Halloween 2013

Ex's

Seems I've had a lot of husbands.....and therefore ex-husbands.

Today in my "Crazy Cat Lady" Halloween costume I heard lots of conments like "you look just like my wife" or "you look just like my ex wife".

One man walking through the front door of the court house as I walked by grabbed the door.  He exclaimed "Whew! I thought you was my wife!" And grabbed his chest.

I walked by a man and woman at the clerk's office and the man turned to his wife "you look just like her" to which he got a slap for.

Think the remarks were mostly meant to be insulting toward some wives and ex's.  Guess some guys don't like hair rollers or cats...

Bouncy Seat

Saw one of the cutest most humorous little sights around a couple of hours ago.  My great niece Mallie Belle who is one, jumping in some sort of bouncy seat.  Probably one of those things that maybe you have to see yourself to understand just how cute it was.

I tried to take a video but she would stop and cheese it up when I pulled my phone out.  Hmmmm....could that mean she is used to having a lot of pics taken?  Sweet lil Mallie Belle....



Side note:  Pretty certain I hit a pole cat tonight. Didn't see it but the evidence sure enough has followed me home from Jessie's.

A Long Line

Tonight was an especially hard night for many in our community and a special family.  One of my closest friend's stepson was killed in a car wreck Thursday night.  Tonight was receiving of friends and funeral.  He was only 21.

A long line.  What a showing of respect in our area.  During times like this I often wonder what funerals are like in other places.  Other than the South.  Deep bonds of family and friendship run around here.  I'm sure other places too.  Maybe death is mourned the same "here" and "there".  Here you don't even have to know the person who passed away.  But respect of someone you love and care for who did know the one who died?  That makes you go to the receiving of friends.  To show you're thinking of them in one of the worst points of their lives.  Wonder if it's that's so "there"......

Heartbreaking.  So heartbreaking looking around while in line.  Looking up to the end of the line where my friend and her husband, the boy's daddy, stood along with the mom.   Looking at them I was teary eyed before I was half way there.  Their faces were tired.  Tight at times.  Tight from exhaustion of tears but I feel also tight from smiling through the tears.  Pretending to be strong while everything falls apart around them.

Three little girls.  Tiny little girls.  Little girls who have lost their brother.  There is nothing that can be said about that.  No words......just sorrow for their little hearts.

Boys.  I see lots of boys.  They are probably 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and so forth.  But boys none-the-less.  Their faces were....I don't even know the word I'm searching.....sullen?  That isn't quite right.  Sad.  Maybe just sad.  And a little frightened.  Frightened of the unknown, frightened about not knowing what to do or how to react or what to say.  Most have never been in this place in life before.

At funerals you hear so many different expressions.  You hear a lot of "too young" or "so young".  People who know our family still say my brother who died in 1979 was "too young" at age 27.  My mother died when she was 56.  Those who knew her say she was "so young".  My dad was 80 when he died.  His death was the most recent but I really don't remember what people said his dying.  Maybe they were just very saddened about his passing.  Or maybe people just don't know what to say when an old person dies.  I don't know.  All I know that watching a family struggle with loss, no matter what the age of the person who died.........sucks.

got milk?

Driving the back roads near our house there is a surprise around one corner. On the silo of one of our neighbors dairy are lights which spell out "got milk?".

The road with the silos is seldom traveled.  Which makes the sight of the sign even more special.  It's just out in the middle of nowhere so it seems as if it's meant just for you.  I'm always disappointed when driving that back road if the sign isn't glowing.  Tonight I wasn't disappointed.

Flashback

Flashback 2012

My first and only thus far breast cancer walk/fundraiser.

"Making Strides for Breast Cancer"

(I think that was the name?)

Amber, Bridget, Me and Linda
I got some prizes for being a survivor.  Who
knew there were perks?  Well, there were at
times.  Like when I was bald and went
through the drive thru at Krystals.  I got
all the ketchup and salt I wanted. No questions.

Bridget came up with "Stridin' for Marna"
For our shirts

Some of the walking. I could NOT keep
up with Amber and Bridget.  Esp Amber.
She finished a mile ahead of us.  At one
point I did try to speed up.  Problem?
They sped up too! 

Farmer Charlie!!! (Who is that anyway?)

Bridget, Me and Amber

Amber and Bridget signing us in.

Loved the face painting!

Work. Everyone working at the courthouse
has been so supportive of me.  They all
bought shirts for the fundraiser.  Some
even walked. 



Ring

Lost ring.....

Diesel and Ada Monroe trying to help Chris

and the magnet find it.

Two days later.....I found it.

Tomorrow

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Wear pink tomorrow in memory of a loved one who is gone, in gratitude for a loved one who has won the battle, for strength for a loved one going through the battle, in honor of all those who have suffered and as a reminder. ....get your mammogram ladies!

Different Faces

I've often posted that I'm happiest when those I love are happy.  Well, I'm most sad when those I love are sad.   The past week has been a roller coaster of events for friends.   I've experienced joy with some and sadness with others.

One friend found out some devastating news early this week.  Another is starting a new life with the man she loves.  Another is experiencing the agony of the death of a loved one.

I think about their faces and what is seen there. The high of emotions of excitement in showing the diamond on her finger last night for one.  I don't think I've ever seen anyone that thrilled.  Her face glowed with happiness!  The grief of another this morning over death etched upon her face.  Exhaustion, confusion, sadness and so much more in her eyes.

The third?  I haven't seen yet.  She doesn't live nearby and I don't think she is ready for a visit.  I'm not sure what I will or can say to convey empathy for what she is going though.  I hope I can. I hope I can for all.  Good or bad.

Sentences

I revel in run on, comma spliced sentences.......written in southern talking style, not written style.

I was the flu.......

Probably the best part of my job is the elderly.  So many come in or call the office and tell me they knew my mom and dad.  And stories.  I love the stories!!!   When mom died I was only 18 and hadn't really gotten to the age of stories.  Though I loved family reunions listening to my aunts and uncles about the olden days.  What days those were!

It's especially nice to hear the stories because mom and dad are both gone.  It just brings a smile to my face for someone to come by the office and say "I knew your momma and daddy.  They was good people."  And then proceed to tell me how they had known my family and how my parents would be so proud of me and how I turned out.

Last tax year a man told me, "I was there the day your daddy could have signed with the majors".   (Baseball. Daddy was a pitcher.)  I've never seen photos of daddy playing baseball.  We have lots of photos from the Navy in WWII but no baseball.  I asked the man if he had any old photos of baseball.  He said he didn't know if he had any but would look.  I never heard anything back so am assuming not.

(My family would LOVE to see photos of daddy pitching so if you have any please let me know. Would have been sometime in 40's?)

Yesterday a lady called about her appraisal and the fact it had gone down this year.  She was worried about that.  We talked for a while and she said, "Is your daddy still alive?"  I told her no, he had died in 2008.  She said she had thought so.  Then she told me they had rode the same bus in elementary school.  She talked a minute more and then said "Glen lived at the end of Dawson Street."  Down from her and her family.  She told me about daddy trading with somebody (I can't remember the name) for a blue convertible.  She said she couldn't believe Glen Maynard traded for a convertible!


Today was the greatest, funniest story I've heard..........in my life.


Larry walked an elderly lady to my counter window who had been visiting with him in his office.  She had questions about her tax relief.  We talked for a while and she asked if I was a Maynard.  She told me about working with my aunts at the sewing mill years ago.  I said, "Really?  Charlsie, Bobby, Phoebe and Lucille?"  She said yes and talked some about them.  I told her that Charlsie was 91 and doing well.  The last of those Maynards.  She asked about my aunt Bobby and what she had died of.  I told her breast cancer when I was a little girl.

The lady looked at me, dropped her voice and kinda bent in toward me over the counter.  She whispered like it was scandalous, "There was one of the Maynard girls who had a baby when she was old."

I thought to myself I was fixing to hear some big family secret because only one of the Maynard girls had married out of the four.  And the one who did didn't have any children!

Then I immediately thought, realized and said......."I'M that baby!!!"  She giggled and giggled and giggled to learn that and I told her I was Glen Maynard and Clara Belle's daughter and that momma did have me late.  That I was the "oops baby."  (Women in 1971 did not have babies at mom's age.)

The sweet lady said, "I worked with your momma at Cherokee" (Cherokee was a sewing mill.) I gave her the hardest time about you!"

"You're momma told us she had the flu.  She was out a few days and when she came back she told us about you.  I gave your momma hard time for a long time.  I kept telling her 'that was some flu!!"



In a few more years I'll hear no more stories like this.  That generation will have all passed.  That is something I do not forward to........

Two of my Rocks

2012

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I had many rocks during my breast cancer

diagnosis and treatment.  These were two of the

biggest.  Kelley and Brittany saw me at some

of the worst times. And kept me smiling

and looking forward.

Coolest thing ever? God brought them 

into my life about six months before cancer.

Second coolest thing? They have had almost

as many hairstyles as I!

2010 before cancer-Kelley

2010 before cancer-Brittany

2010 before cancer

2010 Surprise trip to Comedy Barn the

night before my first chemo

2010 Surprise trip to Comedy Barn the

night before my first chemo

2010

2010 Kelley sharing her hair

2011

Playing with the wigs 2010

2010

2012

2012 UFC night GSP vs Nick Diaz with 

Hank and Brittany's new baby.

midnight-we were tired!

Character

There are times in your life people attack your character. It's one thing to be critical of the work someone does. But the other way around can be quite hurtful.

One thing to keep in mind that oftentimes the person or people who are accusing you of doing things only in order to look good are themselves attacking you because they don't want you to look good. They are threatened and jealous of your good deeds

When I was a little girl another little girl was picking on me.  Nothing like today's bullying. Just mean spiritness.

I told my mom about it.  Momma said, "Marna. She is just jealous of something, somewhere about you or else she wouldn't waste her time talking about you."

Looking back I believe there was a lot of value to her words.  My mother was very wise. However as a little girl those words weren't comforting at the time.

Cornbread Salad

Okay. Alright. I'm addicted.

First Turtleneck of the Season

My niece Amber

Enjoy Life

Life is short.  I've learned that fact in the past three years.  Enjoy life.  Even if it's quietly.  It doesn't have to be noisy, just full.   <><

Farming

I'm tuckered out tonight but Chris did all the heavy labor.

Love Bermuda hay

Needed a rest?

Wanna be/

We talked with Jeff for a long time after loading hay. I could talk with them for hours.  His two teen boys were there.  The oldest has no interest at all in the farming life.  The younger is very involved in FFA and 4H.  He has shown cattle for a couple of years and now has a pig to show.  Although he hasn't really started that project yet.

We talked of hay and prices of many farming needs. Input and how important to watch.  The corn market.  Price of tires.  Fertilizer and soy bean and corn-cracked and un-cracked and the effects on cattle.

Talked turn to wild hogs and what a problem they are.  There are two wallering holes at the back of one of his soy bean fields.  The pigs have almost ruined his soy beans.

Also discussed opossum, raccoon, left over MM&M's from Cleveland, and coyotes and groundhogs.

We talked of cattle and the news things which are being tried to produce a better quality meat.  

Then talk turned to Benton's Ham, the aging of pork and the success Alan has had.  Best ham and bacon around!

The youngest son heard Chris say he ate a salad for lunch.  Jeff told his son to tell Chris what he thought about salad.  He said people shouldn't eat lettuce and went into many reasons why.  Including the fact that we aren't a rudimentary cow.  They can digest grass.  We can't.

Talk turned to raising and producing better quality beef which was very interesting type of science project it seems.  The slaughter house is specially selected in Crossville which has a three month wait period because of demand, to have cattle slaughter.  Jeff has three going and he will tell us if the beef is really that much better.  Whitie our neighbor dairyman swears it has changed his beet and he had forgotten what real meat tasted like until now.

I could have stood and talked farming for hours and hours and hours.  I think we did for two and I've forgotten most we discussed.  When I remember I'll come back and add.  

Back home fence mending time and then feeding.

Headed to lake for some

fun after a long hard day of farm

chores.

New dry suit for cold weather

riding. I laughed at first but

it worked great.

Gorgeous evening in Corntassel!!