100 Random Love Thoughts to Celebrate 100 Posts

All bloggers celebrate their 100th blog with some kind of Meme...... I decided just a minute ago to combine several and do 100 random - not conclusive-thoughts about things ( not people, but maybe things about people) I love as quickly as possible and be done with this. And post it tonight without waiting to re-read or edit. Don't feel you have to read all 100. This whole blog is really just a journal and photo book for me. So....

1. I love revisiting my old blog posts and enjoying the memories of our fun times together.
2. I love the change of seasons. It never happens soon enough for me.
3. I love Jane Austen books. And the movies made from them.
4. I love my car but I'm beginning to think I may need a new one.
5. I love a good hard, wonderful rain. It rained today.
6. I love driving up to my house and seeing Leslie's and Laurie's vehicles in my imaginary drive.
7. I love playing golf with Bennett.
8. I love having time to do things that I want to do.
9. I love having time to do things I feel I should be doing.
10. I love throwing rocks in the pond.
11. I love having a new calculator that no one else uses.
12. I love sitting down to read after the house is cleaned.
13. I love seeing old friends and catching up.
14. I love seeing a student succeed.
15. I love seeing and being surrounded by people who are praising God without thought to anyone watching.
16. I love seeing the sun rising over the pond in the morning.
17. I love seeing Hannan run to open the cabinets to find the toys.
18. I love weight watchers crunchy ice cream bars.
19. I love hearing my aunt and uncle talk about my parents.
20. I love driving by the big elephant everyday.
21. I love picking Bennett up from pre-school and him asking me if we are going to Chick Fil A's.
22. I love Bennett riding in my car and saying, " Juju, Give me some Jesus." ( The song is Just give me Jesus.)
23. I love saying yes we are going to CFA.
24. I love my disciplining time with Haley.
25. I love Christmas lights.
26. I love George and Louie's salad.
27. I love green shirts and sweaters.
28. I love driving down a clay road except when it has been raining.
29. I love Jesus and I wouldn't want to go to heaven if He was not going to be there.
30. I love being in a boat on the pond.
31. I love walking with a friend.
32. I love Hannan's hair when it sticks straight up.
33. I love seeing my girls happy.
34. I love seeing Jimmy playing with the boys.
35. I love teaching two evenings a week.
36. I love a holiday from school.
37. I love shrimp at O'Steen's.
38. I love seeing anyone really happy with their job.
39. I love seeing my nieces laugh.
40. I love gathering at the cabin.
42. I love having the cabin to gather AT.
43. I love how Leslie always looks out for Laurie.
44. I love having pasta dinner with Amanda and Nancy.
45. I love clean sheets on the bed.
46. I love having a decent camera to take picture of the boys (and others too of course)
47. I love running into Alan unexpectedly in Valdosta.
48. I love watching teenagers who I taught turn into super adults.
49. I love talking with super adults who were once my teenage students.
50. I love pasta.
52. I love lazy Saturday afternoons shopping with my friend.
53. I love walking around downtown Moultrie.
54. I love to see the promises of God fulfilled.
55. I love my friend's homemade bread.
56. I love seeing my brothers laugh.
57. I love seeing my sister-in-laws laughing with (or at) my brothers.
58. I love the Ms. Meringues that my sister-in-law got me hooked on.
59. I love this season of having Laurie with us.
60. I love when my sister starts a story then get so tickled that she cannot finish it.
61. I love when Jason grills for us.
62. I love a good book.
63. I love chocolate.
64. I love having Bible Study at my house.
65. I love the mother Leslie has become.
66. I love Mark frying the turkey at Thanksgiving.
67. I love Lela bringing her brothers to our house to eat or celebrate with us.
68. I love movies. And eating pop corn in a darkened theater.
69. I love seeing Lee in his boat fishing on Golden Pond.
70. I love Jason and Leslie singing together.
71. I love listening to Laurie laugh on the phone with her friends about something silly that one of them did that day.
72. I love Jay telling and laughing at a story from his childhood.
73. I love my nephews entertaining the family with their wild stories.
74. I love Bradley getting tickled at some tale.
75. I love that my son-in-law wanted to build a house around the pond from me.
76. I love watching Wes teach at BCM.
77. I love watching my brother with his little red headed sweetie.
78. I love watching that little red head control my brother.
79. I love how my brothers (and SIL's) love and ENJOY their children.
80. I love how my sister and brother-in-law ENJOY their children.
81. I love the memories I have of my parents.
82. I love that it is 11:30 and I am determined to finish this tonight.
83. I love seeing former co-workers who are also retired and really enjoying a busy life.
84. I love Hannan calling then looking for "Pa".
85. I love riding in the Mustang. I hope to do it again soon in a newly painted Mustang.
86. I love the girls remembering fun or silly things we routinely did.
87. I love Sonic drinks.
88. I love Bennett saying, "Juju, do you want to ___ with me." Anything he asks I answer yes.
89. I love the sound of hundreds of croaking frogs at night.
90. I love hearing the train coming down the track.
91. I love seeing the light of the train on the track from my bed at night.
92. I love having time to walk slowly with the boys as they discover.
93. I love the cool downs on The Thirty Day Shred.
94. I love seeing the ducks fly over the ponds.
95. I love getting a good night's sleep.
96. I love having all of my family together.
97. I love having all of my entire family together.
98. I love my new shower curtain.
99. I love completing a project.
100. I love completing THIS project! ( 12:15! )

Fall

I've been reading on different blogs about leaves changing colors, children wearing jackets, the first frost of the year and even the first snow fall of the season. BUT, in South Georgia we have had record breaking highs and humidity of 100%. IT HAS BEEN HOT!



But, we still celebrate the seasons. We gather whatever orange, gold, and yellow we can find, turn the air down a little more, and pretend it's a different season. We are forever optimistic!

A gathering that I helped with at Gin Creek.

It Happened at Belk's

Jimmy always says that if I ever write a book the title will be It Happened at Belk's. I often have a story that begins, "You will not believe what happened at Belk's today". For example, one day I observed a couple of young women pushing a double stroller down the aisle at the Valdosta Belk. The mothers were busy talking and did not notice that one of the little toddlers held his hand out to touch the clothes as he passed by the racks. At the end of the section, the first rack just tipped over and fell against the next rack, which then fell into the next rack, and so on, domino style until the rack (at least nine racks and maybe more..... I'm not exaggerating here!) next to the cashier fell into her waiting hand. My mouth was hanging open in amazement over what I had just seen but she seemed rather nonchalant and another clerk just started setting up racks and straightening clothes. The clerk said it had happened before.

When I first moved to Moultrie I was thrilled to live near a Belk's after living in "Tinytown" for a few years. I loved my Belk store. It was filled with great separates in good solid colors and cute shoes for school and play. And the make-up counter had more choices than I ever thought I would work my way through. I could count on my Belk's to have a cute outfit when I needed something plus those basics for school. And their hosiery department, which I needed often, offered hosiery for every occasion. They even had a professional photographer come in periodically to take pictures of my precious girls. I was in love. And we maintained our relationship for some time.

But, the years took their toll and my Belk's did not always meet my needs or the needs of my fashion forward children. Maybe I drifted first. Venturing off to Albany, then to Tallahassee. And finally even to Macon......... Looking for more and trendier clothes. I remember my first time in the Macon Mall Gap. A store full of basics. It was heaven. My first purchase was a green stripped, sleeveless shirt that I really loved. Maybe that is when my green shirt thing started.

Anyway, I will share the blame when I say that we were not as close as we once were, but I thought we were still friends. I thought they would be there when I needed them. But, this week I walked into my Belk store and turned left to check out the fall Liz Claiborne line only to be met with clothing that was obviously not my Liz. Where was my Liz? I looked around a bit, then walked down a few aisles and could not find them. I finally waited in line to ask and sure enough............. they no longer carry Liz at this Belk. I'm afraid this is it for us. I looked the other way when the make-up counter repeatedly did not have my foundation and even refused to purchase it when Laurie strongly suggested buying it out of town. I waited and even changing one shade to purchase locally. But, I am breaking up with my local Belk's now. They have let me down too many times. I'm afraid no Belk's is better than a poor Belk's.
We're not that far from Valdosta!

Swamp Thing

We spent Saturday in the swamp.............The Okefenokee Swamp that is.

Jimmy's family is from all around the swamp....Homerville, Statenville, all of those little towns.
So every September they gather at the State Park in Fargo, Ga. right at the bottom of the swamp.


The park has cabins, play grounds, plenty of water for fishing and boating and picnic pavilions. This weekend it was a very busy place. Two large reunions plus a lot of people fishing and hunting.


Hannan had fun "driving" the boat. He, of course, was one of the stars of the gathering.

We didn't even see a gator............... but this is as far out in the water we got........ The dock! Maybe next year, Hannan.

A Lot of Moving Going On

Still Waters has been a very busy place the last few weeks. The Manor house down the lane has been completed and is now occupied. The big move is pretty much complete. The (For Real) plantation behind us has been using our lane to access a tract of pines that they are thinning and Bennett has enjoyed watching the log trucks pass not only because the drivers always toot their horns at him if they can see him out but because he is a boy. Boys just REALLY like heavy equipment. He especially enjoyed a couple of trips down the new road to check out the progress and to see the bulldozer and log picker-upper up close. Also, the rattlesnakes have been moving and we have seen and killed several very large snakes the last couple of weeks. And when I say we, I mean other people. I had no part in this activity what- so- ever. I did not chose to look over their dead bodies nor stretch them out to their full length to take their picture. I did not even chose to ride by to see their dead lifeless bodies from the safety of my vehicle. After Jason killed the first snake at the Manor House he explained to Bennett that if he ever saw a snake he was just to "tell Daddy." I had not heard about the latest snake killing until after Bennett told me, " If I see a snake I'm going to STEP on it!" I don't expect he will be allowed out of the house on his own until he is 18 or so. We may also be changing the name of our planation-ett to Snake Nation. Anyway, Welcome to the neighborhood Lairsey family!

It Happened At Belk Hudson

During my pre-teen years my family lived just a couple of blocks from the city block that housed an elementary school, the junior high, the recreation department, the local city gym - used by the Jr. High for PE, the rec department for basketball games, the high school for basketball games, AND was used as an auditorium for the entire community and the schools. The next blocks were the main downtown area, so the main part of town was not too far from our house. It was a simpler (and safer) time and at 11-13 I was allowed to walk and really just ramble all over our part of town. So was our dog, Pal. He was well known :)

On Saturday afternoon one of my friends ( five of us lived within two blocks of one another) and I would sometimes walk downtown ....... passing the elementary school ... a quick swing on the empty play grounds.... by the junior high.... up and down the granite steps of the old post office....... maybe stopping to watch the cokes fly by on the conveyor belt at the bottling plant across from the schools..... then into one of several drug stores on the surrounding corners to sit at the counter or in a booth to enjoy an ice cold coca cola. Maybe having a slaw dog if we wanted to splurge with our allowance so early in the week. Or catching the Saturday matinee and enjoying the movie, a coke and popcorn all for $.40 at the theater located in the block between two of the drug stores.

Just a normal Saturday afternoon in most small towns in America in the sixties I suppose................ But we did have entertainment that may not have been available in every small town. Well, maybe not any other small town. Maybe only in Atlanta or even New York City........... Well, maybe not any other town of any size. We had entertainment at our Belk Hudson store. I always loved going with my mom to Belk Hudson and being entertained while my mom shopped in the fabric department. The entrance off the main downtown street opened onto the floor that housed shoes, the men's department, hosiery, and cosmetics. The top floor housed women's wear, the children's department, and lingerie.

But, if you parked in the parking lot you actually entered what was considered the basement. The basement housed housewares and dry goods (fabric, etc)..... AND.... THE MYNAH BIRD. That's right.......... our Belk Hudson had a talking bird that lived in the store over the drink machine in a sitting area. Very entertaining. And very loud! He was a rude bird now that I think about it. He whistled at all the ladies and yelled out cat calls and insults. There were certain words and phrases that he would repeat. All the local children knew what to ask him to either get a response or just get him rilled.

Just normal life for those of us who grew up with him. I bet the ladies in housewares wanted to poison his bird seed by Saturday evening.

The Boys of Summer.................

Labor day has come and gone so this series of photos will finish the summer series....... The Boys of Summer.


Does anything say summer like a creamsicle,..................

..........( maybe not Hannan's favorite).............. boiled peanuts,....







..................................... cool water on a hot day,...................

............... a new slip'n slide,................


.................... or, of course, golf.





............................. which calls for a snack.





Then more golf.......................................................


and more golf with a cousin....................................

.........................................and another snack.


And of course more ice cream on the front porch.




Summer kisses are the juiciest.


And more water to wash away the grime from summer fun.


And here's a special "boy of summer" who visited Still Waters. Come back soon Alan. Don't wait until next summer.

So long, summer. How I'll miss you, but please take the gnats with you. And the snakes!