A to Z Blog Challenge -- A & B

I saw this fun Blog Challenge on my friend Becca's Blog. I have done an A to Z Blog Challenge before, but this one is a little bit different. For this one... you have to name 5 things that start with the letter of the day and then write about them. If you care to play along... you can join in by clicking the link button on my side bar.

I am a day behind, so this posting will contain both letter A & B.

Letter A

Ashley

Ashley is my first-born daughter. She has a birthday this month and will be 24!! I am having a hard time accepting the fact that I have a child that is THIS OLD!! Of course..... I am not getting any older, myself! **Smile** It seems like yesterday that I was 24 years old!! Ashley was two years old when I was her age! WOW!

Anniversary

David and I will be celebrating our 26th wedding anniversary this month!! WOW! The years have flown by so very fast! We are planning on taking a weekend trip somewhere to celebrate. We haven't decided on just "where", yet.

Atlanta

This is the city that I grew up in -- Atlanta, Georgia. I was born in Columbus, Georgia... but when I was three years old, my Daddy was transferred to Atlanta by the finance company that he worked for at the time. I grew up on the east side of Atlanta in the county of Dekalb. It's funny.... David took a transfer 12 years ago with the company that he works for and now, I am right back to where I started from!! I love where I live now, but there are many things that I miss about Atlanta.

April

The month of April is a very special month to me. It is the month that I was married, bought my first house and my second, had my first child, and it is when nature comes back to life in all of it's beautiful Spring colors!!

All My Children

This was my mother's favorite soap opera. She never missed an episode! As I grew up, I became a fan of the show as well, and watched it as often as I could. Over the past few years, I have finally moved on and no longer watch it. My mother no longer watches it either. Since her stroke, she has a hard time focusing on TV shows and movies. I heard, just the other day, that All My Children's ratings were down and that the show may be canceled. This makes me sad, but I understand.

Letter B

Bananas

I have no idea why I am writing about banana's!! This is the one food on this planet that I do NOT like!! I can't stand the smell or the taste of them! Blech! Many people have tried to get me to "like" them, but I refuse! Yes... I KNOW that they are healthy and good for you! But... NO! I do NOT like them and will NOT eat them! You can't make me!

Books

I love books!! I would rather read a book about something than read about it online. Back before Christmas, I seriously thought about asking David to get me one of those electronic book "thingy's", like the Kindle or the Nook. But, I have thought about it since then, and have decided that I like actual books a whole lot better! Just yesterday, I purchased my very first copy of Tom Sawyer! I was at a little flea market near my house that I hadn't been to in a while and found a booth FULL of old books! I could have stayed there forever looking at all of them! (In fact... I may go back and look some more!) This is where I found the Tom Sawyer book. I can't find a "year" on it, but from looking online, I believe it is from the 1950's or 60's. If you take me to a book store, you will have a hard time getting me out!!

Bags

I have a "thing" for bags, too! I love them! I use them for everything. In stores, I am drawn to them. I certainly don't need any more, but if I see a cute one... you can almost bet that I will buy it!

Butterflies

My mother loves butterflies. I always think of her when I see one. She recently told me that she would love to have butterflies released at her funeral. I had never thought of this or heard of it, but isn't it a beautiful thought! I have no idea how I will carry out her wish, but it is something that I need to research.

Birds

Now that it is Spring, the birds are returning to my bird feeder! YAY! Yesterday, I saw a bright red cardinal and a chickadee! Birds are also something that my mother loves. All that I know about birds, I learned from her.

A Good Day with My Mom

Last week, when I visited my mom, she barely talked to me! But, today... she was in a more talkative mood, which is always MUCH more enjoyable!

Sadly, our pastor's father passed away this morning in Mississippi. He (our pastor) and his family were supposed to leave this morning to head that way to see his father one last time before he passed. Unfortunately, they didn't make it in time. He passed too quickly. They knew that he wasn't doing well, but still... I am sure that it was news that they weren't ready to hear.

I had planned on sharing this news with my mom when I went to visit her this afternoon, but another church member had been by for a visit and had already shared this sad news with my mom. That's ok. I didn't mind. It, apparently, stirred up some thoughts in my mom's mind, tho. She, fortunately, does not mind talking about when "her" time comes and she goes to live with Jesus, in Heaven.

Today, she said to me... "I've been meaning to share something with you. I would like to have butterflies released at my funeral". She loves butterflies, birds and flowers... so, this did not come as a surprise to me. I am just not sure how I can make this happen! It's a beautiful thought, tho. We live close to Callaway Gardens and they have a butterfly center there. I may ask them about this and get their thoughts on the idea.

She also started to talk to me about going on a picnic with her Sunday school class... way back when! This was her "Young Adult" class. They were headed to a park in Columbus called "Flat Rock Park". This was right after she had met my Daddy and he was with them. I think she had invited him to the picnic. She said that they were all riding in the back of someones pick-up truck and she was the one standing behind the "cab" of the truck, giving the driver directions. (Sounds like my mom!) When they arrived at the park, it was closed, so they had to find another place to have their picnic. She said that she asked her Daddy (my Grandfather) if they could have the picnic and bonfire at their house and he agreed.

She said that they picked out a spot in the yard, that was at the edge of the woods and was mostly flat. Her Daddy asked the young men... many who were soldiers from Ft. Benning... to follow him to get a "arm load" of wood. She used another term for that, but I can't remember what she said! It was a southern term, and the soldiers didn't understand what he was telling them to do! He had to explain to them that it meant an "arm load".

She went on to say that the ground was more wet than they expected and she had to ask her mother (my Grandmother) for some old magazines for them to use to sit on. (I can just see my Grandmother scurrying around the house, searching for old magazines!! **Smile**)

Apparently, when my Grandmother learned that the class was coming to "her" house for the picnic, she went across the street and borrowed the neighbor's big coffee pot so that she could serve everyone coffee. The neighbor's owned a small restaurant at the end of their drive called "The Brown Buggy".

My mom went on to tell of how my Grandmother had begged for a new rug for their living room and my Grandfather had finally "given in" and bought her one. (I still remember that rug from when I was little!) The rug was brand new when the Sunday School class came for the picnic. I am unclear as to how the picnic went from being outside to inside, but apparently one of the soldiers spilled coffee on my Grandmother's new rug and she had a fit!! (I can just see her, in my mind!! LOL!)

My Daddy must have asked my mom out for a date while at the picnic, because the next night was their first date! She said that my Daddy came to pick her up and she asked him if they could first stop by the neighbor's house and return the coffee pot. They did and then ended up eating dinner at the restaurant... The Brown Buggy. (I wish I knew more about this restaurant. I may try and look it up!)

We continued to talk a little bit about the house that she grew up in... the same house that I remember visiting as a child. My Grandmother lived there until I was about 12 years old. My Grandfather died a year before I was born. Sadly, I never knew him. But, I learned that my Grandfather had sanded all of the wooden floors in that house, by hand! I also learned that the floors were pine, which is not a hardwood. I remember those floors well, and also that rug!

I know that I did not grow up living in that house, but I did spend a lot of my childhood there and have SO MANY wonderful memories of it! That house is about 6 miles down the road from where I live now. Another family lives there. I still get the "warm fuzzies" whenever I pass by it... which is just about ever day! .... But, I also feel a sadness because I miss it so much.

Anyway... I am so thankful to have had such a nice visit with my mom and hear stories that I had not yet heard. Right now, with my mom... there are good days and bad days. Today, was definitely a GOOD DAY!