Two ropes were hanging down from a tie. I was kinda swinging on one of the ropes. Chris said, "You might not want to be hanging on that rope. It's the lose end." I told Chris I couldn't believe he just didn't let me swing and fall. lol Chris said "I care about my little woman. More than she knows." (I'd have let him fall if situation was reversed. I love to watch people fall. Only if they don't get hurt that is.)

Fortune Cookie

Chris and I went to the Japanese/Sushi place in Athens tonight. My Chinese Fortune Cookie message said, "You should never open a Chinese Fortune Cookie inside a Japanese Restaurant."

Summer's End Wake Boarding

Chris asked me if I wanted to try to learn to wake board before summer is over to which I replied "no, I don't think so, but thanks for asking." Chris asked if I was sure, that I should give it a try. I told him some people in the world are just not good at things like that. Chris told me that was silly and I could learn. I said "ummm...Chris...I can't even jump on a trampoline. Remember?" Chris said, "Oh, yeah."

My cousin Sarah. She is fearless and learned to Wake Board very quickly.
I love watching her try to learn new things.

Manon Rheaume

This is really cool NHL.com. Manon Rheaume played for the Knoxville Cherokees in the 90's. I saw her play. How is that for aging me.....lol

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=642005&navid=DL|NHL|home

Hospital Baby Frames

I think that in hospital rooms for new moms instead of large framed photos of generic moms and babies handing on the walls there should be digital ones and the hospital could project you and your baby into the frame.

Photo: Great niece Mallie Belle Lovingood's 

feet in NICU at UT Hospital.

"Johnny's Cafe" Baseball

This is Daddy's "Johnny's Cafe" baseball uniform.  Daddy was the pitcher.  Around 1953.  One greatest things about working in the courthouse is all the people who come through that knew my parents. One old man came through last year to pay taxes. He told me "I was there the day your Daddy could have signed with the big leagues". I can't remember the team though.....I told the man I would love to have some old photos. We have lots of WWII Navy photos but I've never seen a photo of my Daddy playing baseball.

Scuttlebutt

Young fellow in the navy, when the talk begins to flow,
And you’ll find it does, my hearty, wheresoever you may go,
You will hear it in your quarters and you’ll hear it fore and aft;
They will tell you who is coming and who’s due to leave the craft.
Just remember mouths of sailors very seldom long are shut
And unfounded conversation is what’s know as “Scuttlebutt!”

When some “hasher” starts relating what he’s heard a “Striper” say,
Take it in, if you’ve a mind to, but don’t carry it away!
When the women get to talking, and it’s certain that they will,
Just remember sailors’ ladies are not famed for sitting still.
When you hit the sack, forget it! Better far your throat were cut
Than to use it to be spreading what is known as “Scuttlebutt!”

There’s a constant flow of chatter both ashore and far at sea
Touching when and where you’re bound for and what will or will not be,
But remember, boy, no matter what it is you may have hear;
In the navy nothing’s certain till the skipper gives “the word.”
Only brass hats know what’s doing. On the bridge alone they strut,
But from them you get your orders. All the rest is “Scuttlebutt!”

“Edgar Guest.”

(Photo: my daddy, Glen Maynard, WWII Naval Vet)

Daddy's WWII Navy Uniform

Lynette said Daddy's old WWII Navy uniform would be nice framed for my office in the courthouse. I found the dinner menu for the U.S.S. Ocelot, the discharge letter of thanks for his service, his registration certificate, a newspaper that I'm assuming was a ship newspaper called "Swallow Tale" from July 13, 1946, a poem about "Scuttlebutt", a map of Pearl Harbor from a newspaper showing the approximate locations of the ships units December 7, 1941 together in his Naval trunk, all of which would be nice framed as well. Wow, I love history and I know my sisters and I are all proud of and loved our Daddy.

Cooking Star

Sometimes I wish I were a star on the Cooking channel. Then I could cook, make as big of a mess as I wanted, have the lastest gadgets and best appliances, my food would taste amazing and the most wonderful part is I'd have someone to clean up after me.....

Tennessee Caves

Tennessee has more caves than any other state. They were used by the Cherokee Indian for refuge, civil war soldiers mined saltpeter, moonshiners stashed their moonshine, and in some areas were even used as shelters during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Retiaius

A retiarius was a Roman gladiator who fought with a net like a fisherman. When studying full skeletons of gladiators archeologists can tell those gladiators from others. The daily training and practice of swinging the net caused permanent wear in the shoulder bone of the retiarius.

Sad in Sports

There are few things more sad than a pitcher leaving a mound, a quarterback leaving the turf or a goalie leaving the crease before the game is up.

Trampoline

Jumped on a trampoline for the first time since I was probably 17. Chris said "Good grief Marna. I wish you could see yourself. Where's the video camera? Don't hold your arms like that....." I said, "Don't double jump me. Don't jump that high...not that high...NOT THAT HIGH!" 

Chris, "Marna, you're like one foot off the mat."

Chris and Hank at Rusty's birthday party on UFC Fight Night

Tennis

While watching tennis tonight I told Chris players shouldn't wear bright shirts like the one guy had on. He said "why?" I told him I thought the other player could spot him easier and hit the tennis ball in the other part of the court-away from the bright color. Chris just laughed at me and said "I don't think that matters". I told him tennis is like duck hunters wearing camo. If I were one of those tennis players I'd have worn blue or green-the colors of the court tonight. 

Go-Cart

I'm the one at the back of the go-cart track that goes the slowest while hogging the rail, blocking your lapping and making you break the no bumping rule.

Swim Trunks

Chris got two new pair of swim trunks. He said he really liked the pair he had on. (Baby blue and white.) I said "don't you like the black & gray pair?" Chris said, "Yeah, they're cool. But I'm more of a cheerful color kinda guy."

Marriage

"How long have we been married?" 

Chris, "15 years." 

Me, "No, 16...well 15 but next month it will be 16."

"Do you think I could still fit in my wedding dress?" 

Chris, "Prolly."

Us, 1996

Dirty Toes

I was sponging my feet off a little while ago after one of my rose bushes attacked me and stuck itself through my toe. Funny how memories also attack. Suddenly I remembered being a little girl and how momma would never let me go to bed with dirty feet. I can almost feel the wash rag as she cleaned my grimy toes....

 Me and my nephew Jamey who is ten months older fishing in a mud puddle in our driveway.   

Valentine's Day 2012

We had the best Valentine's Day ever!  Went to Nashville to watch the Predators play the Chicago Blackhawks.  Not the greatest game they have ever played but they won.  And watching hockey is always good, win or lose.  We ate at Big River afterward.  Yum!  My fav in Nashville.

"My Moon"

What a beautiful moon tonight.  Brings back memories of my Daddy and I arguing about whose moon it was when I was small.  We'd be driving down the road and Daddy would say "That's my moon."  I'd say "No, it's my moon".  Back and forth we'd go, I much more serious than he, he chuckling under his words.  Then Momma would say "Glen, quit aggravating her."  

One memory leads to another and I think about going everywhere with my Daddy that I could.  We'd be driving to town or around the lake and meet someone we knew.  Daddy would throw back his head in a nod instead of a wave of his hand.  I'd do the same, every time.  

Sundays when I was little after Sunday School we'd go to the Maynard's for Sunday lunch.  Many Sunday's we'd get Gary's jeep out and drive all through Corntassel and Soak, around the lake.  It was the only time the jeep left the shed.

Then I grew up.  I became too old to ride around with Daddy anymore.   I'd rather stay home and listen to the radio.  No more jeep rides, no more head tosses but one thing we did do.  Sunday afternoon NFL football games with he in the recliner, me on the couch, Momma popping us popcorn, then napping the afternoon away....

Go Predators!

Great time in Nashville Saturday night watching the Predators play the Flyers!

Wikipedia

Wikipedia could be the single greatest invention ever. Besides the light bulb....or penicillin....or air conditioning....or airplanes...or cars....or the alphabet....or duct tape......well, at least you can read about all the greatest inventions at Wikipedia.

Top of Wakusei

Ran across this pic and remembering the day Chris and I drove to the top of Wakusei mountain up in Tellico. I can't believe the Chevy Cavalier made it up that road! Nor could I believe what was waiting for us on top of the mountain!!

We chug along in my little car to the top of Wakusei. There is a metal line barrier blocking people from driving onto the lookout. There are clothes on it. I think, "Oh, how cute, someone put clothes on the line to make sure people see it and don't hit the line with their cars." 


We got closer and I thought, there are belts on that line too. Whoa, that's weird.... 


We got out of the car to go to the lookout. Chris went ahead and when he got up there turned around with his hand out and a funny look on his face and he said very quietly "wait a minute Marna". 


I started taking photos of the flowers around but was thinking why is he standing there looking funny, strange. Can't be a bear-he would be getting back to the car. Finally he said "come on". 


I went up slowly and there were three or four tiny tents and five or six men lounging around on sleeping bags scattered over the lookout. UNCOMFORTABLE!!! They were obviously not from East TN and didn't talk to us, just stared. We looked off the side of the mountain and then got outta there. The one guy did tell Chris they hiked 10 miles the day before and 6 that day. They had a weather radio and everything for living in the mountains. Chris told me later that when he told me to wait before coming up the one guy was changing clothes! I'm glad he saw that and had me wait!!! It was a weird situation on top of a mountain where people rarely are. AND no cell phones work if you need help!

Original Propel

35 boxes. 10 per box. 350 packs. I'm counting down the days until I have consumed the last of the original Propel water mixers in the world. :(

Summer Nights....

Summer nights having dinner at a restaurant overlooking the lake as a band plays?  Sounds like a positive experience doesn’t it?  Living in East Tennessee it's a night easily lived.  Just add some lightning bugs, the chirp of frogs and crickets, and summer heat lightning in the distance for the kinda night I love. 

The past couple of summers have put the comfort of those evenings on hold just a tad for me.  The summer of 2010 I was undergoing chemo and wasn’t able to enjoy the outdoors.   The summer of 2011 was spent recovering from the treatments physically and mentally. 

I tried to stay as active as possible, or force myself to, the past couple of years.  But it was hard, hard to be comfortable in public with so much different about myself physically. 

One night Chris wanted to go eat at a local restaurant that had a band in the evenings.  The restaurant was on the lake and we had been once on a Sunday afternoon for lunch.  I really didn’t want to go but thought at the hour we went the crowd would be dwindling down.  It wasn’t.  And the restaurant was closed except for appetizers.  But the band was playing and we were there.  I sullenly walked with Chris through the people, young people, on the dock area to the inside food area which, luckily, was empty.

Chris could tell I wasn’t happy.  I was crabby.  He asked if everything was okay to which I snappily replied “no”.  I was miserable and told him so.  “Imagine what you would feel like walking into a crowd of young women with beautiful hair, clear and tan skin and perfect breasts.  Add to that I’m 20 pounds heavier than I was a year ago and nothing fits right.”  Chris looked like a kicked puppy dog.  He knew how much I loved warm summer nights at the lake and had tried to give me back a taste of it.  I was being pretty irrational about the whole situation and was sinking fast into self-pity.

Within seconds of saying that I got a text message.  A girl I’m mostly text and Face Book buddies with asked “Where are You?”, to which I honestly replied and now ashamed of, “Hell”.   I frantically started texting her about my, at the moment life ending experience, and just where it was happening.  She didn’t text back.  As I pouted around the inside of that restaurant with Chris, luckily again with no one in there, I looked over to the side door.  In popped my texting friend.  With a huge smile on her face waving her phone around. 

My mood immediately lifted!  She came over and gave me a big hug while telling me she had saw us come in.  We laughed and joked and talked this lady and I.  Someone I’d never really spoken to in person—other than a few words in passing.  But someone who took the time to come in and sit with me for the rest of the night, away from the friends she had came with, to lend a smile and some jokes to lift the spirits of someone who was dreading trying to slink out past the beautiful-young-perfect women at the end of the night.  Chris thanked her for saving him from a wrathful night and I am forever grateful to a moment from a texting buddy that forever will be in my mind.  An effort from someone who barely knew me and could never understand the magnitude of what she did that evening. 

You never know what someone is going through at any given moment.  Nor do you know what an innocent, moments in your eye, act of kindness means to them.

Maynard Family Christmas 2011

More Great Christmas memories!

Hull Family Christmas

Great Christmas memories from 2011!