STOLEN FROM THE INTERNET

He Bought An Electric Fence To Prevent Burglaries. Then This Happened.

MY SON, THE HERO

This is a reposting of an old post from Friday, August 6, 2006, about my deceased son. Miss you Chane.

After the shitty 12 hour shift at work I drove home, downed a cold beer or three while soaking my cares away in a hot bath and crashed across my bed early. Things seemed much better until I sat straight up in bed at midnight, heart pounding and straining to hear what had disturbed some well earned slumber.

I could hear the booms of thunder & lightening, the drum of heavy rain on the roof and a high wind shrieking around the corners of the house loud enough to drown out the comforting whirl of my window air conditioner; it seems that the drought was over. But those familiar sounds weren't what jerked me out of a sound sleep. There was another noise, one that made the hair on my arms stand up and a shiver run down my spine. It sounded like a tortured soul crying from the depths of hell.

I staggered outside in my nightgown, half asleep and wondering what the hell was going on. I was expecting a tornado but what I found was a hysterical Mama Dog frantically trying to drag puppies out from under the deck where a river of water was running across the yard and filling in the den she had excavated for her new family.

She had 2 babies in the dog house on our carport and was running back and forth with soggy little bundles of fur, dropping one and running back for another. Small bodies were scattered all over the yard and in her panic she couldn't decide whether to pick up the ones lying in the rain or go back for the others floating in the runoff under the deck.

My son, Chane, and I stood in the downpour and tried to decide the best way to help. I was all for getting a crowbar and ripping the floorboards off the deck but Chane volunteered to crawl underneath it and carry the puppies out.

Now this deck is 12' wide, only a few feet off the ground and has 2X12s turned on edge as cross braces. The cross braces have only about 4" between them and the ground. Chane made it about half way under and got stuck, unable to move forward or backward and nowhere near close enough to reach the puppies. So in desperation I got my grandson's butterfly net and a square-tipped shovel and passed them under the deck so Chane could rake the babies close enough for him to reach them.

I crouched at the edge of the deck in a foot of Alabama red-clay mud, rain soaking through my nightgown, holding Mama Dog while Chane lay wedged under the crosspiece and pushed icy-cold fur balls back to me. Mama Dog was going crazy with the cries of her babies, but I was afraid that if I turned her loose she would attack Chane while he lay helpless and there would be no way I could get her off of him. In the middle of all this, Chane was swarmed and bitten all over by an army of fire ants. I guess he disturbed a nest when he crawled under there.

We managed to get all the babies out and then I had to grab Chane's legs and help drag him out. I was starting to think I'd have to tear the deck apart to get him out! We're both covered in red mud, dripping wet from the downpour, Chane's swatting fire ants off of him and we're both wandering around the yard until 5AM with a flashlight locating puppies in the dark by their pitiful whimpers and cries.

They're all warm, dry and safe in the dog house now. When I said before that there were 10 puppies, I miscounted. Mama Dog had 13! We saved 12, one poor soul didn't make it but it wasn't for lack of the 3 of us trying.

Yep, my son's a hero.

HOT FUDGE PIE

HOT FUDGE PIE If you love chocolate, then this is for you. It is oh so gooey and delicious....
Ingredients: 
1 stick butter, softened 
1 c sugar 
2 eggs 
1 tsp vanilla 
3 Tbsp cocoa powder 
1 tsp salt 
1/2 c all purpose flour
Instructions; Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add cocoa powder, salt and flour and stir until well combined. Grease 8 inch pie pan with butter or cooking spray, pour mixture into pie pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until center is set.

ROLE CALL: FAMILY VETERANS

Stolen from my sister Donna Waters Evans, keeper of the family genealogy.

In honor of my ancestors who fought that we may be free:*William L. Waters - GGGgrandfather fought during the Civil War in Company “B”, 56th Georgia Infantry; died at the Battle of Vicksburg*John Charles Curnutt - GGGGrandfather fought during the Civil War in Company B, 44th Regiment, Indiana Infantry; died at Sherman Hospital in Nashville, TN*Martin VanBuren Shelton - GGGrandfather fought during the Civil War in Company C, 22nd Georgia Infantry
*Issac James Willingham - GGGrandfather - fought during the Civil War in Company W, 30th Alabama Infantry
*James W. Qualls - GGGGGrandfather fought during the Mexican War in 1st Footed Volunteers - Detachment of Recruits (Co. G & Co. I of the 12th U S Infantry)
*Phillip Meroney - GGGGGrandfather fought during the Revolutionary War in the Maryland Militia
*Abron Wayne Waters - Father - fought during the Korean War in the Air Force
My family has a strong history of serving this country in times of trouble. I am very proud to be an American!

We have tons more veterans in our family, too many to name but I'm proud of them all.

All the pictures below are of my Dad, Wayne "RED" Waters back in the day. Handsome devil that he was, he quit school in the 6th grade but got his diploma while in the service; although he claims that all he really learned was how to cheat at cards.

Love you Dad, miss you and Mom every day.

I

GRIEF IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!

Mikel Chane Crook 1974-2014
 BELOVED SON & FATHER

It seems that some of my family and friends aren't  pleased with the way that I've been grieving the loss of my 39 year old son. Several of them  have made comments to others about why haven't I had a public breakdown. I've even been accused of trying to wipe Chane’s memory away or of being glad that he’s gone. It hurts that my so-called loved ones seem to be actively waiting for the pity party so they can critique my heartache.

People, GRIEF IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT! I  have never been one to show my feelings in public. I didn't have a public come-a-part when I lost either of my deceased husbands nor at the deaths of both of my parents. I prefer to lose it in private.

No one but my dog is around when I cry while watching funny movies. I don't share the fact that I find myself wondering what Chane wants for dinner before I remember that he’s not coming home ever again or how in the grocery store I pick up something that he loves and I hate before it hits me that I'm buying groceries for one now.

So don't judge me or others on how we behave in public. Everyone isn't a Drama Queen who wants to be the center of attention. A few of us hold our feeling close and choose to deal with life’s disasters in our own way, on our own terms. Just because we don't broadcast our sorrow doesn’t make it less real, and finding that our support system is waiting for us to fall makes the hurt doubly deep.

GASSY

Ever notice how your mind wanders when you’re under gas at the dentist?

While having my teeth cleaned today I had a wonderful idea for a blog post while under the effects of laughing gas. Problem is that now, hours later, I can't for the life of me remember what it was. It's gone, floating out there somewhere in the land of lost thoughts.

 I blame it on the nitrous oxide, not my advanced years. Yeah, that’s my story and I'm sticking to it.

SO TRUE

WORDS TO LIVE BY

By Jen Reinmuth:

As little girls, we are goddesses; we stand atop jungle gyms and climb trees believing we are indestructible and glorious and powerful. Then, inexplicably, that goddess slowly dies. Confidence is replaced by shame and self-loathing and we no longer see our bodies as instruments of greatness but as things to be punished and whittled away.

I had a whole post written about new phases in life, adventure, senior citizen tours and wobbly bits fluttering in the breeze. However, Blogger ate it and only let the above quote survive; I don't fee like rewriting it so.............

OUT OF A JOB

This is it, the end of life as I know it.

I've worked all my life but starting Monday morning I'll be out of a job. Compulsory retirement. Used abused and tossed away like a snotty Kleenex. 35 years invested in a career and suddenly I'm unemployed (along with hundreds of other mill employees). I understand about business but that doesn't help, especially when our plant made more profit than any other in our sector last year.

I could go back to school but after getting a 2 year degree I'll be 60-61 and who wants to hire an old woman? Plus I was interested in computer programming/security and I've been informed in no uncertain terms that "it's a young person's field".

I have no social life outside of work. All my friends are married and their husbands consider a single woman a threat.

I don't date, haven't in years. Most of the men my age aren't interested in women my age.

I won't have money to travel like I dreamed in my retirement fantasies.

Enough bitching; time to put on my big girl panties and get on with it. Donna says that I can join her in a life of leisure and poverty. Guess that's my new life plan….

FW: The Importance of Walking

These are good............

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The Importance of walking
A walk can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a Nursing Home at $4,000 per month.




My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60. Now he's 97 years old and we have no idea where the hell he is.

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I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.



The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

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I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing...



Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

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The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say, 'Well, he looks good doesn't he.'

I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

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If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

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I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years,...Just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

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Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a pub with a Happy Hour and by the time I leave, I look just fine.



You could run this over to your friends but just e-mail it to them! It will save you the walk!

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS

One of the wonderful things about living in the rural South, any time a tree falls across the road some Good Ole Boy will show up to help.

I live in an older home and my lawn is covered with grand old massive oak trees, which I love but a high wind always covers the yard with blown down limbs. Last night’s storms and tornados caused the entire top of one to break off and fall across the road in front of my house. All that’s left of the original tree is a 15 foot trunk with no limbs, picture a massive fence post and you got it.

When I posted about it on Facebook last night my niece replied that if it hadn’t been moved out of the road by the time her fiancé’s brother got home this afternoon (who lives down the road from me) he would bring his chain saw and help. This morning another neighbor brought his tractor equipped with a front-end loader and moved the tree out of the road, and this afternoon my nephew Duane (Donna’s eldest) came over and started cutting it up until the rain made him stop.

I’m blessed with wonderful neighbors, friends and family and I wouldn’t take anything for my country life.

JUST WONDERFUL

"Retirement Boosts Your Risk of Depression by 40 Percent According to a new report released by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA),1 following an initial boost in health, retirement increases your risk of clinical depression by 40 percent while raising your chances of being diagnosed with a physical condition by 60 percent. It also: •Reduces your likelihood of being in self-reported excellent or very good health by 40 percent •Raises your risk of taking medication for a diagnosed physical condition by 60 percent The study’s author, who called retirement’s impacts on health “drastic,” suggested a later retirement age may actually be preferable, noting: 2 “New research presented in this paper indicates that being retired decreases physical, mental and self-assessed health. The adverse effects increase as the number of years spent in retirement increases.”

Seems like my forced retirement might not be all that enjoyable. Nothing to do, nowhere to go and no money nor anyone to do it with.

MEDICARE PROBLEM

Even if you're not on Medicare, forward this to your friends who are........

FYI. This could result in a very costly mistake for Medicare patients. 
Pay attention to this if you or an older relative should have to be hospitalized......

This was on NBC News during the night in the middle of January of 2014 and thought I should send it to all my friends on Medicare as fair warning. I've included the segment for you to view. Basically, if I understand it correctly, do not let the hospital admit you with the words, "Under Observation." Insist on "In-Patient" designation. Otherwise, you will be responsible for the hospital expenses. It might be wise to inform family members too.

Here is the link to the story

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/54026469/#54026469

SNOW-CREAM CRAVINGS ANSWERED

I'm such a lucky woman to have friends like BeckyD and her 2 daughters, Newt & Tate, all the way up in Jefferson City, Missouri.

This wonderful family went and made a double batch of snow-cream just for me because I don't have any snow of my own and I was having snow-cream cravings bad. BeckD gives us a blow by blow description of the three's first ever attempt at making that wonderfully sweet, ice-cream-headache-spike causing concoction known as snow-cream.

Y'all go on over and have a taste, it's heavenly! Be sure to tell them that Junebugg sent you.

Thank you, Ladies. If I can ever return the favor (well, a favor of some kind since I very seldom see snow) just let me know.

UPDATE: This link has lots of recipes for you snow-cream virgins out there. Mom always used the one without eggs, but experiment and enjoy you luck devils.

Funny!

The Hypnotist at a Senior Home
It was entertainment night at the senior citizens' center.

After the community sing along led by Alice at the piano, it was time for the star of the show- Claude the Hypnotist!

Claude explained that he was going to put the whole audience into a trance.

"Yes, each and every one of you and all at the same time." said Claude.

The excited chatter dropped to silence as Claude carefully withdrew from his waistcoat pocket; a beautiful antique gold pocket watch and chain.

"I want you to keep your eyes on this watch" said Claude, holding the watch high for all to see.
"It is a very special and valuable watch that has been in my family for six generations" said Claude.

He began to swing the watch gently back and forth while quietly chanting

"Watch the watch --- Watch the watch ----Watch the watch"

The audience became mesmerized as the watch swayed back and forth.

The lights were twinkling as they were reflected from its gleaming surfaces.

A hundred and fifty pairs of eyes followed the movements of the gently swaying watch.

They were hypnotized.

And then, suddenly, the chain broke!!!

The beautiful watch fell to the stage and burst apart on impact"

"SHIT" said Claude.

It took them three days to clean the Senior Citizens ' Center and Claude was never invited there again

Vicki