Hello!!

Sorry,  I've been neglecting you but I just didn't "feel" like blogging...but, for today, I'm back with LOTS to blog about....

We've had a pretty busy last couple of weeks... Jake finally finished football season on the 24th.  We didn't win very many games, but you would never know it by talking to Jake.  He had a blast!!  He is now ready for basketball season, which starts in a few weeks.  At least we get to be inside for basketball!!  

 Jake waiting to play

We went to Canton, Texas for "Canton Trade Days" the first of the month.  We stayed at a different hotel this time...The Bent Tree, in Emory.  It wasn't anything fancy, but nice.  We ate at our favorite breakfast restaurant, Don's, a couple of times.  Didn't get a whole lot, but enjoyed looking and did get a couple of Christmas gifts. 

Gran and Papa ready to shop

Tonight is our next-to-last high school football game.  The temperature is suppose to be in the 40's....brrrr!  Looks like I will be loading up on the hot chocolate!  After the game, we will go to 5th quarter at East Mount Zion Baptist Church.  They will be having a cookout complete with hayride for the kids!  It should be a lot of fun.  

Anna has one more game for footbll this year.  She had a pep rally last week...GO PANTHERS!!

October 28th was my Mom's birthday.   We took her out to eat at Mulan's in Russellville.  We came home and had cake as she opened presents.  She got several calls from her girlfriends in Charleston and that really made her day special.  

Now, let me tell you a funny little story....I had a birthday on the 19th.  That morning, we awoke to find we had caught a little mouse under our refrigerator.  This was the first mouse we had ever seen in our house, so it was kind of a new thing for us....I told Joe to come and get the mouse off, so he obliged (what could he say....it WAS my birthday!!).  Joe reached under the frig to pull out the trap, only to have it slide back under the frig, as if by MAGIC!!  Again, Joe pulled the  trap out, only to have it pulled back under once again!  The last time he pulled it out he saw that the mouse had been only partially caught only by his back hip and it seemed he couldn't free himself.  By this time, the kids had gathered and Joe told me to fetch him a pair of gloves.  I did as he asked, but instead of latex gloves, apparently he wanted "protective" gloves to keep from getting bitten by the mouse.  Anyway, I got him another pair of gloves and he proceeded to free the mouse.  By this time, Anna was begging us to not hurt the mouse any further.  She pleaded for us to let her keep the mouse and take it to the vet for treatment!!  This was about the time that my loving parents called and began singing, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birth.......okay, here we are....Joe on his hands and knees trying to free a rodent, Anna and Jake begging can we keep him, and me running around looking for a box to put the mouse in, while Mama and Daddy are singing to the top of their lungs!!!  Looking back on it we must have looked like a bunch of idiots!!  Anyway, I explained to my parents that I had a "situation", that I appreciated their thoughts, but that I really needed to get back to my family!  They understood.  I finally found a box and we gently placed the mouse in his new "temporary" home and everyone went about their normal routines.  I explained to Anna that we couldn't keep her new-found friend, but that I would not kill him.  That day, on the way to town, I dropped the little critter off at an abandoned neighbor's house with a soft, warm blanket that I had cut just for him.  He seemed happy the last time I saw him, but I warned him not to show back up at our house ever again.  I think he understood.....


Last Friday night, we went to watch our high school ballgame in Pottsville.  I left my car at Joe's office, because he didn't get off work in time to come home before the game.  So, anyway, we were in separated cars on the way home.  Jake and his friend, Logan,  were with Joe and Anna and her boyfriend, Tanner, were with me....following Joe and the boys.  Joe saw a deer coming out onto the road in front of him and tried to slow down to miss him, but clipped him with his front headlight and the deer apparently swung around and hit his drivers-side door.  We were about 50 yards behind him and saw the entire thing, so I stopped in the middle of the road and put my headlights on the deer so Joe could get it out of the road.  Joe and the boys got out of the truck to move the deer when we all started noticing the deer move around and finally sit up in the road.  He had landed in the opposite lane and we were worried about oncoming traffic.  Thankfully, there were no cars coming in either direction, so we were safe for the moment.  Finally, the deer stood up and Joe and the boys got back in the truck and drove on toward home.  The deer was still in front of us, though, about 30 yards, and I had my lights shining on him.  He stood motionless and I was scared he was going to just stand in the middle of the road and get hit again, so I blew my horn to coax him into running back into the woods.    APPARENTLY, this was not a smart idea, because when I did, the deer came running full force directly at my car and jumped on THE HOOD, slid off the side and hit my passenger's side rear-view mirror!!  

Anna and I just screamed!  Did that really just happen??  I have never heard of a deer jumping onto a car like that!!  It was quite an experience, one that I hope never happens again!!


Well, I've got to go get ready for the game tonight.  I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Halloween!!  

And here are a couple of pictures from Clarksville.... 

Bye for now....


Candy