Norah Jones - Are you lonesome (Elvis tribute)

I love Pier One, Hobby Lobby and Kirklands

A Very Close Call

Willie Drye
for National Geographic News

Published April 28, 2011

"The monster tornado that devastated Tuscaloosa, Alabama  April 27th.  was spawned by unusual "perfect storm" conditions, experts say".
"Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia had that down to a T. It was a very, very rare day for everything to come together for this type of event," said Samaras, also a National Geographic Society Emerging Explorer. (The Society owns National Geographic News.)

Wednesday, such storms spawned an outburst of a hundred or more twisters, which barreled through six states and killed at least 283 people.
The National Weather Service and state emergency officials are still tallying how many homes were destroyed when waves of tornadoes mowed through the South, killing hundreds in seven states as entire neighborhoods were wiped out in some areas.

Alabama took the hardest hit: The state said 236 people were dead at last count, and 42 of the state's 67 counties have been approved to receive disaster assistance.


The purple lines  = F 5 tornado
      red lines        = F 4 tornados
      yellow lines   = F2  tornados
      green lines       = F 1 tornados

 Hazel Green is in the upper right cornor...the F5 missed us by maybe 6-8 miles.,as the crow flies...
I took the pictures in Anderson Hills Subdivision in Harvest

Remembering Mother

 May 31st, 1914..somewhere in Tipton County, Tn......Maizie was born to a poor family who lived in the country and who already had too many children. While still just an infant Minnie and Charles Volz adopted her and one of her brothers, Joe.

 When she was a young teenager her father, whom she adored, left her and her mother to marry a younger woman who happened to be her mothers cousin.

In 1931 at the age of seventeen she met and married Edward Verious Stallings.

He was not a good husband or father...in 1945, shortly after their fifth child was born he hired someone to drive her and the children from Houston, where they were living, back to Covington, Tn...to her mothers. To my knowledge that was the last time she saw him....she and her children were left to live with her mother in a two room area in what had once been her home. The large, two-story house had been purchased by her mothers' brother-in-law and turned into four apartments which Minnie managed in return for a place to live.

She struggled through about eleven years there..for several years she sold tickets at the local movie house. She took a course in some kind of office procedures and later worked in a doctors office.

  In 1956 Bob and I brought her and my three younger siblings to live with us in Mena Ar. After about a year she wanted to go back to Houston to live so Bob took her and the two younger children to Houston where she worked for the same company for 26 years...


After retiring she stayed depressed and became ill ... The summer of 1983 Bob and I drove down to Houston from Chicago and brought her back to live with us....she lived for another 10 years. In 1993 at the age if 79 she died from emphasyma. She had been bed-ridden for nearly a year...near the end her oxygen-deprived mind became impaired..she was fearful and could not sleep.  I became so sleep-deprived that I was forced to put her in a nursing home.  She was less than a mile from our house and I was there with her every day but she felt as though she had been deserted again. She said to me "My mother did not want me, my husband did not want me and now my children do not want me."...In my head I knew that wasn't true..I had not deserted her...but it broke my heart for her to feel that way....and had I known that she would live only three weeks longer I could've held out.

She was a feisty woman...very small in stature...never weighed over 100 lbs. and,  in spite of everything,  had a sense of humor.   She never had a car; never  learned to drive... rode the bus to and from work every day, rain or shine; never had her own home; had very little security... Life was not good to her...but one thing I know...she was not alone her last 10 years;  she was loved and cared for;  she had security.

I love you mother.

Another "Smilebox"

So ... the weekend passed by quickly as we enjoyed 3 full days and nights in Texas with Eddie and the boys...got to visit with Laura and her family..SaRita and David..Herk and his family..Christine and Mark...There was seventeen of us together at one time.

When Barb, Lorie and I left Alabama we weren't expecting the cold weather in Dallas...we arrived with only our warm-weather clothes and sandals..We landed at DFW around 6 pm Sat. night...Eddie, the boys, SaRita and David all met us at the airport...we went by Eddies to drop off luggage and than over to Cafe Max to meet up with Herk and Karen, Christine and Mark. I had cream of potato soup and a Caesar salad. We stayed up pretty late Saturday night...looking at different videos on UTube..taking pictures, etc..
Sunday we all met for breakfast at Hubbards in Garland, ...We went from there to Canton to see Laura and her family. It was "First Monday" weekend so we managed to spend some time there...the cold front blew in late that afternoon. Laura came back to Dallas with us. We got back to Richardson around 8 pm I think...went over to Jake's Hamburgers for some supper. We were near a Target so after we ate we went in and purchased something to wear to help keep warm. I got an "all-purpose" rain coat and some canvas shoes..sure made a difference in my comfort..
Eddie and Laura took Monday off from work ... we went to North Park Mall ...had some lunch at LaMadalines and then went to the theater.... . The movie, "Water for Buffalo's" was just so-so..Monday night we had supper at El Fenix in Plano.
Tuesday morning Laura went back to Canton and Eddie went back to work.  We did not have a car so were unable to go anywhere... we rescheduled our pick-up service to DFW for an earlier time...12:30....due to our early arrival and a problem with the plane we ended up being at the airport for about 4 and a half hours...our flight was round trip from Nashville... the cost of a trip to Dallas is much cheaper if taken from there, rather than Huntsville...besides, Huntsville had no power so the airport was closed...soooo...we got home around 11 pm..pooped! Luckly the power was restored at our house on Tuesday!
It was very good to see everyone...but being there makes me sad....we lived there so long..all the places were where we had been together...I miss him so much!

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April 24th...came and went and I didn't remember

I must be losing my mind! Yesterday, the 24th of April, was our 58th wedding anniversary. ..and I didn't remember...the truth is, I'm no longer aware of what the date is from one day to the next.

Bob's death and my grief has effected me in so many different ways...no one knows unless they have experienced it firsthand . Grief involves so many changes and it's continually developing. One thing I've learned is it takes longer than most people think, myself included. There really is no end..it just evolves from one thing to another. I'm told  that it's a journey and it can't be rushed....I've learned that that is true.

I've made it through the customary "steps"..the shock, or numbness...however, there was no shock involved for us...we knew for some weeks that he was dying..After the numbness wore off there was and still is,  emotional upheaval...at times overwhelming grief :  sadness:   depression:  loneliness:  drugs to sleep and help cope:  over activity, sometimes to the point of exhaustion: over-eating: over spending: neglecting basic needs: some physical distress: creating shrines: experiencing an intense preoccupation with his life: ..all  natural and normal grief responses I'm told!

I've made some healthy choices as well: crying, talking, sharing, attending a support group, journaling (through my blogs), taking small trips,  engaging in activities that I enjoy, such as gardening, allowing myself to laugh and enjoy the little ones in my family.

At this particular time I've become restless and  disorganized. I don't finish things that I start...there are half a dozen "projects" cluttering up the house  that lay undone..I leave the house in disarray for days...I'm unable to concentrate ...I forget everything..(our anniversary!!!)..did I take my pills this am?...I just put those thing away..where are they?...did I pay that bill? have I feed the fish today?
I can't sleep over 3 or 4 hours, even with Rx...and I cry at unexpected times...
So,

  "Please don't ask me if I'm over it yet...I'll never be over it...bereavement isn't a condition that clears up.
   Please don't tell me he's  in a better place...he isn't here with me.
   Please don't say at least he isn't suffering...I haven't come to terms with why he had to suffer at all.
   Please don't tell me God never gives us more than we can bear...
          just say you remember him... let me talk about him...let me cry."

Classic hamburger drive-in hangout in Dallas serves cheap burgers and beer by the six pack.

For the past 10 or so years it has been customary for the members of our Dallas family to head over to Keller's late Sunday afternoons...and we always made a point to go there when anyone was in town visiting. On a given Sunday there could be anywhere from 6 to 16 (or more) of the Peete clan showing up...car, truck, SUV, etc...there was loud music, bikers, other family groups or just couples hanging out, enjoying the food and atmosphere.

In Short: Old, dirty, run-down, noisy, hot, crowded....BUT---the best burger in town...chili cheese tots...ummmm.
I miss it.

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"This burger joint isn't about the perfect recipe, it's about the style in which it is served. Patrons park their vehicles under one of the many ports and a waitress comes out to greet them and take their order. The grub is brought back to the car for noshing. On weekends, bikers and classic cars enthusiasts fill the lot. The burger menu offers hot dogs, fries and chicken tenders." quote from The Dallas Observer..

I Love Kids

"I like the way they look like little strangers, the first time you see them - totally unrecognizale yet freshly detatched from your own body.
 I like how they look in their baby bed the very first time you tuck them in - so small you decide they better sleep in bed with you.
 I like the way they yawn with their whole bodies.
 I like the dimples in their knees when they first learn to stand
  - and I love sleepy hair - you know, how it looks all fuzzy when they first wake up,
 I like the way "R's" don't appear in their alphabet until they are at least five years old.
 I like how little girls think pink chiffon dresses are divine and little boys wear their cowboy boots with shorts.
 I like how they delight in chasing fireflies and blowing dandelions after they've turned into that white fuzzy stuff.
 I like how they look the first day of school.
 I like the way they love you more than anyone else on earth ever loved you, and how they like you even better when they're grown,
   and how, when they have children of their own you can try it once more...and maybe do a little better...because
I like children."


Beth Moore

How Does Your Garden Grow

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Lincoln County, Tn.

It was a beautiful day yesterday for our short drive up to the cemetery..the boys helped remove the faded flowers to be replaced with new ones...dogwood stems, purple sweet pea, ferns and Ivy...when finished we drove on into Fayetteville, Tn....picked up some bar-b-que sandwiches and drinks...stopped at a park to eat...then went by WalMart before returning the 15 miles back home.

Because you loved us

The dogwoods are blooming early this year

Beside Barb's driveway

The picture wall

Barb has not had the time to keep her pictures in any kind of order...so I set out to organize them for her.  She had a closet full of boxes filled with  albumns, frames (some with pictures in them, some without, some new and never used, some older), loose pictures, etc...I still have two boxes of loose pictures to sort through, organize and put in some kind of order..,,but I've finished the "picture-wall" that she wanted.

I think these next three are my favorite pictures...

The men in my life: my husband and two sons.
Bob was about 35, Herk (on left) high school grad. pic and Eddie (on right) college grad pic

young Barb and Dave

young Mr. & Mrs. Gentle

Change

These thoughts came to me while contemplating some of my more recent actions.

One definition of change is  "the supplanting of one thing by another." Most of the changes I've made have  been both physically and  emotionally unhealthy...though I find myself helpless to exercise  control over them for any period of time..it's my way of making it through the day and night...my way of coping and trying to accept an  enormous loss. The sad part of this is the comfort, relief, gratification,WHATEVER  obtained is so temporary...only momentary.. "expiration date  tomorrow".

Example one:  Yesterday..I left home around 9:30 and did not return for 12 hours...Some days I "busy myself" to the point of exhaustion, just to put myself in a place where I am not thinking only of him.  It' not that I don't enjoy the things that I occupy myself with on those days...because I  mostly shop...and what woman doesn't love to shop! 

but I'm spending money that I do not have..I've purchased 15 pairs of shoes in the last 9 months...clothes that I still have not worn.!. And I'm not going to even count the purses...fortunately most of them come from Barb's shop and I buy them at her cost...or less.

And then there are the changes I make to the house. In complete honesty, I've always liked changing things around, rearranging furniture, reorganizing...Maybe that's my way of being in control...or rather "the feeling" of being in control...more about the "control thing"  later.

Just since my last pictures I've changed things.  We moved out the twin beds in my bedroom and replaced them with a queen size...which called for all new bedding..(which Barbara had already)I've hung sheers on some of my windows, I've moved pictures from one place to another, I moved my birds out to the front porch...until the cool weather returned...I've even rearranged my closet!!!

 I found this lovely box at Hobby Lobby perfect size to hold Bob's letters from Germany..with places on the top just the right size to hold some of his original pictures from Paris..



With any luck the sun will come back out and I can go outside and make  some good changes in the yard.

Last night at Grief Share one of the ladies suggested that perhaps one reason I'm having such a difficult time "adjusting" to this change in my life is because I've always been someone who feels the need to be "in control"...and now I 've been confronted with the fact that we really have no control over most of what occurs in our life.....I think she was "right on".... .

“Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted.”

Note to Self

Encouraging quotes sound so "right"...so why do they cause me to feel worse...Is it because I am so far away from the end results promised..is it because they make me feel like such a failure..is it because they cause me to consider that I may just not have what it takes to be the person that I want to be...the person I thought that I was....just wondering..


Repeat over and over and over and over...and try to believe it .

"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens…
Not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.
A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results."

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
~ Charles Swindoll
`

"Adversity can be a witness!…not only is it making us stronger it is temporary. But people are watching to see how it affects us. How we let it make us or break us."

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure”
~Peter Marshall~

How Did This Happen?

When did this adorable, big-brown-eyed, curly haired little boy turn into this

adorable, big-brown-eyed, curly haired, hairy legged, pimpled faced young

man?

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How Does Your Garden Grow

The perennials have started peeking through the warmed-up garden soil,

the resilient pansies have their heads upright and bright,

the garden has been plowed, the leaves have been raked and mulched,

I've planted about 3 dozen bulbs...tulips, daffodils, irises, ...

and the renegade  tree has been trimmed...

to allow sun to shine on my front yard and enable grass to grow...

Rain, rain go away....bring it on...

we're ready to start prettying thing up again.

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IT'S OFFICIAL

We'll be there...JUNE  3rd.....Memphis...Michael Buble'

The three amigoes and the tag-along mom...

OH yeah.......Michael

June 3rd....Memphis....

Home Sweet Home ----or rather, "the American Dream"

I have been reminiscing about the homes Bob and I have been blessed to own over the past 57 years.....

Like most young people in the early 50's we were unable to purchase a home when we first married...the widowed owner of this lovely house in Covington, Tn. converted one side of the upstairs of her house into a small apt.  This was the home we shared our first year together...She was called Mamsie...her husbands name was Robert Sanford..I don't recall how long she had been widowed but I remember seeing/hearing her cry as she sat in her bedroom looking at some of her things..letters, pictures, etc...I now have total empathy with her and what she was going through. Our apartment was upstairs, left side. We lived there for one year.

 

From Covington we moved to Memphis...where the company Bob was employed with  was located. We rented one side of a duplex located on Snowden Ave. near Overton Park and Rhodes College...peviously known as Southwestern College.

We lived in Memphis for one year ...until his employer...Straton Warren Hdwe Co... put him "on the road"  as a salesman.  We were then located  in Mena Ar. and Little Rock Ar. for two years.

We rented this house in Mena...the two older children in this picuture are my brother and sister. When we left Tennessee we brought my mother and three of my sibblings from Covington to Mena to live with us.

In April of 1957 Bob quit his job with Straton-Warren and with three children, no job and about $300....we left Arkansas and headed for Dallas. .Mom, JoAnn and Nicky had gone back to Houston...that is where she and dad had lived when they were together...she still had friends there.. Bob took the first job he could find - with RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co..we lived in a duplex in Irving for a while - then rented a small house in Pleasant Grove..then the "company" sent us to Corsicana, Tx.   It was 1959 before we were able to purchase a home of our own..a very small "tract" home . ..(per Mr. Wikipedia....a style of housing development in which multiple identical homes are built on a tract of land which is subdivided into individual small lots..).

....four small rooms, a kitchen and one bathroom...It wasn't much but it was ours.... One of God's blessings at that time was to place us next door to a couple who  became our best friends  - and remain so to this very day! Paul and JoAnn Stephens... now residing in Rowlett, Tx. ......their life together  started out pretty much the same as our's...except that  Paul had been able to attend college...he graduated from Texas Tech, was a smart business man.. and  many years later he retired as one of the  VP's of the The Gap Corp.....in spite of their obvious financial success they are the very same sweet, unassuming  people today that they were then.

A favorite memory: The houses were built so close together we could sit in their kitchen--playing bridge and eating the delicious chocolate cream pie that she whipped up in about 15 min. time -  and still be able to hear any of our kids who might awaken from their sleep in our  bdrm. next door.....which was  maybe 10 ft. away from their back door....
this is the little house....

 We had three children when we moved there..but there were seven of us living in that tiny house before we left....

Boy! did we have our hands full....five children in eight years. We lived in Corsicana for five years.

In 1962 Bob's company (RJ Reynolds Tobacco) transfered us back to the Dallas area ...

for the next couple of years we were again forced  to "rent" ...After Bob changed jobs - and I stopped having babies every other year - I  entered the "business" world  and after a couple of years we became  home-owners again...

a five year old, 4 bdrm.,  2 bath,  2-car garage...brick,....1101 Intervale, Garland, Tx. Another "tract" home but four bdrms., We  were thrilled!

1963 - This was our second home..

That large vacant land behind the house soon became a busy shopping area..The location was at the corner of 635 (LBJ) and Centerville Rd. The freeway that looped around part of Dallas(named "LBJ") was under construction at that time and  the kids roller-skated and rode their bikes on the paved yet still unfished freeway ...JoAnn and Paul had also moved from Corsicana ane were living nearby in Garland. This picture was the last we took together before we  were transfered "again" --to Ca.   in  1973

We were in California for only two years 73 - 75...Bob worked very hard, as he always had... finally started recieveing good promotions and generous salary raises...and we were able to "upgrade"...also a tract home but a new, typical California , two story, 3 bdrm., plus a  "loft" room,  2 and 1/2 bath, living room AND dining room AND den..about 2000 sq ft . We loved living in California...!!! Spent much time landscaping the yard, spending time in San Francisco, Sausalito, Carmel/Monterrey, Santa Cruz....a truly beautiful area of our country but quite a culture shock moving from  Texas  to Ca.... in the 70's. Our two oldest children did not move with us ...they were 18 and 19---and altho our  family  had  always been very close--they were unprepared and/or unwilling to relocate again...the transfer came just a few weeks before Laura's highschool graduation so she stayed in Texas with JoAnn and Paul until she found a job (with a bank) and got an apartment of her own. Herk also worked and stayed with friends for a year while finishing his last year at Garland High.

This was our 3rd. home....The California house

1973...  4198 Rosenbaum, San Jose ...We paid 49k for it. Sold it two years later for 55k, just before the Ca. housing market began to skyrocket.

32 years later, in 2005 we were in Ca.  and  checked it out.

still a good-looking house in '05...

I checked on the listing price of a 31 yr, 1700 sq.ft. home in the same area ...listed today for $485,000

my, oh my, oh my

Another one of our children stayed behind when we were again transfered...Barbara had met David...an Alabama boy who was out there for a short time...they soon returned to his home town - Huntsville,  Al. - and were married.  

  Our next transfer took us to Chicago. I wanted something other than what was "just about the same as every other house on the street".. Bob was such a good sport and let me do exactly as  I pleased about it......he left everything in my hands as he was still  traveling every week...we put our money in land instead of a house. It was a very tiny, 75 yr old place that had been the original home on a farm site...I mean it was tiny!!!  and in very bad condition on the inside. There were  3  (11 x 10) rooms,  a small kitchen,   and  a half bath downstairs  ----the previous owners had added a second story- 3 bdrms and a bath upstairs.......... It was on an acre of land in an unincorporated area of one of the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I took a year off from work and updated everything . We paid 50k for the purchase... spent  probably another 35k  ? in improvements..  we replaced the well,  septic tank and septic field, all windows, doors,  floors, paint and wallpapers, bathrooms updated,  alum. siding, bow windows on front... sold it 13 years later for 140k... still a nice profit...

This was our 4th. home............Before our "changes"

...brother Nick and his family were here from Texas for a couple of days and were delighted to see a "MAY" snowfall..

here's the "after" .....

brother Ed and his family were living in Mn. so we were able to see them fairly often...here in 1982

1984 - the kids came as often as possible...they were in Al., Tx. and Ca.

 About 10 years ago that property was listed for sale as a "tear- down" for the price of......get ready for this.. $ 1.4 million. All the home sites on what had originally been  that farm land  were on 1 or more acres and had been upgraded and/or torn down and replaced with homes that probably cost half a million to build...And the area had been incorporated into Inverness...a very exclusive area.

We really enjoyed our 13 years there .. I was employed by an accounting firm in  downtown Chicago... in the "loop"... thank goodness for the  rapid transit system ...I used the commuter train to get to/from work.   Bob's office was in Northbrook...he had a private secretary and was  in and out of O'Hara Airport every two or three days.... He had advanced with Borden Inc., Chemical Division, ... ...(Elmer's glue, mystic tapes, etc.)...as a  marketing  mgr..of the Midwest Region  (he managed 9 states at that time), he and his "reps" made sales calls on the buyers for the national chain stores such as WalMart, Ace Hdwe., Ben Franklin's, True Value Hdwe. etc...He also worked at "trade shows"  in Atlanta, Dallas, SF, LasVegas, New Orleans, and on and on..I was able to accompany him on a number of those week-end trips.. At age 62 after 25 yrs. with Borden he took early retirement .  
Another of our children stayed behind when we moved back to Tx..Nicki was 19 and had lived there since age  11..  Chicago was her home...and still is...A few years prior Eddie had left Chicago to attend college at   UT-  Austin...our children had all flown the coop...

We   returned to Texas  (1988)  and purchased a  25 yr old house.... a nice, spacious yard..backed up to a small creek.....a settled neighborhood, mature trees, ...we lived there  for eleven years  and loved it also...For the very first time we were living in the same vicinity as some of our grand-children....'can't top that!
My mother, who was still residing in Houston after returning there in 1956,  was in ill health .... we drove down  and brought her back to live with us for the last 10 years of her life. She died from complications of emphysema  at the age of 79..  

This was our fifth home to own... 1988 - 1999

 this "family room" was appx. 20' by 24'..the large fireplace separated it from the dining room...at the end of the dining room, through french doors, was a small solarium...which I used as our office.



Next began the "down-sizing" period

...There was no debt on the house but. when the "bottom fell out of the market" in the early 90's we lost about 60k. of our retirement savings ...until we just "bit the bullet", sold everything  and put what was left in CD's... ..Merill Lynch had invested us in far too many junk bonds...

One of the young,  assistant pastors of the small  church we attended wanted to buy the house but was unable to quality for a loan in the amount of the appraised value ...we  wanted him to have it  so we let it go for 12k less than the appraisal ...
We enjoyed that home for 11years.  

our first "down-size"... this five year old smaller home  in Garland... 1600 sq ft.....

we lived here from 1999 - 2006

The sale of that home was not prompted by a company transfer...that move was to enable us to live closer to our son who had been left with the care of his two boys... we picked them up after school and usually stayed at Eddie's until after supper....driving Plano to Richardson -and- back  every day..sometimes twice a day..for over a year..we were grateful that we were able to do that..but we were aging ...it became much easier when we leased an apartment only five minutes away from their home and it was a new experience for us -  living in an apt ....for the first time in our life..we enjoyed that as well....we even had our own swimming  pool  right outside our patio   :)

We were there 18 months...When Bob was diagnosed, endured 7 weeks of radiation, was deathly sick from the effects of it, but  seemed to be recovering I decided it was time to build his cabin...

and lastly, Peete's Landing, ...Bob's "Little Cabin In The Woods..."

 Barbara had long desired for us to move to Alabama to be near her and her family...'we had spent much time visiting over the years and knew we would like it here.  She and David's home is on approx. 3 acres of land, at the end of a housing development that backs up to a woods, farmland  and a  creek...just the perfect place for the cabin....so because of their love and generosity we jointly financed the building and so began our last move (to date). We left  our Texas family: three children,7 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren and came here to be near our daughter,  two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren who live here..She was elated over the possibility of spending quality time with her father, whom she adored. Much to our sorrow she was not given that time. I do not regret the move..on the contrary I'm sure it was the best place for me to be under the circumstances.

It would be the perfect conclusion to this story except for one thing...

he is not here