Day 100...a milestone.

The countdown is on in earnest, now. As of today, there are only 100 days left until my baby comes home. This has been the longest wait of my life, and it has taught me nothing if not patience.

Seems like when I first started blogging, I was far closer to 1000 days than I was 100. There's been a lot of water under the bridge since then. And in this season of Thanksgiving, no one is more profoundly grateful that from today forward, we will be in double digits.

We are truly blessed.

Day 106....with deepest thanks to our vets, and in memoriam for those who are no longer with us.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

God bless all the brave souls who have laid it all on the line for our sake in the name of Liberty.



Piper William Bill Millin playing the bagpipes. Bill Millin was the Piper of the 1st Special Service Brigade, and was amongst the more noticeable men to land on the Normandy Beaches on the 6th June as he played the Brigade ashore with his bagpipes.

Day 126....It's Fall!

Had to take a drive today up into the hills and all around to take some pics of the beautiful fall color

That is abundant everywhere! The pic above, I think, wound up being my favorite one, and the

one I use as a background on my phone, just because of the sheer number of colors I managed

to capture in it. All of these pics, by the way, may LOOK like they were taken as I was driving. Let me be quick to assure you that although I may have been behind the wheel, I was NOT actually driving. I was very cautious to choose times to take my shots when there were no other drivers on the road behind me. That enabled me to actually stop in the road long enough to get the shot.

This pic was actually taken at the north end of Lake Watauga. The weather was absolutely perfect....look at that gorgeous October sky! Deep blue, and not a cloud in it. Who could ask for more?

These final two pics were actually taken on I-40, heading east toward NC through the Great Smoky Mountains. Confession: You can't stop to take a pic in the middle of the interstate, so I just pointed and clicked as I was driving...and I got lucky. Twice.

I had to take these pics to try to capture the snow that was blanketing the tops of the highest peaks. Sadly, that's not too evident here, but if you blow up the pics, they are still very beautiful, and you actually can see the snow.

Day 133....Kota's Birthday!

Today was an awesome day....the day we celebrated my grandson Dakota's birthday. It's actually not until next week, but since it falls on a weekday this year, the girls decided to throw his party today, while it was beautiful weather. So I hopped in the truck and headed down to spend the day with them.

I had intended to get an early start so I could spend the whole day, but I got up late, and then tried a new way to go down which...although truly breathtaking...lost me about an hour's travel time. Going across the mountains via I-40 was a real treat, though, I have to say. But the moment that took the cake was when a geezer got on the freeway in his white caddy that was piled bumper to bumper with about 3 inches of snow. Yes....the tops of the mountains were covered with it.

Regardless, we had a really great afternoon catching up and visiting, after which we all headed to Mickey D's for Dakota's party. There were quite a few of Katrina's family there, as you could probably imagine. I was the only one on Jes' side...but that's ok. Poppy was there in spirit!

We started by letting Kota cut his cake and singing happy birthday to him. He actually did a great job, even though he had to get a little push with the plastic knife from mom...

Before we knew it, it was time to open all his presents...including a star projector for his room, so he can lie in bed at night and watch all the constellations revolve around the ceiling. He's very into space stuff at the moment...among other things....and it's very obvious that he's growing up SO fast...and becoming SUCH a little man!

Kota, Nana's so proud of you, and Poppy and I love you very, very much.

Day 142...Potential!

Ever since we found out last April that the plant I work at (and thought I'd be permanently hired by) was going to be shutting down next year, I've been looking for a job...a place I could hang my hat...a place I could call home. Something similar to what I had at Maverick. The economy being what it currently is, I haven't been having much luck, but the temp service that I work for, Randstad, has also been helping me look. Last week, they called me to let me know that they had lined me up for an interview that looked to be a really good opportunity. So, with hat in hand, and loaded with coffee, I went. The interview went well, I thought, but they weren't looking to make a decision until about the 12th of Oct., and so, knowing that I was one of many, I settled in for a wait.
It didn't take as long as I thought for a call-back. The message on the phone two days after the first interview startled me, but they were looking to schedule me for round two. Today being the appointed day, I showed up at 2:oopm, spit-shined and primed with a well-edited answer to an essay question I had been provided with the first time, in case I were to make it this far.
Things seemed to go well today. I was asked a lot of the same questions as the first time, and given a couple of very rudimentary tests on Word and Excel, which I had no trouble with. And now, the wait...once again...begins. I'm hoping to hear back by the end of this week, or Monday at the latest. If I should get good news, have no fear that I will post details, but until then, I feel as though to say too much would be to jinx it...so mum's the word for now.
You'd think with as much practice as I've had with the waiting thing, that this would be a walk in the park for me. Apparently, my skill in that department still leaves something to be desired.

Day 143...Catch-up

I'm running so far behind with my posting that I thought I'd just try to do a blanket post to hit some high spots...

Sept 10th was a great day. That was the day my daughter Shanna flew in to town to bring my grandson, Keith to visit his Nana. They stayed until Monday, and we had such a wonderful visit. Friday, they spent with my in-laws while I was at work. Saturday morning, I had a 10k to run, (which was my worst one yet, btw...equal parts bad weather conditions, very poor event organization, and lack of adequate preparation on my part... :P) but that afternoon the weather cleared enough for us to attend the Elizabethton Celtic Festival. It was small, but still great fun. There were a lot of craftspeople there, showing off their skills, a few clan tents and vendors, even a band or two! But the absolute best part was when we found the House of Douglas tent...fresh scones topped with strawberries and whipped cream! Mmmmmm.... Life doesn't get any better than that, people. It was worth the price of admission all by itself.

Sunday morning, we went to church, and afterward, my mother in law offered to babysit so Shanna and I could have a little time to explore. Naturally, I took her to my two favorite places...Backbone Rock, and Roan Mtn. It was a really beautiful day, perfect for a drive through the mountains. When I took her up to the falls, she was speechless. No amount of pictures does this place justice, it's like a cathedral made of trees. The canopy is easily more than 100 feet overhead, and the reverence of the place defies description. I never fail to be moved, it's one of the places up here where I feel closest to God, and I can not wait to share it with Alan when he comes home. I know he will feel the same.

As reluctant as we were to leave, I really wanted to get her to Roan Mtn in time to see the view before the sun set. It took some fancy driving, but we did get there in time enough to get up the mountain and get settled right as the sun was setting. Normally, I'm down before then, because there are a couple of patches of woods you have to go through, and it gets dark in there. Moreover, it gets dark as pitch up there, period, when the sun goes down due to the lack of big city lights. Having made the climb, though, it was unthinkable not to take in the view...especially since it was her first trip up there, so I just sat back and enjoyed her taking it all in. Not moving, not...breathing, for fear that she might blink and that incredible...awesome...view would be gone.

We hadn't been there long, though, before we started losing our light, for real. I was snapping pics like crazy, thinking that it might be a while before I could get any more, and that I was sure Shanna'd want to have as many pics as possible to remember this. Just at the last possible second, I snapped one final pic in the last rays of the dying sun, and as soon as I did, I knew what I had....this was IT. See for yourself...

I can't believe how truly awesome this shot turned out to be. I wanted to send out for reprints immediately (which I did), and this is now officially my favorite pic. :)

It was a real challenge to get back down the mountain through the pitch black woods with no flashlight, but we made it in record time, and had such a great time in the process. I was so glad to have been able to share my favorite spots with her, and am looking forward to sharing them soon with Jes and Ian's families, too....just as soon as I can get them up here, that is. Probably February.

Day 170...A Renewal of Spirit

The Phoenix's promise is always one of renewal....the main reason it is our mascot...because renewal seems to be the theme of our lives. Renewal is more than just starting fresh, though...it also means coming full-circle.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to fill a huge void in my life after almost 25 years. I reconnected with my oldest friend from childhood, Kelley. Friends come and go in our lives. More often, they go. But sometimes, they come and stay, even when it appears as though they've left us for good. This was the case with Kelley.

We met in the sixth grade. I was new to the neighborhood, and she caught me up walking home from school one day. That conversation lasted for the next six years, and took us through some incredible adventures as well as some unbelievably hard times. We drifted apart somewhat in our senior year of high school, as teens often do during those volatile years, but even after I got married, and she moved away to college, the memories we'd made haunted me....and her absence created a void that I was never able to fill...although it took me a few years to realize what was causing the ache in my heart.

Over the past 20 years or so, I've tried so hard to find her....to reconnect to that missing piece of my soul, but time and again, my efforts went to no avail. Thanks to the miracle of Facebook, I was finally able to find her again...and I have thanked God every day since.

The older I get, the more I realize that my friends are a rare and precious gift, and each one is like a fine jewel. I think these jewels must be what our crowns will be encrusted with in heaven, for I can't imagine wanting or needing anything more precious with which to spend eternity. We do not get to choose our family, as precious as they may be to us....but our choice of friendships is ours alone, and can be made or broken by our own hands. These days, I treasure each new friend I make like they are the only one I'll ever have, because I realize that true friendship does not ever grow old. It becomes an heirloom to be passed down...like great memories...to future generations. The older the friendship, the more valuable it becomes. And a friendship that has been carelessly tended or destroyed may never be replaced.

I am truly humbled and thankful beyond measure that my oldest friendship has been restored to me. I have a second chance. In this renewal process, my life has come full-circle, and I am once again whole.

And that is the Promise of the Phoenix.