It's Hot,-- way too hot!

Yes it is hot. It is August. It is Mississippi. It is hot. I thought the other day; I know why there are more churches in the Bible Belt-We already know what Hell feels like and really don't want to experience it for eternity! I think that I came up with that on my own. woo hoo!

I am really not liking being fat. I really am not liking the south beach. I really am tired of working at this. Okay, I am not as fat as I was last summer, which is a good thing. My knees are truly thanking me. My clothes are smaller-by 6 sizes-another good thing. It's just that I have lost hundreds of pounds over the years and I am so afraid that I will revert to my bad habits. I want fried okra. I want tortilla chips and queso dip. I want a bacon and tomato sandwich on nasty old white bunny bread! I was so disappointed last night when I stepped on the scales and after 2 awful weeks on phase one of the south beach only 3 pounds gone. I guess I should be thankful that they were gone. Lord help me not to give up and revert to my bad habits. Help me to realize that food is fuel and I should eat to live-not live to eat.

Really enjoyed "The Book of Eli". Finally got to finish it yesterday afternoon and it was really good. you gotta watch to the end, though.

I really had some deep thoughts to write down, but they have left me. Perhaps I am not in the pensive mood that I was in earlier.

A sweet friend asked me recently why Sid and I seemed so happy. I have really been thinking on that. Are other couples not happy? I am not sure. I know that when I agreed to marry Sid I really meant my vows. I promised to always love him and never forsake him. I still mean them. I think when you give someone your promise, it should mean something. Til death do us part doesn't mean, "til I find someone better". There have been studies done on different reasons why marriages last. Commitment. hmmm. Big word, means a lot. Both have to be truly committed. Not living together before getting married was another. Marriages have a much higher risk of failing when a couple lives together as husband and wife without being married. It breaks my heart to see young couples "trying each other out" to see if they can live together. It is not the same when there is no commitment to stay. Sex before marriage was another reason marriages fail. hmmm. Sex was a gift God gave to married couples. I know that I am old fashioned and outdated, but God's word is still the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and he knows what is best for us. He knows that a sexual relationship carries tremendous emotional attachment and should not be taken lightly. Is our marriage perfect. HA HA! Absolutely not. why? because we are 2 imperfect people! Do we argue? Oh yeah! I guess it would be very boring if we agreed on everything. It is only through compromise that we learn not to be selfish. I can finish his sentences and he can sometimes finish mine. Through the years we have learned each other pretty well. He is a wonderful man and a great father. I have never heard him utter a curse word and he is not a womanizer, smoker, nor drunkard. He puts up with my moods, which nominates him for sainthood. I trust him wholeheartedly. He loves God more than he loves me, which is the only way that a relationship will survive. Jesus has to be the most important thing, for if one doesn't know the unselfish love of our savior, how can one learn to truly love another person? I believe he loves his wife as Christ loves his Church. I guess those are some of the reasons why we are happy. We are content with our circumstances and with each other. We find time (not often enough) to have date nights! I treasure our mini "honeymoon" trips that we started doing when Liz was about 7th grade. I guess that has been about 12 years now. We haven't made a trip every year since then, but we try to! On our 25th anniversary I surprised him with a weekend at the Alluvian. Even though it was only in Greenwood 20 miles away, we had a great weekend. My sister sent champagne and we ate at Lusco's for the first time ever. We exchanged silver bands and privately ;) renewed our vows for at least another 25 years! Great memories. Last year we went to Natchez and stayed in the historic Eola hotel and walked everywhere. Saw some really pretty old buildings and ate some pretty great food, too. It was so much fun-no kids, just us! Loved the tour of the Old South winery there! Yummy! Muscadine wine is my favorite! The sunsets over the Mississippi River were breathtaking. One year we went to Vicksburg. I really enjoy the historic places! I have been trying to come up with somewhere to go this year. It has to be close! Our anniversary will be on a Saturday, the actual day we were married 28 years ago on August 21! Too bad we don't have any of that awful dry cake left to celebrate with!

I must go and feed myself and my "little P-man". I love that little guy so much. He has been such a blessing to me! I don't want him to grow up and he is doing just that anyway!

SO many words for someone who couldn't find any words earlier! until later.....

Where has the time gone? Does it seem that everything is going in fast-forward these days or what? Couldn't believe I haven't written in almost a month. Patrick starts back to school next Thursday, August 5. He has been at school at least 3 times a week since school let out last May. He has had weight lifting 3 days a week all summer, plus summer ball, and last week was band camp all week from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. He seemed to think that band camp went well. I am glad. I hope that the new band directors can boost their spirit. Lord knows they need it.

Jon has been to New Orleans for the AWS CWI seminar and exam. We are still praying for good results from it. He said it was the hardest thing that he had ever done in his life. He did put out a tremendous effort toward passing it, and I sure hope that he did. It will be so wonderful for him to have that certification and responsibility. It was nice to see that he will work hard for something that he wants that badly.

We managed to get in a last minute trip to Florida and it was so much fun. Seafood, sand, beautiful water, bicycles, ice cream.. you know, all the things that spell summer fun! It was nice to get away. Sid is off this week and working on QEIII's car. I think that he found the oil leak at last! Now...Mama's a/c compressor seems to be on it's last leg, so let's get proactive now, ya hear! Mama don't like to be hot! You know the old saying, "when mama's not happy, nobody's happy!"

Went to James Paul's wedding. Very nice, very pretty. It's just so hard to believe that one of Jon's oldest friends is married. He has married off 4 friends so far this year. Yesterday we got an invitation to Kaitlyn Carson's wedding. Sweet sweet girl. She and Jon have been friends since 4th grade. Never a gf/bf relationship, just really good friends! I am glad to see her so happy. Have never been to a wedding in a Church of Christ. They don't believe in instrumental music, so it should be "different"~! Sidney's cousin belonged to the Church of Christ, but they were married somewhere different. It's been a few years and a few husbands ago, so hard to remember!

Have been enjoying getting to know Julia Mounger! I think she might just straighten Jonathan Sidney Morrison out,( if the damage that I have done to him is not irrepairable! ) She has been down from Missouri visiting her Mississippi family for the past couple of weeks and participating in her sister's wedding. So beautiful! I think she and Jon looked extremely great together. what do you think?

I have 2 sock monkeys to make and can't get motivated to do it. I feel like I am dragging around 50 pound weights on my ankles. May be the diet..... NO CARBS=NO ENERGY!
Tons of laundry to do, always something to clean up. No help...go figure. Ok, I guess enough venting. won't do any good anyway. ;) I guess I am off to see what I can get into. Until later....

At first Patrick said he wanted to go to the world series, or at least he said he'd do whatever the others wanted to do. After I had told them we'd go, he changed his mind and said he'd pitch a fit if I made him go. Well, I would sure hate to see that. ha ha. To tell the truth, a week in Bentonville AR was not on my list of favorite things to do, but I was willing to go for the boys. Patrick never missed a practice, never missed a single game, always paid his part, and guess who always got to sit on the bench? To top that off, the coach added 2 extra players to go to the state with. We didn't set any records with them, either. They say they have figured out a way to make the sitting out more equitable, but they said that before and it was better for a while, then back to business as usual. I guess the poor fellow felt kinda like a second class ball player. It's been like that since the 3rd grade when he made all-stars for the first time. Truthfully, I am a little happy for the break. We have decided to join my family in Florida during that week and are really looking forward to doing something different for a week!

We put our sweet Jon on a plane yesterday. He loved it. Heard from him this morning and they were on the way to the zoo in St. Louis. I hope he has a great time! Patrick said, "I'm gonna fly, too." I said,"sure sometime you need to go somewhere to fly, too." He said, "I'm going to fly the plane!" Hmm... I think he'd be a great pilot!

Canned 7 qts. of tomatoes this morning. Hung out clothes on the line. Love the smell of sheets dried in the sun! No plans this weekend, which is very nice for a change. I have absolutely nothing that I have to do! Not even having Sunday school tomorrow, just the 4th of July community worship service at the Tabernacle. We never go. I will miss not being in church on Sunday, though. Might have to go anyway.

made a key lime pie today. patrick made a request! He requests so little that when he does want something special, I try to do it for him.

I had been wanting to get rid of the ugly light fixture over the dining room table for a while now, but just hadn't found one I liked. Well, while wasting time at the Lowe's in New Albany waiting for a ball game to start, I found one that I really liked and bought it. Monday night I decided I would install it. I had installed fans before, so I figured it was about the same. I just had not installed anything on a tall vaulted ceiling! I had my P-man stand on the dining room table and "un-install" the other one while I put the new one together. Can you believe it? I guess they don't want to pay someone to put a light fixture together, so I have to do it for them. It took all 3 of us, (Jon, too!) but we got it hung and working. Looks pretty nice! Surprised Mr. Sidney when he came home from work! Today I installed a new water valve in the toilet. Isn't my life exciting? While I was in there, I saw way too much dirt in the corners so I got down on my knees and cloroxed the floor, the toilet, the shower and the sink. Stinks to high Heaven now, but it is clean!

I have been oh so busy this week. I haven't finished my "to-do" list all week. OOPS! I didn't get around to slicing up the ham today. I know that they probably needed it. I didn't get my cheese straws made either. I made a quadruple batch of chicken salad, broccoli salad and fruit salad that Sugar Mullins ordered for a "going-away" lunch for Debbie McClain who works in the chancery clerk's office. 2 batches of bread, one white and one wheat, cherry cobbler, black beans and yellow rice, cooked breakfast for a couple of people and heated up biscuits to go for 2 more. cooked 2 turkeys, took Patrick to weight lifting, went back and got him, went to Mexico for lunch and came home to work here. I'm tired. Tomorrow we are feeding a group that is in town for a funeral. I am making chicken spaghetti for them. I will also have our Baptist men for breakfast, and have to do the lunch special for the shop, which is taco salad on Thursdays. The girls started to freak and get that "deer-in-the-headlights" look, so I quickly said, Look, since we are having a huge group, I will stay late on Thursday! That relieved them immensely, (until they have to split their tips with me!!!!!) I couldn't have finished it with out Julia today. She came in at 9:00, which I know is a great sacrifice for an 18 year old to get up before noon on her summer vacation! She chopped 2 huge bags of broccoli florets, and 6 bunches of green onions for the broccoli salad and de-boned and chopped the chicken that I had boiled for chicken salad. Dayna came in at 10:30 and started washing up the dishes that we had messed up this morning. I believe that we messed up every bowl in the shop. I know I need more BIG bowls! The best one that I have actually belongs to me personally. I brought it to work, because I rarely use it at home and when I need it, I just bring it home with me. Betty has looked for another one like it, but can't find one as big. Julia passed her food safety test, so now I can leave the girls at lunch when Betty isn't around. YEA!!! One person on duty must be serve-safe certified and that person was me or Betty. Tammy is certified, but out with back problems and can only sit. The only thing about leaving them there to work together is that when you have teenage girls, you can have major drama! I will hear about it later, I'm sure! Oh well, makes for an interesting day.

I must go finish I guess. I don't know why, it'll only get dirty again!!! I kinda rather go to my sewing room and make a monkey! Yeah, I think I will do that, the dirt can wait!

Well Tomorrow starts the state championship USSSA tournament for the under 14 AA's in New Albany, MS. The boys had a practice this afternoon and hopefully will be ready to roll tomorrow! I hope so.

The summer Tigers finished up summer league play yesterday at the team camp in Grenada. They played 2 games. One against South Panola and the other against Grenada. Patrick got to play in the second game and got an out! He didn't strike out, but didn't get on base either. Oh, well, maybe next time.

The garden is producing pretty well this year so far. It has been so very dry, but I have installed 2 sprinklers in the garden, so it is keeping it going fairly well. I got a 4 hour "rain" in the garden this afternoon! I have put up 25.5 qts. of beans so far. We just picked our first red tomatoes yesterday and had tomato sandwiches. Very good. I fried some okra yesterday at lunch, along with fresh green beans, corn, cucumbers and cornbread! love some summer time veggies!

Another weekend at the ballpark. Lost the championship by 1 run. What a heart-breaker. Patrick says they aren't playing next weekend. He wasn't playing anyway because they were supposed to play in New Albany and he and Jon are going to be in Meggie and BJ's wedding next Saturday night. BJ lived with us 11 years ago when his mother kicked him out of the house because her husband didn't like him. He was a senior in high school and Lived here with us for about 2 years. Patrick was only 3 when he moved in with us. The boys loved him like a brother and He asked them both to be in his wedding. I thought it was very sweet. Patrick's first wedding! I'll have to get a picture of both my boy children dressed in their monkey suits! I'm sure they will be very handsome!

We went to "Mexico" after the ball game tonight. It was so very very good! I never tire of eating at El Cabrito. Hunter came along with us. When we got there, there were 3 more "gators" eating as well.

Last week work was kinda easy. I had no trouble keeping up with food demand. We tried a little something new last Wednesday. We made chicken Parmesan and Italian squash pie with fresh blackberry cobbler. YUM. Betty will be back one day this week- Wednesday and then be gone again for another long stretch. She is going to Milan so I need to get her the Italian phrase book that I've been in possession since January!

Elizabeth went with me last Monday to watch the Tigers play against Bayou Academy at Delta State. It was neat! Everybody got to play. Patrick played left field in the second game and got a hit. Dark brought out the mosquitoes. I guess I have lived in the hills so long, I had forgotten how big delta mosquitoes are! I told Liz that I had seen hummingbirds that weren't as large as these mosquitoes! It was fun.

Patrick has had a good time this week spending time at Hunter's house and hanging out with him after weightlifting. They went swimming a couple of days. Fun times.

It was so hot today. I know it had to have hit 100. The behind the plate umpire fell out! We had to give him a break and let the umps swap places and cool off.

It is 11:00. I guess I'll get ready to go to bed. I'm sure to have reflux if I don't go right now and take some acid reducer. It really sucks getting old!

What a great weekend!

This weekend has been so very nice. We spent all day Saturday watching Patrick play baseball, which was very nice (for me, anyway). Sunday we went to Sunday school and church and then ate a sandwich and got the boat ready to go skiing. Elizabeth came home and even behaved herself pretty well. We all skied. YES, EVEN ME~! I got up the first time on one ski. It was so fun, I couldn't believe that I got up the first time, being that it has been several years. I guess, too, that losing a few pounds really helped a lot. Jon had plans afterwards, so it was just Liz, Patrick, Sid and I! Sid grilled out some burgers and it dawned on me that even though the next day was Monday, I WAS OFF! what a great feeling! We cooked out some ribs and pork chops, made baked beans, cooked cabbage and homemade strawberry ice cream. Really did enjoy it. Liz left around 1:00 to meet her fella. Sid and I cleaned out Jon's home away from home and got it looking good. I guess 2 years in cramped quarters didn't hurt Jon too much. He didn't even damage the camper too much. It cleaned up pretty well.

It hurt going to work this morning. Not literally, though I was a little sore from the little bit of waterskiing that I did Sunday afternoon. I just didn't want to get up and go cook this morning. Tomorrow will be very busy, I'm sure. A local supervisor is on trial. Court house should be full. I guess that I will get up and go in very early, then leave to take Patrick to weight lifting at 8:00, than come back to work. Hopefully Sidney can wake up and go get him around nine. I was very tired this afternoon. I had to take a little nap, but now am feeling much better.