Morgan Graduates

Here she is today at 14. Quite a difference from her 12 yr. picture 2 years ago.




Morgan graduated from the 8th Grade on Tuesday night. She received 3 awards---she had the highest grade point average for pre-algebra and computer. She got another award for the nationwide standardized test for pre-algebra, but I don't remember exactly what it was---Steph? Anyway, we were mighty proud!

Isn't she so cute??

Random PIctures

I'm reading Jeanne's Stephen King book, Under the Dome. I only have 21 days for the 1050 page (and pound) blockbuster. That is 50 pages a day. I was doing pretty good, then it was 12 pages behind and then 17 pages behind. Now I'm a full 50 pages behind. Not too bad---just one day. I plan to catch up this weekend with 2-- 12 hour car rides.





The silverware caddy proves that a younger sister an teach an older sister new tricks. While at mom's, Jeanne and I were unloading the dishwasher. As I kept bending over to get the silverware, Jeanne said, "Barb, why don't you just take the whole basket?" I didn't admit that I never even knew the thing came out (only kidding---well, maybe).

The shot of the old photos is in my family room. Pay close attention to Uncle Johnnie (y?) in the odd shaped frame. He is the oldest of the Pagella clan. While in St. Louis, my cousin Judy GAVE it to me! I was so excited and impressed that she would trust me with such a cool family heirloom. I told her it would go on my wall. I'm thinking about moving all of these to the dining room. Thanks, Judy---and for the fun day!

The Fels Naptha soap is what was used when I was 4 and got my mouth washed out for the first time.

The tags are a close-up shot of our latest day group project. We all designed the tags---sort of like a swap, except we each did our own work.

PS Pure luck that the wording worked out with the photos this time. Go figure.

Final Flood Results

I promise that this is the last I'll be mentioning about our flood. I just wanted to share these pictures. This is at our park where those that didn't want to wait for the city to get all of their crap off their front lawn could HAUL it THEMSELVES! Imagine that!! Doing it yourself!

What you see here is just a tip of the iceberg as to what's there. I couldn't get a good shot to show the amount of stuff.

One last thing I never did mention---the landslides in the park were unbelievable. Entire hillsides of trees just slid down. I can't get a good picture due to traffic, but I'm going to try. Then that will be the LAST photo of flood damage.

Why there were no looters in Nashville after the flood..

I'm So Mad I Could Chew Nails---or the Telephone!

I got home yesterday from a fun trip to St. Louis. My mom is doing fabulously---so much better than when I was last home. They adjusted her pacemaker which made all the difference in the world.

Okay, on to the story. The point is that I'm feeling all good and relaxed. Then Butch said, "oh by the way, the phone is out." Right away, I'm mad because I thought he left it for me to handle. He said that it had just happened, so I calmed down. I get on Butch's cell phone with Comcast and went through the normal, lengthy, button pushing rigamarole. I finally get to a customer service agent. She has me go to the modem which is under a piece of furniture in the bedroom and no small feat. She wants to know which lights are green, which are out and which are flashing. Of course, the etching of the words is so tiny and matches the black box (why don't they make the lettering white so you can actually see it?)---I have a hard time reading it. Plus the lighting isn't so great there either. When I finally make it out, she says that she is going to re-set the modem from her end. She does, I have phone, all seems well. A little later, I got a call, but it was all staticky, annoying and hard to hear. No way was I dealing with that at 9:30 p.m. The first call was already out of my normal "working" hours.

First thing this morning, I call Comcast again. Once more, I go through the lengthy button pushing rigamarole---but now I have them memorized, so I don't have to listen to each thing. I get a customer service representative. She has me go back to the modem---once again, I move the heavy piece of furniture, crouch down on the floor and try to deal with the box. She asks me to find the spot marked "telephone". Then she tells me to unplug the jack from the wall. Why the h**l I didn't think of it sooner, but of course, doing that DISCONNECTS ME!!! Oh My Gosh!!! You have never heard such ranting---luckily I don't use foul language---here's exactly how it went---me literally screaming like a banshee (whatever that is)---"YOU'VE GOT TO BE FRIGGIN' KIDDING ME! THIS IS A BUNCH OF---YOU'VE GOT TO BE FRIGGIN' KIDDING ME!" Butch came running to find out what was going on. When I screamed at him, he said, "welcome to the world of Comcast." That really made me madder. I shouted at him---"YEAH, LIKE I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THEM ALL MY LIFE. YOU DEAL WITH THEM ONE TIME AND GIVE UP!" (That was a nasty reference to the fact that he hasn't resolved some tv issues with them for the tv in the rec room).

Now I'm madder than a hornet. I call back. Same lengthy button pushing rigamarole. Of course, I do not get the woman I was previously dealing with. I get a man---heaven help him---I unloaded. He tries to be all nice to me, to which I respond, "I know this isn't your fault, but your customer service is terrible. She had to know she was cutting me off when she had me unplug the phone." I was saying it in a really mad and bitchy tone. He continues to talk to me calmly and assures me that he's going to "assist" me and set up a service call---for FRIGGIN' 5 DAYS AWAY!!! I'm delirious now. I don't even remember what I said after that.

Here's the best part, they ask if I want to take the customer survey---which I normally never do---well this time---I'm going to give it to them good. When I hang up, I get the call back for the survey. Of course, it starts off automated---asks if I've agreed to answer a few questions---press "1", hold, press this, hold, etc. Next a customer service rep is to come on line---I'm loaded for bear. So what happens---I'M DISCONNECTED!!!

All I can say is Oh My Gosh~! What is up with that! When I am finally ready to complain---I can't even do it! I swear, it's a conspiracy!

The Great Flood of 2010

Anderson Cooper with CNN was in town this past Monday. He called what happened here a tragedy and apologized for the lack of media coverage. Most people knew nothing of the wide spread flooding throughout the great state of Tennessee until Opryland had to be evacuated. That was just a tip of the iceberg.

I would venture to say---with the exception of loss of lives (for which there is no comparison)---our flood was every bit as devastating as Katrina. People traveling through the state were trapped in their cars on highways that had been shut down, nursing homes had to be evacuated, people were trapped in their homes without power, shelters were set up all over town, schools and businesses were shut down and yet, the outside world had no idea what was going on. There was no option to go to the stadium as it flooded, downtown flooded---the flooding took place everywhere.

It seems to me that it isn't newsworthy in this country unless it happens to the poor and downtrodden. Just because this happened to the middle class and "well-to-do" doesn't mean it wasn't just as devastating. Most of these people lacked flood insurance (why would you have it for an event that could never be predicted---they're calling this a 200 year flood---what does that mean anyway?) and have lost everything. It is heartbreaking to see all of their possessions piled in a muddy, stinky, messy heap in the front yard.

What DID happen here that would have been good to report---people picked themselves up the very next day and started shoveling out. Within a week, most houses have been gutted down to the studs. How they will actually re-build is anybody's guess. Oh, and FEMA took nearly a week to get here too. But that didn't stop the "volunteers" from starting! There were only 3 cases of reported looting and our mayor never once screamed at the president to do something. Oh and by the way, the president hasn't even bothered to stop by.

It bothers me that there is a culture in this country of people that believe that the "haves" should be taken from to give to the "have nots". Well, the "haves" don't have it to give now and yet, they'll get by.

I guess the irony in all this is that I keep saying in disbelief---"where in the world is all the "stuff" that has just vanished---swept away by the floods?" To which Walter replied---"it's all on it's way to New Orleans!"

Ooops! That isn't the result of the flood, that's Jordan's room! Looks like we still need a shovel!

Another Room---Finished!!

The latest scrapbook room I've decorated was for my friend, Linda. I had already organized and set up her room a couple of years ago, but after seeing the decorating I've done for our friends, she asked me to do hers. Of course, she had the same mandate as those before her---"make mine cuter than....." That's starting to get pretty hard, but I do my best!

Linda had so much that was from her family. She had a lot of hats in the hallway of her home. I asked her right off if I could use those. She said that her husband would be happy as he didn't like them---plus she had dozens more. That's when I decided to line her room with them---she had enough to do the entire room.

She had all of her "stuff" on and around a card table in another room that I was able to "shop" from---plus I had picked up some things for her too.

For her window treatment, she had a lot of vintage linens, doilies, hankies, dresser scarves and gloves. The idea of doing a laundry line came to me last week while driving after she told me she was having trouble finding something for her window. Since I put this up, she has found more clothespins so it looks more like it's supposed to. It looks kind of junky in the pictures, but really is cute in person---plus it makes you want to look at all the individual pieces hanging.

The frame with the lace hanging off is a project that our day group has just completed, so that too looks good. At this point in the decorating, I was just reserving the spot on the wall for it.

The photos you see here are of her and her sister when they were young. When she saw them, she started to cry has her sister passed away suddenly about 18 months ago---her only sibling and they were very close. I saw the picture sitting on her work table and decided to use it. I had picked up the blocks here and there and found one that had an "s" on it for her sister, Sharon.

The bread box was another flea market find---it holds all of her little scrapbooks.

I forgot to ask her if there was a story behind the old lunchbox. The typewriter was my Christmas gift to her this year. Any questions?