing that I could sleep a little later this morning. My goal is by the time I go to bed tonight that there will be many wrapped presents under my trees. Of course for the shopping trip, my sister will be included. Food and fun will be involved in this day also. I have checked my list twice; and I and my credit card are ready to go.  Some of you who read this may be amazed, because in the past by this time the majority of my presents are already wrapped and I am doing the fun things. For some reason this year, the shopping has been delayed. However, after today I WILL be on track for the holidays.

In fact, I will even post a picture tonight of the presents under the trees wrapped and not in the shopping bags. This will keep me accountable today. Let's go....Shopping.

Princess

We had to say our goodbyes to Princess yesterday. She did not live long after we found out that she was a diabetic. Princess was one of those animals that we have a tendency to take for granted until they are dying or are gone. She was the perfect guard dog for 13 years. Visitors did not come on our property or in the triangle without being announced. She let us know when coyotes were too close to the house or other animals were intruding on "her" property. She was a faithful dog. She would go down to the pond, follow us in the pasture, or feed the cows with us. Before she got older, she would bring all her prey to the back door for me to see and praise her. I never knew if it would be the afterbirth of a cow, a dead squirrel or skunk. However, for the last 6 months she has been on the rug by the back door. It is hard to go out the back door not to see her lying there with her wagging tail and those dark eyes just waiting for us to talk to her.  So - Princess, this tribute is to you! You are missed!

This is the first time I can remember in 31 years that there has not been a dog on the hill.

It's All about Him - Part 2

Last year, the week of Thanksgiving in our Victory SS Class an extreme need was brought to our attention. We had a handicapped, widow lady that was living in a house that was BAD. I will not dwell on this, other than our class was convicted to do something about this. Our SS teacher became our fearless leader. Praise God for Godly teachers.

One year and one week later we are handing over the keys to a brand new house built by God's people. God says that he gives different talents to others, and we are all different parts of the body to be one. This house is God's way of showing this. Many people and businesses donated materials, time, food, money, and talents for this to come to fruition. I am very careful about what I write, because I do not want us to take any of the credit. It is truly "All about Him". God just allowed us to do His work for Him for us to receive the blessings.

It's All About Him

This book is a must read for all; it is very quick and easy. We so often think the rich and famous have it all. We do not realize the struggles that they go through to get where they are, nor do we realize the challenges that they face. If you do not have the time nor desire to read the book, at least click on the link below. The title says it all - Life should be all about HIM. HIM being our Heavenly Father.

http://www.alanjackson.com/denise.html

Thanks be to God

The last ten days are just proof again of how blessed I am. A few of the highlights are:

• The women's trip to Savannah which included great architecture, great history, great fall foliage, and great food. It was a fun trip. I did win one major "ditzy" mark when I could not find the car after eating at Paula Deen's restaurant. 
• Decorating the house for Christmas started soon as I walked into the house. Tonight it is 90 percent finished. The boys got the lights on and lit the very first time. Never has this happened.

• There was never a dull moment with the boys around for four days. Rick and I came home Friday to find this coyote hanging in our back yard. (Greg and Chad, thanks for all your work on the Christmas and on the retaining wall. You saved our backs from some major pain.)
• Thanksgiving with my family and the Fergusons. I love the time when the cousins are together. The kids still crack me up.  
• Food - Savannah food, Thanksgiving food, Greg's birthday meal at the Angry Catfish, Saturday night's meal with Rick after all the hoopla was over.
• This afternoon  "Grandparents' time" with Cade, Cali, and Keylyn.

Thanks be to God for the good life. I give Him all the glory.

I am a (sick) Princess

Yesterday I heard three of the worst words you can hear next to "you have Cancer." I was told that I have diabetes. I have been loosing weight since the summer. I drink water continuously and am always thirsty -day and night. However, the worst part is I have no energy. Yes, I know you are thinking that I am an old lady. I understand that I am not going to have to go through the treatments and the insulin shots. My diet will be changed. NO MORE sugar and the table scraps will have to be watched more carefully. I will be put on a high protein, high fiber, and low fat diet. I understand that I may have to share my domain with another lady really soon. They want me to teach her how to be a guard dog on the hill. I just hope that she is a quick learner and not too pesty. I would hate to put her in her place too early.
I am the Princess!

This post was guest authored by Princess, my 14 year old lab.

One Mean "Motor-Scooter"

Well, the farm is a little calmer today. Yesterday, Rickie and I took off "one mean Motor-Scooter". In other words, this cow was wild. Until several weeks ago she had never been in the corral. Only with Rick's patience and perserverance did she go in this weekend. While we were moving hay, he caught her in there. So she got locked up for the night. Yesterday was the challenge; she had to go in the trailer. After a hour of pacing, prodding, and kicking, Rick finally wore her butt down. Once she was loaded she went straight to the sale barn. There was no stopping - not even for a Diet Coke. I think Daddy was smiling.

Another Fun-filled Week

I was so blessed last week with some very fun activities.

• Rick and I got to go see the game that the Rangers lost in the World Series on Monday. I have to admit my theory was wrong; I just knew the Rangers would win. My thought was that it was a money thing and the series would go at least one more game. Especially so the SF Giants could win at home.

• We went to the thank you rally for the the Rangers on Wednesday night with two of his daughters and two grandsons. I love what Nolan Ryan has done with Rangers baseball. This truly put the "period" on the finale of a great baseball season.

• We finished the week off with our Redneck weekend. This is the first time that Di and I had all four of our kids there. Each race weekend is totally different and memorable. This one was no disappointment. The races were good - even though there were no bad wrecks. We celebrated Chad's birthday. Food was delicious. Karaoke was entertaining. Fun was had by all. 

Life is good!!! 

The Soldiers Came

The dedication service was more spectacular than I could even imagine. Diana and I got there one hour and fifteen minutes early. We were greeted by two men dressed up and a buglar. I was impressed. Shortly another soldier appeared. At this time we were so excited that we started texting a few friends that the Confederates had arrived. However, that was not the end. In the next forty-five minutes, eighteen more solders and three widows appeared. We felt like we were a part of "Sweet Home, Alabama" when they did the war re-enactment scenes.

The service was a perfect tribute to Lindsey and Julia. Nelda had the Eulagy memorized. Marlon's solo and  "Taps" by the buglar brought tears to my eyes. WOW! is all that could be said about the soldiers, the 21 gun salute, and the three cannon shots. Then when we thought we had experienced it all, the widows performed the "Black Rose ceremony".

It was a perfect the day. We met more Scoggin/Scogginses and visited with the ones we were already familiar with. I did appreciated that Chad and Tara were with me to experience this day in history (I did NOT make him come).  The lady from the funeral home summed the event up best by saying that this was by far the neatest thing that she had ever witnessed at a memorial service.

Crazy and Getting Crazier by the Day

There is no doubt that I can be and have been called the crazy "mom," "sister," or"aunt." I now have a new title; I am now the "crazy cousin." But that is ok with me. I and some of my very distant cousins are planning a tombstone dedication ceremony this Saturday for my Great-great grandfather and mother. They were buried over 100 years ago. He fought in the Civil War, which it is 150th anniversary of the Civil War, so we are having a special ceremony for this, too.

He never had a marker, and hers had broken into three pieces. We have had both of them a new marker made and her old marker set in a cradle to preserve it.

With the genealogy that I am involved with, each new piece of information that I come across is a jewel. This last week I received several jewels to take to the ceremony to share with others. I have my grandparents' family Bible, Papa's pocket watch, and Granny's glasses.

The New England States - again

Rick and I just got back from his sprinkler show in Providence, Rhode Island. I had another great experience. Highlights for me from the trip are as follows:

We got to stay at a nice hotel, which was next door to a three-story mall. The time I spend in this mall while Rick was in his show is more time than I have spent in a mall in the last five years total. I am no longer a shopper. The amazing fact is I did NOT buy anything but lunch and a coke either day.

The touristy thing that Rick and I probably enjoyed the most was the mansions at Newport. We did tour four of them. All were spectacular in their own way. The other item we toured with the show was Gillette stadium where the New England Patriots play ball.

The food was delicious. The seafood and cheesecake were to die far. I even splurged on a chocolate turtle walnut cluster blizzard just for the girls back at home.

We were a little early for "leaf peeping," but that did not stop us from driving. On Saturday, Rick wanted to travel to all the New England states so that he could get stars on these states. We have on our bucket list to visit each of the the 50 states. We did hit Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine all in one day.

Sunday was our Boston day. We did a Freedom Trail walking tour, the USS Constitution tour, and a Hop-A-Bus tour of the city. I just wish that I could remember a fraction of the facts that I have heard from my travels.

Rick did not enjoy the trip nearly as much as I did. There were way too many people, too much traffic, and Sunday in Boston was way too cold for him. He can relate to Dorothy with the thought that "there is no place like home."

Oh, What a Wonderful Day - Chapter 2

September 21, 2007

I finally got the picture to go on this post. Is was another wonderful day in my life. God has truly blessed me. After three years, Rick is adjusting or at least not whining as much as he did the first year.

Bennie Scoggins

June 21, 1923 - September 10, 2005

This morning as I was backing out of the garage the first words I heard from the radio were, “When you think of me smile.” This was another evidence of the providence of God. Today marks the five-year anniversary of my mother’s death. I had already been thinking a great deal about her this week because of the Labor Day weekend. I know that Diana and I have written many posts about this great lady, but I could not let this day go without acknowledging her one more time.

There are so many things that I could write about her, but this morning it was her pride that came to my mind first.  The pride was in all areas of her life – looks, family, car, and house. I assure you that only a very few people every saw her without her make-up on and her hair “fixed.”  She loved “pretty” clothes. She was the epitome of a lady.  

 We lived in a farm house that looked good. She kept it spotless inside and out. After Daddy passed away she would go out before normal people got up to paint – the well, the garage, the doors, etc.

I could go on forever, but I think in remembrance of this great lady, I may go buy myself something “pretty” this weekend. I will decide later what it is that will make me smile and remember Mother.

Bird Season = Rain, Rain, and more RAIN

As I said in an earlier post about a tradition continues. Well another one also continues. It seems like the beginning of bird season brings on the rain. During the Fourth of July when we were diligently praying for rain, Rick said several times that it will rain sometime - what a profound statement. The rest of us with Scoggins blood, joked that it would rain September 1. We were ALL right! However, we never dreamed that we would get so much rain. By 2:00 today we had already had 6 inches; and it is still flooding. If you think you hear some complaining in my voice, you misunderstood me. I am thrilled to death, as it is an answer to prayer We needed rain for the hay, the tanks, and the ground. The picture is before the rain on Labor Day. I will post another picture when I can get back to the pond for an after shot. It is God's timing.

Another Great Holiday - Scoggins Style

As I reflect on this Labor Day holiday, the legacy that our parents started many years ago continues - good food, fun, fellowship and birds with a few additions of our own. Chad and friends came in on Friday. We got to go hear his friend sing - Rick would add ALL night long. I got to watch Chad work on our mission project for the church, which always does a mom good. The kids then went to the lake house. They got to have fun on the lake with the water toys. We went to another oldie concert - Three Dog Night. Then Sunday I took the day off to cook and hang out at the lake. I am so ready for fall. The girls and I just sat on the porch under the trees and enjoyed the cooler temperatures. Then today at Diana's, we celebrated  Jenna's birthday with another great meal and family time. To end the weekend, we fished off the dock with Cade and Cali. I know you might be thinking where are the birds. Well as I was thinking about writing a post earlier today I was going to say that Gregory's weekend included several bird hunts in west Texas. However, after the kids had left right before dark, while Rick and I were still fishing; the dove flew over  - first two, then three. It was like they were putting the finishing touch on a great holiday weekend.

Habits worth Having

As I was preparing for the first day of school, this was in my quiet time. The scripture was 2 Peter 3:18. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." The article suggested that we make these four habits regular activities.

• Habit of prayer.
• Habit of study.
• Habit of giving (and helping).
• Habit of fellowship.

Wow! How wonderful school would be if teachers and students were to diligently and continuously work on these habits. I have made it my goal for this new school year.

O, What a Wonderful Day

August 19, 1977

12 + 3 (+2) + 33 = a lot of school

       Education has been a MAJOR part of my life. Only my family, a relationship with God and my church (FBC), are higher on my list than education. This week starts my thirty-third year of education as a job. It has been a very fast 32 years. I walked into a high school class room two weeks after turning 21 years old facing seniors three years younger than me. I was the adult in this situation, and I was to control and teach the kids. WOW! What an awesome job! Thank you, Harvey Wilson, where ever you are for giving me my first job.
     In 32 years I have taught students - homemaking, English, reading, special ed. math, middle school technology, ESL, speech, careers, LMS, and hobbies. I have done senior trips, proms, Loy Lake, FHA conventions, tech conventions, GT programs, school newspapers, cookbooks, banquets, bus duty, lunch duty, study hall, carnivals, concession stands and yearbooks.  I cannot even guess how many wonderful students that I have come in contact with. What great memories.
     I have seen many changes in education. In testing we have gone from LBAS, TABS, TEAMS, TAAS,  to TAKS with the STAAR test on the horizon. I typed my first tests on typewriters with correct-o-type tape and made copies on the mimeograph machines with purple ink. I used a real chalk board with chalk and erasers that had to be dusted outside on the sidewalk.
    It has been a great ride, and I am excited to see what this new school year has in store.  I still love my job and extremely proud to be an educator in Gunter ISD.

American Idol 9 - The finale

     Rick and I do not watch much television. It is hard to get much television watched when he doesn't think we should sit down on the couch until 9:00 at night, and that is only if it is too hot to sit on the patio. However, because of one of Chad's exes that we met last year, we became obsessed with American Idol. We DVRed every episode and watched them with passion as we did our own judging.
     When the tour was announced at the end of the season, Rick said that we should go. So Monday night was our reunion with our American Idol friends that came into our lives and living room this spring. It was a great reunion to see how much each of them have improved and what kind of songs they would choose when there was no theme to follow for the show. It was a great concert with a wide variety of music. The kids did not disappoint us. I think Simon would even have been impressed.
The three things that I left with from this finale of American Idol 9 are:

• The winners were truly grateful to the audience for making it possible for them to be a winner because of their texting votes in. Yes, I did vote/text Rick and my favorites after the shows.
• The kids were genuinely humble about getting to do what they love to do.
• They repeatedly told the younger audience to follow your dreams. That they are proof that dreams do come true.

What a great way to end a season!

Happy Birthday to Me

      Another year of my life has come and gone. I have to say that it is OK. I wrote in someone's birthday card this week that was turning 40 that  "after years of experience, getting old is not all bad." Diana and I laugh a lot about how our perspective on different things have changed as we have "matured."
     I read an editoral in the newspaper about Will Rogers thoughts on growing older. These were several that I can relate to:

• The older we get, fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
• One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.
• Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.

     When I was a young teacher I was concerned about the clothes that I would be wearing to school. A great deal of emphasis was spent on shopping sales for clothes and shoes.  Kids, I know you have many memories of the Saturday morning shopping excursions. Chad, I know this is when you got the infamous beating with the high heel shoe. However, now I am not concerned so much about whether the clothes are cute and stylish, but that the body is covered. Mr. Rogers, I understand about being comfortable. No more high heels and pointed-toed shoes for this lady!

    The reason I do activities, whether it is traveling, eating, sleeping, or doing something crazy, is because "I CAN." I just heard a Hall of Famer say that "life is a gift", which leads me to my last thought on aging. I have to mention how much God has blessed me in my life - so that "I CAN". I give God all the glory for the years of my life.

A Treasure is Found

Lindsey Hamilton Scoggin died July 25, 1907

Lindsey Hamilton Scoggin died July 25, 1907

Lindsey Hamilton Scoggin died July 25, 1907

OK - this may not be a treasure to you, but to the Scoggin/Scoggins genealogy researchers this is big, huge, MAJOR! Not until today it has not been documented when this man died. Researchers knew within several years because of tax rolls and censuses, but there was not a date for this event. In fact the marker that was made and laid in the ground this past May has 1909 as his death date.

My Great-Great Grandfather

The truth came out today, and I was there to witness this event. My two distant cousins and I went to the cemetery again for some more documentation, then we went to the Grayson County courthouse to the land deeds that have been filed. We were in search of when and where the land was located, purchased, and sold. There the treasure was in the land deeds. It was more than we were hoping to find. Linzy's heirs sold his land and listed he and his wife, Julia, death dates. WOW! Talk about a "happy dance" being done - right there in the basement of the courthouse. I assure you these cousins will make many phone calls tonight to tell all researchers the treasure that was found today.

Summer Update

Before we started

It has been several days since I have updated. Rick and I went to Kansas City for the summer mission construction trip. We took 65 people with about 50 of them that would go to work on the church.  Our task was to cover the outside of a new church with gysum board. In four days we got 98 percent finished. It was a total blessing for them and us.

At the end of the week

The other item that has taken Rick and my time is ballgames. Both of his oldest grandsons are great baseball players and played in the state tournaments and one of them played also in the national tournament. This meant trips to Sulphur Springs and Longview on the weekends. We had not planned on going to Longview but soon as we got home from Kansas City, we got the phone call that we were the only grandparents that were not there. So away we went to the ballgames. The boys did win championships!

The third thing that has been taken our time is canning jelly. We bought peaches, plums, and peppers. The canning is going great, just time consuming. I believe that I have about 80 jars at this time, and I am about 40 percent done.

It saddens me to say that my summer is almost over. I know that it would go slower if I did not try to pack so much in to this time off.

Hot and Spicy - My favorite

I made my first jars of salsa for the summer. I was afraid that I was not going to get to have the opportunity to make salsa this year, because of the garden. It has a great deal to be desired this year. The cows that refuse to stay in their pasture and the drought has really caused our gardening this year to be a challenge. However, I did come up with enough tomatoes and peppers to make seven jars. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of the homemade "hot and spicy."

Let the Fireworks Begin

"Firework season" actually began for us last night at midnight when Greg and his dog came into the house. I will call it "a season" even though it is a holiday to most families. We say the Christmas season (The reason for the season), because it actually lasts longer that a couple of days. It is only fair to say firework season because it will last more than a couple of days for our family. Next to Christmas it is my favorite time of the year.
This is either the sixth or seventh year for Greg and Randy to have a firework stand. We have watched this little stand that two college boys start, so that they could blow up fireworks, evolve to a much larger business. They now have two stands, and they get to put on two city firework shows.
For me I get to be with family and friends. Not only do we get to have family time, I get to cook for people who actually enjoy eating. This is a treat for me. By 9:30 this morning, I had already got to spend time with  Greg, Justin and his kids, and Jenna. After a lunch with Jenna and Di, I made my first dessert for the season. I chose a peanut butter cream pie. The recipe for this is on the Pass Your Plate blog.

So let the fireworks begins. If you are reading this and are in the area, come buy some fireworks from

  Davis and Miller Fireworks.

If fireworks are not your thing, then come by for a coke, a laugh or if we are lucky - a song with Greg on his guitar. 

Oreos and Milk - In Memory of a Great Lady

June 21, 1923 - Bennie Henderson Scoggins was born. What a great lady! Many posts have been written about her by Diana and I; so on this day instead of writing a post about how great she was, Diana and I chose to do something different.
We ate oreos and milk in memory of her. On Fridays when the kids were little, we would go to her house for oreo cookies and milk in celebration of surviving another school week or in celebration of the weekend. However you want to look at the celebration, it was a great tradition that was shared by a grandmother, her daughters, and grandchildren. This was another way to instill in our children that the love of a family is one of life's greatest blessings.

So mom, this snack was for you. We love you.

It is Finished - Almost

I have not blogged a long time about my kitchen. It is almost finished. We had Rick's birthday party at the house the end of May which helped move the process along faster. He is now waiting on a rainy day to finish!

 Cooking in the kitchen is wonderful.  The food does not taste any better, but it is fun to cook in the new setting. I am about to learn where everything is, and only a few things have been totally lost. It is hard to say what is my favorite, but it might be the countertops. Sorry Chad, I know you loved the old yellow countertop. The biggest difference is the convection oven. I still have not got that down. I have a tendency to cook cakes and bread too long, and I do not cook cookies long enough. I will just have to practice more.

I have talked about this and waited years for this remodel to take place. The wait has been well worth it. I have to give Rick the majority of the credit. Even though he called us the "inferior decorators" with lots of trips and returns to Lowe's and Home Depot, he did a beautiful job with his workmanship. He also displayed a great deal of patience with the project and me. Patience is not a virtue that we usually equate with Rick, but he was so good to go with me and look and look and look. Then he also allowed us to take back and back and back.

Miles to go Before We Sleep

But I have promises to keep, 

And miles to go before I sleep, 

And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost

This seemed to be the theme for our recent girls' trip. We covered 1300 miles in 11 days/10 nights being tourists in the New England states. I got stars on my US map for 6 new states to visit - Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, and Rhode Island. We work at being tourists. Our goal is to see how much we can see and do in 18 hour days. Without boring you with too many details or pictures, I will give you a quick overview of the highlights.

• Boston - The Freedom Trail and lots of history
• Cape Ann and Salem Witches
• Maine - an old-fashioned Dairy Queen with the best ice cream blizzard
• New Hampshire - mountains and black flies that bite
• Vermont - The Von Trapp family with the hills filled with the "Sound of Music"
• a cog ride to the top of the mountain, Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory
• Connecticut - one of the United States largest casinos
• Newport - the Breakers, the Vanderbilt's mansion
• Providence, Rhode Island - history
• Hyannis Port and Nantucket - windmills and light houses
• Cape Cod - Provincetown
• Plymouth Rock - history

I assure you of three things:

• the trip was well-documented with many pictures.  
• great food was eaten.
• the Golden Girls have nothing on us.

Our Legacy Continues...Happy Mother's Day

Diana did such a fine job on her post about two mothers that had the greatest influence in our lives and our children's lives that I will just say "Ditto!" When the Deacon read Proverbs 31 this morning, I immediately thought of mother and the example that she left us to follow. So I have decided to write about our ongoing family project and dedicate it to all the women in our family's history.

I took off work Friday to meet a distant cousin and her husband, Nelda and Benny,  that I had never met except through email and the internet. Diana and I met them at the Tioga cemetery that morning, and then the journey began. By 5:00 PM we had visited Tioga, Collinsville, Ethel, Tioga, Hall, and West Hill Cemetery. We had visited atleast 100 graves of the Scoggins branch and I visited some of the other branches if they were in our path. They took 97 pictures; and I took many more than that. My thighs were sore from getting on my knees to get eye-level to take each picture.

We have had our great, great grandfather's marker made and set. Through Nelda's extensive research, she had proof of his war records so she did the paperwork to get him a war marker. She thought she was going to see it in a storage building; but thanks to Flesher Funeral home, they set it Thursday afternoon when they found that she was coming to Grayson county on Friday. She was "almost" speechless when she saw it at the cemetery. We had kept this as a surprise. For some reason he did not have a marker, and his wife did so this had bothered some family members. This fall we are going to have a military memorial service for this ancestor with all the family invited.

Nelda is a walking encyclopedia of Scoggin(s) history. She told many stories all day long of our family's past. As I reflected back on the day Friday night, I realized several things just kept surfacing all day long. One - we have been die-hard Baptists for many generations with strong Christian principles. She was thrilled to death, when she found out we were Baptist.
Two - the men were willing to fight for their country. I have some great war stories for later posts.
Three - the women were hard workers, and usually the mother of many children. Education was important.

With each step of this genealogy project, I am just amazed with the ability of some people to do such extensive research. Many, many thanks to Nelda for all the information that I gained on this day to pass on (or bore) my boys with.

Somewhere over the rainbow!

“Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, 

and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”.


This is the view I had of the rainbow Monday night. During the rain, Rick and I went to the Sonic to pick up my gift that I had won in their 6 year anniversary celebration. I won a bicycle - not just any bicycle, but a very special bicycle. At 52 years old, this is the FIRST bicycle I have ever owned. Growing up on the farm, Diana and I had dolls and play kitchens to amuse us. We never owned our own bicycles. I do remember borrowing one or two on occasion, but we never had our own. 

This is a mountain bike with shocks and springs. It also came with a helmet. "So I guess dreams do come true" even late in life. Or as I really think about it and my coordination, the more accurate quote is "thanks for unanswered prayers". A bicycle in my youth might have been a catastrophe.

Take me out to the ballgame(s)

By marrying Rick, I inherited FOUR little ballplayers. Three of them had tournaments this weekend. They played a total of 15 games, which all three played for the championships. This weekend they won two second places and one championship. I have to admit Rick and I are not Nanna and Jack. We do not make every game, nor do we get there atleast 30 minutes before the game starts. Yesterday, we did see a segment of 5 different games in two towns over a period of time.

Cali got bored with so much baseball. She found a sand pile to destroy during Cade's game.


Saturday we took the day off from grandkids ballgames and went to a ladies' football game. A lady in Rick's Houston office plays on a football team. When they come to the Fort Worth/ Dallas area, we try to make her games. This is entertaining to see women play REAL football. This is not lingerie football.

Happy Birthday - Earth Day

April 22, 2010 is the 40th annual Earth Day celebration. This morning we had a presentation about "going green" and recycling. For this old school teacher, it was very informative. I have to say I do not know a great deal about science. I was more into the the English and Math classes. Therefore, I thought I would share some facts with you that I copied from this site http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/history/earthday-history.html:

In the Beginning...
In 1963, former Senator Gaylord Nelson began to worry about our planet.  Senator Nelson knew that our world was getting dirty and that many of our plants and animals were dying.

He wondered why more people weren't trying to solve these problems. He talked to other lawmakers and to the President. They decided that the President would go around the country and tell people about these concerns. He did, but still not enough people were working on the problem.

The Idea
Then, in 1969, Senator Nelson had another idea. He decided to have a special day to teach everyone about the things that needed changing in our environment. He wrote letters to all of the colleges and put a special article inScholastic Magazine to tell them about the special day he had planned. 

The Holiday
On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was held. People all over the country made promises to help the environment. Everyone got involved and since then, Earth Day has spread all over the planet. People all over the world know that there are problems we need to work on and this is our special day to look at the planet and see what needs changing. Isn't it great?

One person had an idea and kept working until everyone began working together to solve it. See what happens when people care about our world?

Some of the most important federal legislation was passed during the 1970's, thanks in large part, to Sen. Nelson and his grassroots environmental movement.

• The Environmental Protection Agency
• The Clean Air Act of 1970
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act
• Clean Water Act of 1972
• Safe Drinking Water Act
• The Endangered Species Act of 1973
• Toxic Substances Control Act
• The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

What can we/I do to help!

• Use compact flourescent light bulb.
• Use fewer plastic bags at Walmart. Do not put the gallon jugs, the potatoes, the paper goods and other large things in plastic bags. If I really wanted to, I could use reusable bags.
• The running faucet -turn water off while brushing teeth or shaving.
• Don't idle your car for more than one minute.
• Wash full loads of clothes.
• Limit Styrofoam. It is not biodegradable. Use paper plates instead of Styrofoam plates.
• Use rags or towels for cleaning, instead of paper towels.
• Recycle, recycle, and recycle some more.
• Do not litter- our rule was that if the birds/animals would eat it, then it could be thrown out. 
• Plant a tree.
• Fight the concrete plant being proposed in our home town.

Now, the fight for a clean environment continues.I invite you to be a part of this history and a part of Earth Day. Decide what you can do to make a difference. 

Here is Rick and the grandchildren planting flowers and shrubs.

Leave a comment on other things that we can do to help the Earth or what you are willing to do to help the environment. Rick will love this; because I never cut off a light. I am going to try to cut off lights and do some recycling.

Dancing in the Rain

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass,

But learning to dance in the rain.

NASCAR 2010 - This pretty much sums up our experience at Nascar this year. Thursday night and Friday were great. We saw one of the best Friday night races, the ARCA race, that we have seen in years. It was only 100 laps, but probably had 10 crashes. It was described as "crash derby". It never got long or boring.

Then the rains came, and came, and came......

Most of us made the best out of bad situation. Games were played, stories (lies) were told, and the food was delicious. (Rickie could not stand it, so he did come back home to grout the floor. However, he did return after the work was done.) I felt sorry for the kids, however, they were troupers. 

NASCAR 2010 - It was a good dance, just not the one we anticipated.

DC and the "Inferior Decorators"

WOW! Where has time gone since my last post. We had a great trip to DC with the kids. It was very historical and memorable. According to Greg, we did see our share of "marble and crown molding". However, you cannot see DC and Mount Vernon in four days. The Cherry Blossom festival was going on which was an added treat to the trip.

Make your own animation


WE are ready to finish the kitchen; the weather is calling us to be outside. Before I left town after much deliberation I did make a choice and design on my backsplashes. The night before I left I had it all laid out for Rick. He did this while I was in DC; and did a fabulous job. Then came the flooring. Between the backsplash and the flooring, he labeled us the "inferior decorators" because it takes me (us) so long to make any decision. Each choice takes several trips to all the stores in Sherman and several in Dallas to see all the samples/choices and then several trips to get the supplies.

Up to this point the flooring has been the hardest on the bodies. The old tile was a pain to chip up and get out. The floor was unlevel with bits of leftover mortor that had to be chipped up. Rick finished laying the tile Sunday night after I went back to Home Depot to get one more tile.  We were one tile short. The amazing fact is that I found one tile broken in the trash pile when I was cleaning up. So we actually had purchased the correct number of tiles.

The tile selection was a saga in itself. We chose travertine, which I knew was irregular in appearance, so I took extra ones home with me. I originally took 120 - 30 cases of 18 X 18 squares home with me. I laid them all over the yard choosing the ones that I liked. I kept 40 and took 80 back. The next trip, they let me choose the ones I liked in the store so that I did not have to take them home and back again. Rick asked the lady if this was a normal process. She was very nice and polite, but said NO. Most people who chose  travertine chooses it for the natural look. I like the natural look - I just wanted to choose the naturalism of it.

We are now to the grouting stage. This is smushing grout into a 1/16 inch space. If anyone reading this, has a suggestion on an easy way to do this let me know. We have a busy week with ballgames, town meetings, and our "redneck" weekend. So the kitchen will be put on hold for a week.

Phase 2 Continued and Random Highlights of Spring Break 2010

Since my last post several things have taken place.

• New lower cabinets installed.
• Countertop installed.
• Cooktop, range, microwave installed.
• Lights installed in bottom cabinets. Rick fixed them where they will come on when the door is opened. 
• Kitchen items returning to the kitchen.

The big decision for now is what to do with the blacksplashes. This weekend we made the weekly trips to the stores to make a decision on what to do with this areas. We did bring several different sizes and kinds of tiles home to create a pattern that we can live with. The kitchen is really coming together nicely. I really think that we are ahead of schedule. We still do not have a sink or water in the kitchen, but life is good.

Spring Break Highlights.

• A trip to Fredricksberg which included great food, browsing stores, a music show, a historic museum, and a flea market.
• A tour of LBJ's house and a working farm.
• An overnight trip to Shreveport.
• SNOW!

Phase 2

We have now moved into phase 2 this week. Chad, your last look at the yellow countertops! Accomplishments this week were:

• electrical wire for the oven and tv wire run
• bottom cabinets, stove and sink torn out
• new oven installed
• bottom cabinets stained and set in the kitchen (not mounted, yet)
• countertops chosen

It did take two more trips to Dallas to find the countertops. I took off a half a day of work to go look. Diana went with me. After making my selection, I got home only to find out that the size of granite I chose is not big enough for my kitchen. So Rick and I went back on Saturday. We did make another selection. Rick asked another couple if this was normal in the process. They assured him that it was very normal; they had been to seven slab yards that day. Rick and I only went to four in the last eight days; we just went to one of them three times. Each time we chose something different than the time before.

Update

The kitchen project has been moving slowly the last two weeks. The things that have taken place are: three of the four ceiling lights have been hung, the walls have been painted three times, glass installed in the doors of the upper cabinets, electrical plugs and outlets change out, and windows in dining area trimmed out. I confess that the reason the walls had to be painted three times was because of me. I wanted the walls to look like leather with a glaze, but I did not understand how to do it. I finally gave up and went back to a solid color. This weekend we had several lessons on how to buy granite countertops. We (I) still have not picked out one. Wow, what an experience. The bottom cabinets should be ready this week. I did see them Saturday, and they are almost finished. We were short on electrical wiring for the oven. Rick has to get some more before we can finish the electrical part of this. However, we are 28 days into the project. The only inconvenience other than the house looking like a bomb exploded is that we cannot find the dinner plates. So on the Walmart list for this week is paper plates.

Missy

December 24, 2005 - February 18, 2010

I read a quote I had written in my Bible this morning that I would like to start this blog off with: “ What matters most is how we live, love and spend our dash!” Missy met her demise yesterday. As I read this, I thought about her dash. I was given her on Christmas Eve 2005 by Greg and Chad. I had no idea what I was going to do with this little fur ball. We were leaving in two days on a ski trip to Taos, so this started our life together. Through the four years we truly became best friends. Never could I imagine how much fun and love a little dog could be. She loved me so unconditionally. Rick always said that she ruled me, and she did. She trained me really well. When she barked, I obeyed.

I pondered on some of Missy’s favorites that would be included in her dash:

· Going riding – anywhere – the farm, the bank, the lake, the Dollar store, etc.

· Her morning treat and a bite of Sachmo’s kitty food

· Sachmo – the cat

· Teddy Bear – her stuffed animal

· Going to bed at night on her pillow beside my head

· The back of the couch

· Her safe zone – under the bed or under Jack’s chair

· Rolling outside after going to the groomer’s

· Riding on the “mule” in the pasture

For all you pet lovers, give your dog an extra treat today for Missy. She missed her treat on this last morning. We did not get that far in our morning routine.

Now to tell about God’s hand in this. While I was out walking the pasture searching for her, I found a half-buried golf ball from the boys’ high school golf days. Whenever I find these, I usually smile and pick them up. This morning I cried as I picked it up, because the boys were responsible for me having her. I dropped it in my pocket. After we realized what had happened to her, I felt compelled to bury the golf ball in the flower bed. I believe that God put this all together so that I could have some type of closure, since there was no Missy to bury.