Kiss my grass ...

Look! We have grass, man! (Not THAT kind of grass, Ginger ...)

This is our back yard (well, soon-to-be backyard). They (whomever "they" are) put the grass down last week. The tile guys - and that's an official title - are finishing the kitchen and den today. They still need to put in the grout, and finish the master bathroom.

Wooo hooo! It won't be long now!

:)

For my friends who smoke ...

A Boy and his Toy

This is Ron's new (well, new to him) toy. One of the docs he works with had to buy a big tractor because he bought a bigger piece of property, so Ron bought this from him (to my chagrin). The picture of land I posted is showing the area he semi-cleared today with his tractor. Ahem ... I should mention ... the land he cleared IS NOT OURS. It's part of the plantation that surrounds our land. I have a feeling after it's cleared it will become a food plot.

Maybe I should get out a piggy bank to start putting money away ... you know, for Ron's bond after he gets carted to jail for hunting on a private plantation. I'm sure he's betting on risk v. reward ... the risk is minimal since there is soooooo much land surrounding our place, and the reward ... well, let's just say I'm glad I will have 10 foot ceilings in our house ... 'cuz we gotta make room for more deer heads :(

For my family and friends who ...

... do NOT live in Jawja. This picture is of the road in front of our property. (For my friends who live here, this is LBH - Lower Boston Road)

This ... is red Georgia clay. I know I'm odd about some things, and I think this is one of those "things" that make me odd. I LOVE THIS CLAY. I know it turns my white Pilot orange, but I love it. It's one of the things that defines Georgia, which has been my home for 16 years. I never thought I'd love a state more than my native Texas, but I do. Now ... for my family and friends who live in Texas ... I'm not abandoning my affections for the Tejas ... it is dear to me for a thousand reasons. But Georgia is home for me ...

... that is, until we retire to Colorado ...

:)

Entrance Gate

No, this isn't an ant hole or just pile of bricks. In one of these photos, you can see Ron and his dad working to install a gate on our property. The hole, obviously, is for the poles that hold the gate ... and the bricks are to build around the poles. We will install solar lights on top of the pillars and the gate will be electric. Not only will the entrance bring beauty to our property by landscaping around the pillars, it will keep vehicles off our property. After having Ron's 4 wheeler and trailer stolen, we're not taking any chances. Which, I must mention, is still very much a sore subject ... STATE FARM sucks. You know the commercial, "State Farm is there?" Well, apparently they're RIGHT THERE to raise your premiums whenever you make a claim. Muthas ...

It's gettin' closer ...

... to being finished! Here is the latest photos ... one of the house and one of our front yard, which as you can see is woods. We will have a grass yard that surrounds the house along with landscaping, but we're going to keep the woods in front of our property to try and help the visibility from the road, or the lack thereof, actually. I will post pics from the inside as soon as the cabinets are put in. I think the cabinet guy will start in about two weeks, but in the meantime the tile guy is working on the master bathroom. He has to tile the shower and around the garden tub. He has alot of prep work to do first, then the tile will be put on. Ron and his dad are driving to Jacksonville, Florida on Monday to pick up the tile he ordered. We saved nearly fifty cents a square foot by buying from this certain tile distributor. And THAT'S a good thing since we never budgeted for tile!

More to come ...

Linda's birthday

Here is my friend, Linda, enjoying her birthday. I'm not even sure how old she is ... I think we're only a year or two apart. Oh, and she is also the mother of my friend, Karli (who has already sent two of her papers my way to check for her - she's at MaryMount College in Manhattan).

Linda is ... hmmm, how do I describe her? Well, I think first and foremost, it's important to state that Linda is REAL. There is nothing fake about her! She isn't pretentious, artificial, or conceited in any form or fashion. It is true that what you see is what you get with Linda (and I, for one, think that's a good thing). She raised two great children (which reminds me of my sister, D.D.) by herself, works harder than anyone I know (Um, except for my husband - he's always the exception), and would give you the shirt off her back if you asked her (which reminds me of my mother).

In this photo you can see the flowers I sent her (to her left), and the nekkid-men playing cards given to her by Kristin (yet another friend I must blog about some time). She was showered with gifts from so many people at work ... which, in my mind, is a testament as to how many people truly love her and want to celebrate her special day.

I love her, too ... she's so r-e-a-l ... which makes her a real friend, indeed.

By the way, those playing cards are FAAAAABULOUS ;)

My diploma is here!!!

I've waited nearly six weeks for this piece of paper to get here ... and it arrived today, ensuring I'll have a great weekend. I do have one teensy-weensy gripe about the diploma ... IT'S SO ... SO ... small. I mean, I'm sure it's the same dimension as my diploma for my B.A., so it's not as small as a postcard ... but I expected a diploma that was bigger. I didn't expect one as large as Ron's diploma (his is HUGE and is written in Latin - privilege of going to med school, I guess), but I thought my M.Ed. would be larger in size. Perhaps I'm matching the academic difficulty with the size of the paper ... 'cuz I'm here to tell ya, I worked MUCH harder for this one!

I know, I know ... I shouldn't bitch about it. After all ... it's only a piece of paper. But I guess it's true ...

size DOES matter ...

;-)

5 Long Years

Yep, it doesn't seem as if were 5 years ago today that a monumental tragedy took place. It feels as if it were only yesterday ...

Why does it feel that way? Because the media (in an election year no less - coincidence? Um, maybe not ...) are making sure to devote every spare second to showing the planes fly into the towers. There are documentaries, made-for-tv movies, and news shows this past week ... and I'm sure in the weeks to come as well.

I will perhaps offend some readers when I post a link that concerns 9/11 and the events of that day (moreover, events leading to that day), but I am not worried about that. If my readers love America (as many claim they do), then they will respect and remember that if America is to be free, Americans must honor those freedoms. The freedom I write about is the freedom of speech ... the freedom I have to express my opinion. Now ... I know as sure as I'm sittin' here that some readers will argue that the link I provide below is in direct conflict with our government ... and it's because of our government and its soldiers that I have the right to the freedom I mentioned above. Most of that is true ... I agree that I enjoy this freedom because others fight for us to protect it ... that's right and I agree 100%. But what always seems to get lost in the mail (so to speak) is the fact that granted, our military protects them, but they are only the puppets of our government - they do as they're told. I am grateful for the risk they take ... I am ... and my readers need to keep in mind that just because I am grateful doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion.

I will always believe that the events of 9/11 were cold, cowardly and tragic ... HOWEVER, I will also always believe that our government (specifically George Bush and his cronies) are more than partly responsible FOR THE REASON for the attacks. Slay me and burn my name in effigy for saying so ... I do not care.

The link below will bring those interested parties to a website called "Scholars for 9/11 truth." I think those who have an open mind will visit this site and give some of the articles a look-see ...

http://www.scholarsfor911truth.org/

Update

I was going to post photos of the inside of the house ... we're at the painting stage (finally) and I am dying to show off the colors of the rooms ... BUT ... I've decided to wait until the cabinets and flooring is in. My decision to do this probably stems from the color of the kitchen. I chose a Benjamin Moore color called "bryant gold" for the kitchen. I gasped when I saw it on the walls because I could imagine the beautiful cabinets and granite countertops ... those who do not know what the cabinets or countertops look like may only see a color that may evoke thoughts such as, "who puked on the walls?" -----> You know, like my friend Will would say ... :)

So ... until more is complete on the house I am going to wait to post photos inside. Until then, take a look at our view of the driveway as we're leaving our house, and the view we have as we drive up the driveway to our house.

My husband has amazed me in his quest to build us our new home we've dreamed about for the last few years. I had my doubts at one time that he'd pull it off, but he showed me that my doubts were unfounded.

J.

Have you ever ...

... been so tired your eyelids hurt? That's me today ... got the deadass but no time for the deadass ...

Oh well, I have plenty to be thankful for so I should just shut the hell up with my complaining.

I have this student ... I'll call her "A" ... who forces me to use every incidental learning and teaching experience I have learned through 5 years of undergrad, 2 years of grad school, and 4 years of teaching. She wears me out just lookin' at her ... she's probably in her mid 50's, African-American, looks like an unmade bed (at least her hair), and spends more time complaining about how hard her classes (all two of them) are than she does actually doing the work. I am her cheerleader, her mentor, and her foster parent. I have to praise her constantly, lecture her daily, and tell her in a million different ways how far she's come in such a short time. She ... is more than a handful. But ya know what ... she makes me feel like the educator I claim to be. For some reason, I seem to be the only one on the entire campus who can solve her problems. They're never HUGE problems, but she insists that I help her. I'm still not sure I like this position she has me in ... it can get pretty scary up there on the pedestal ... but it is certainly one in which I cannot refuse. She ... is why I work for TRIO. She is underserved, underrepresented, and unrelenting in her quest to educate herself. She demands more than I have ... yet she motivates me to give even more than she expects.

"A" is why I teach.

Now I'm going home ... to screams of "Mommy's home!" from Eli, Hannah coming to me showing me her latest art work, and Ron on the phone with a sub-contractor ... and I am probably too tired for any of that ... but like my job with "A," ... I can't let 'em see me sweat.

I am tired ... but I'd rather be tired than not to be needed.

J

Small town girl in the B I G city

I got an e-mail earlier from my friend, Karli (for those who don't remember - she went with me and Ginger to the Braves game for my birthday) ... she is missing Thomasville, her family, and all her friends. She moved to NYC last week to attend MaryMount College in Manhattan. She was born and raised in this area, so naturally she is missing the familiarity of home.

Not only is she my friend, she is also a former employee. She was an English tutor for our program for over a year, so she is also sorely missed at work. I know she will begin to feel less homesick the longer she is there; I only hope that feeling disappears quicker than it probably should. Her mother, Linda, also works at the university and I'm here to tell ya ... Linda is missing Karli as much as Karli is missing home! Both Linda and Karli remind me of my sister D.D. and her daughter, Amanda ... very close relationships. Karli is also very close to her brother Danny, much like Amanda is close to her brother, Tyler (who is also homesick in Illinois - that's for ANOTHER blog).

I was hoping to see Karli this coming week as I was scheduled to go to NYC for a week to attend the COE conference. I had to cancel the trip because we are short-handed at work ... I would have felt guilty leaving my boss all by herself with only 3 returning tutors (6 are BRAND NEW). I lost $100 by cancelling the plane ticket, but it's only money ... I'd rather lose $100 than to put my boss in a tight squeeze.

So ... I will miss visiting Karli. I am on the lookout for any conferences close to NYC that I can attend in the spring. I'll visit her soon, I'm sure.

Karli ... when you read this ... know that soon I'll be posting pics of us together in Manhattan!!

J :)

Wadda catch!!

I have been meaning to blog this, but got caught up at work and didn't get around to it. Okay, it's Friday now (PTL) and I actually have some "not-anything-pressing-to-do" time.

Alright, so you see the photo of Andruw Jones of the Atlanta Braves here, right? Well, it's not the photo I wanted to post but I could not find the one I was looking for. The other night ... um, I think it was Wednesday night ... the Braves were playing the Giants. In the 8th inning, Ray Durham got some good wood on a Chad Paronto special (which means that it was right down Broadway when it wasn't SUPPOSED to be) and everyone just KNEW the ball would find the stands. I even turned to my husband and said, "Oh hell, there it goes." Andruw Jones had other plans ... the guy jumps up on the outfield wall and caught the ball as it was leaving the field!!! If anyone has watched Andruw play, this description comes as no surprise. I mean, geez ... the dude has won 8 Gold Gloves!!!

I had to blog this because it is one of those moments ... you know, you remember where you were when it happened ... the assassination of JFK ... events like that (okay, so I exagerrated). Well, I'll ALWAYS remember this amazing catch. Wadda gamer ...

Georgia is Baseball Country!

For my friend, Will ...

Today the Little League World Series concluded with the powerful team of Columbus, Georgia taking the title (second year in a row) from Japan. Although I only watched the last two innings, I kept up with it through Sports Illustrated. The young men of Columbus fought hard and emerged victorious in a game that brought pride to the city of Columbus, pride to their families, and pride to our country. These young men participated in a sport that transcends generations and brings people from all walks of life together.

Congratulations Columbus!!!

Oh yeah, the picture is from the Associated Press - please no one sue me.

J :)

World's Shortest Fairy Tale ...

... compliments of my friend, Ginger.

Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl "Will you marry me?" The girl said, "NO!" And the girl lived happily ever after and went shopping, dancing, camping, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook, did whatever the hell she wanted, never argued, didn't get fat, traveled more,had many boyfriends, didn't save money, and had all the hot water to herself. She went to the theater, never watched football, never wore fricken lacy lingerie that went up her butt, had high self esteem, never cried or yelled, felt and looked fabulous in sweat pants, and burped, swore, and farted all the time.

The End

18 Years!

18 years ago today, I married Ron Lindquist. It was a VERY hot day in Texas, and even though we had an evening wedding Texas kept the heat turned up. We married outside in the gazebo of the Durham House, the oldest Victorian home in Houston. The neighborhood in which the Durham House is located is called the Houston Heights. It's a lovely neighborhood that, when I left Houston in '88, was quickly becoming THE place to live for Houston's homosexual community. The homes in this area are what we in the south call "high dolla" ... many buyers remodel the home after purchase and increase its value ten-fold.

Anyway, my parents arrived 10 minutes late (of course) and Ron's father and sister made the 12 hour drive from Thomasville. Ron's mother, of course, did not attend because she didn't want to drive all that way - she doesn't like to leave Thomasville. So with my family and friends ... and Ron's few family members ... we married in the gazebo. My best friend (at the time) was our Best Man, Jeff; our groomsman was David, a friend of mine and Jeff's; my Matron of Honor was my sister, D.D. (who would be my best friend if she weren't my sister); and our bridesmaid was Ashley, Ron's sister (who I have grown to love and respect).

We were both so nervous that evening ... really only knowing just a little bit about each other even though we had known each for 5 years at that point. Hell, I've known Ron since the summer of '83 and I'm not completely sure we still know each other!!! I think that may be a common experience for many people.

We married on a Saturday, and he left again for Alabama (where he was posted by the Army) on Tuesday following the wedding.

That was 18 years ago ...

... we're still alive ...

... we're still married ...

... and thank God ...



I DON'T LIVE IN ALABAMA ANYMORE!!!!

Events of the day

It's nearly midnight and I'm glad about that. Why? Because this very long and exhausting day will soon be over. It began innocently enough ... I made out a grocery list (and it was a LONG list - cupboards were bare), packed the crotch-fruit in the Pilot, and headed to Wally World. We've got a full buggy going from aisle to aisle ... when my cell rings. Bear in mind that I knew I would not hear the caller's voice well because EVERY CITIZEN OF THOMASVILLE WAS IN WAL-MART at the time of the call. So ... I answer and hope for the best ... and it's Ron ... who I can barely hear not because of the forty people in the same aisle as I, but because he sounded as if he was in distress. All I could hear was, "Babe ... I'm sick ... come get me." I knew he was working on our new home ... picking up the construction trash and piling it into a burn pile ... and knew he would be working in the hot sun. I told him I'd be right there in a very panicked voice ... grabbed Eli's and Hannah's hand and ran for the door (leaving my very full grocery buggy in the middle of an aisle - thankfully nothing was perishable). While running out the door and trying to explain to both children WHY we were running out of the store ... I manage to call Ginger and ask her to call 911 and send an ambulance out to the new house. I get the kids in the car, buckled in ... and I FLY TO 6530 LOWER BOSTON ROAD. I couldn't go as fast as I wanted to ... afterall, I had my most precious cargo in the car ... but I still managed to hit 100 MPH at one point. My mind was reeling and my heart was racing ... I had no idea what I'd find when I got there.

Relief. I see an ambulance as I drive up to the house. Ron was in the shade ... DRIPPING sweat (his shirt looked as if he had run under a water hose), drinking water, and having his vitals taken by the very nice young man in the EMT suit. Soon after my arrival, a second ambulance arrives and two more nice gentleman come over to make sure Ron doesn't need to go to the hospital.

It was kinda funny at one point ... there are these 3 guys ... explaining to Ron how he needs to drink Gatorade to replace the electrolytes he's lost ... blah, blah, blah ... and giving more explanations as to WHY Ron felt the way he did ... blah, blah, blah ... so I finally let the cat outta the bag - I tell the EMTs that Ron is a P.A. ... one guy says, "now I feel like I'm being judged!" I said, "No, not at all! That's why we didn't say anything earlier!"

They left after Ron signed the form declining a trip to the hospital ...

Before I could pack my very tired husband in my car, the tile guy shows up to go over the tile stuff. Ugh. I began to wonder if I would ever get him to stop working. So Ron gets up and shows the tile guy what we want. FINALLY I get him into my car ... we go home ... I drop Ron and Eli at home ... and Hannah and I trek back to Wally World. It was funny ... we found out buggy right where I left it ... no one had bothered it! I was dreading having to find everything all over again, so I was REALLY happy to know that Wal-Mart employees wouldn't notice a bomb in a buggy. Now YOU feel safe, right?

I somehow finish all the shopping ... we get home, unload the groceries ... put them away ... I make lunch for everyone ... I jump into the shower to get ready to go to Kathleen's funeral. I get ready in record time, but instead of heading straight to the church I was asked to go by Sonny's and pick up the catering (for 75 people). Ginger meets me there ... rides with me and lots of BBQ chicken and its fixins to the church. We unload it all, set it up, and then walk across the parking lot to the church. Kathleen's family was arriving so we finished just in time. I sat up front in the church with other colleagues, and I'm so glad I did. I was able to see and hear everything very well.

I immediately noticed that the new Thomas University president (and his wife) were in the row behind me ... his appearance meant a lot to us. He never even met Kathleen, but here he was representing the institution. Very good.

The service was hard ... but it was also great. As I told a friend of mine ... it was exhilarating, inspiring, and comforting all at the same time. There were 5 pastors/preachers ... but the last one made the greatest impression. He was all that you'd expect from an all-black deep south Missionary baptist church ... from the "can I get an amen?" ... to his MLK pulpit sound. He made me feel better ... better that Kathleen was really only going home ... and that I'd see her later.

Well, my tears have sprouted again talking about Kat's funeral and thinking about how scared I was today thinking I may lose Ron ... so I will close this for now. I think a good night's sleep will do me some good.

J.

A life ...

... has ended. My friend and colleague, Kathleen "Kat" Duncan, passed away tonight around 6:30 pm. She was surrounded by her family as she took her last breath ... and that brings me comfort.

I will take some time before I write about my feelings about Kathleen. Right now it's too raw ... too tough to articulate. I hope her family sees their way through this very tough time ... and I also hope those who knew Kat will think of her smile and mischievous personality.

We will miss her ...

I will miss her ...

J.

Okay, it's official ...

... I'm old. I went to a party last night at the behest of a friend of mine. His niece - my friend, Karli - was having a "send off" party because she is leaving next week for New York. She's been accepted at Marymount College in Manhattan, so Mickey (my friend and Karli's uncle) gave her a going-away party.

Anyway, I should mention that Mickey called me around 9:30 last night and lied to me. I knew there was a party, but I really thought there would be too many people attending for anyone to miss me. Obviously not the case. Soooo ... in his phone call Mickey lies and says that no one showed up for the party and Karli was in tears. At the time of the call I was sitting in my office at work (I know, I know) trying to catch up everything. Classes begin Monday ... and when you work 4 different positions, the first week is COMPLETE HELL. So ... back to the phone call ... so after hearing that Karli was in tears, I packed up my crap and headed over to Mickey's.

Now ... to the "old" part ... so I drive up into the driveway, I see dozens of cars. The jig is up - and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. As I exit my car and head towards the front porch, I see that several students are sitting on the front porch. As I get closer, they get quieter. I even hear, "oh no ... it's Mrs. Lindquist." They proceed to hide their beer and cigarettes ...

So I walk into the very crowded house and find Mickey. After giving him hell for lying to me and finding Kristin so she can make me a margarita, I turn around and see a kitchen full of students. Jonathan Carroll, who I just taught this summer in 20th Century America and Middle East History, says to me, "Hey Mrs. Lindquist ... did you read/grade my paper yet?"

So you see dear friends ...

I am ... O L D.

Medicarily,

J.

Sunday giggle ...

The kindergarten teacher asked the students in her class to
bring something related to their families' religions to
class the next day.

She asked for volunteers to show what they had brought to
the rest of the class. One boy came forward and said, "I am
Muslim, and this is my prayer rug."

Another child came forward and said, "I am Jewish, and this
is my Star of David."

Another came forward and said, "I am Catholic, and this is
my Rosary."

The last little boy came forward and said, "I am Southern
Baptist, and this is my Covered Dish."