HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONNOR AND WYATT

"TAGGED"

My daughter-in-law, Megan, did this "tag" a while ago and challenged anyone who wanted to be tagged to join in. Now she has posted two more tags - I'm so behind. Here is the first one.

50 years ago (1958) I was a senior in high school and teaching swimming during the summer. Roland and I met in Civics class.

40 years ago (1968) Living in Starkville, Mississippi – Roland working on his Doctorate and I worked for USDA as a biological research tech. I was married to Roland, had two sons Donnie (a.k.a. Ten Bears) and Brady. I became a conspiracy theorist as a result of the Kennedy assassination.

30 years ago (1978) our 6 member family lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Roland was working for Unisys Corp – at that time it may have been called Sperry. Roland and I had been baptized in the LDS Church

20 years ago (1988) we had moved to Florida. Roland was traveling a lot and I was thinking about going to graduate school. Donnie had joined the Army, Brady had served on a mission and Holly and Kelly were on the synchronized swimming team.

10 years ago (1998) Kelly and Jamie were married, we went to Hawaii for Brady and Megan’s sealing, and Roland had triple bypass surgery. Deana was born during this decade as was Connor and Ciara. Roland changed his address several times and this is when my thinking he was a spy really solidified.

5 years ago (2003) Roland died following a two year struggle. I miss you, Roland.


5 Things on my “to do list”
1. Weed the front flower bed. (this won’t happen any time soon)
2. Wash the windows in my office and dining area..
3. Buy some shoes.
4. Get rid of all the items I haven’t used in a year.
5. File.

5 Foods I enjoy
1. Peanut butter
2. Shrimp
3. Holly’s white gazpacho.
4. Homemade oatmeal cookies
5. Almost any Hors doeuvres – did I spell that right?

5 things I would do if I became a billionaire.
1. Establish huge trust funds for each member of my family.
2. Buy a residence on a Cruise Line.
3. Establish a facility to house women and children who need housing.
4. Financially back a political cause and/or politician I trust. – Would have to find one first.
5. Establish a self sustaining fund for awarding grants for worthy causes.

5 Places I have lived
1. All over Louisiana
2. All over Mississippi
3. Winter Haven, Florida
4. Houston, Texas
5. I have never lived alone.

5 Things people don’t know about me.
1. I’m scared of bugs that sting.
2. I’ve always wanted to be able to sing really well.
3. I hate Brussels Sprouts.
4. I’m shy.
5. What my IQ is.

5 joys
1. My Children and their families.
2. Doing my job really well.
3. Walking in a peaceful, beautiful setting.
4. Hearing inspiration when I receive it.
5. Growing in wisdom.

5 Fears
1. One of my children or grandchildren dying before I do.
2. Tornadoes
3. Lightening
4. Stinging bugs
5. Loosing my freedom

5 Obsessions (a compulsions list would be similar)
1. I want to do the driving if I’m with anyone but my children.
2. Good books
3. Relationships
4. Doing professional research
5. Sudoku

I’m passionate about
1. My children and grandchildren
2. Friendships
3. Traveling
4. Spontaneous Humor
5. Honesty

5 Goals
1. Loose the rest of the weight I need to loose.
2. Learn to Manage my own portfolio.
3. Visit the major places I want to visit while I still can manage the physical challenges.
4. Complete my 100 Things list.

5 Things I say
1. &^%^*( (there are a couple of these)
2. Cool
3. I love you.
4. Ya’ll
5. The deal is….

5 Lessons learned
1. God is a loving God
2. Everything is really all right.
3. Taking a victim stance or a power stance doesn’t work for me.
4. It’s absolutely none of my business what other people think of me.
5. Fear is only a fantasy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRADYN

This is the happiest little boy in the world. Just looking at his pictures makes me smile. Happy Birthday Bradyn.

A REASON, A SEASON, OR A LIFETIME

People come into your life for a reason, a season, ora lifetime.

When you figure out which one it is, youwill know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON . . .

It is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty,

to provide you with guidance and support,

to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend, and they are!

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part,

or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do somethingto bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.

Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met,

our desire fulfilled, their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered.

And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .

Because your turn has come to

share,

grow,

or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace,

or make you laugh.

They may teach you to do something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amountof joy. Believe it! It is real!

But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;

thingsyou must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson,

love the person,

and put what you have learned to use in all

other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Author Unknown

Music

Since I've had more than one person comment on my choice of music playing on this blog I thought I would explain. I like just about any type of music except rap and all the predecessors of rap. Occasionally I'll hear what may be a rap style that I like but that's a rare event. Most of the songs I have on this blog have a lot of meaning for me. They bring back vivid memories of fun times, sad times, and high school and college times.

Without a doubt Over the Rainbow is my favorite song. The two versions on my blog are among the best. Eva Cassidy stunned me when I heard her arrangement. What an amazing talent. She died of skin cancer before she made any labeled recordings. Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwoole, a Hawaiian, also died at a very young age (38) of complications from morbid obesity. He weighed 757 pounds. This version combines Over the Rainbow with What a Wonderful World. It's so uncomplicated.

Josh Groban's voice is just so good. I went to a workshop someone famous presented and all I remember about it is his playing The Prayer.

As several people have mentioned, I really enjoy good novelty music such as The Puppy Song and Rainbow Connection and MTA. I'm still looking for my absolutely favorite novelty song of all time: The Merry Minuet by the Kingston Trio. I've found downloadable versions but don't know how to put them on the blog. Utube has a slide show with The Merry Minuet as the commentary. Please, listen to the words - amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhaDtSBmIrI

lyrics to The Merry Minuet

They're rioting in Africa. They're starving in Spain.

There's hurricanes in Florida, and Texas needs rain.

The whole world is festering with unhappy souls.

The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles.

Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch.

And I don't like anybody very much!

But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud,

for man's been endowed with a mushroom-shaped cloud.

And we know for certain that some lovely day,

someone will set the spark off...

and we will all be blown away.

They're rioting in Africa. There's strife in Iran.

What nature doesn't do to us... will be done by our fellow man.

I Wish I Had A Pencil Thin Mustache takes me back to my junior high and high school days. I never, NEVER smoked Marijuana but the rest of it is so, so real. It's the same with the Beatles, Mama Cass and We Five.

As for Mr. Bojangles - Roland used to say we had huge differences in musical preferences. Then he would grin and say "the same person wrote my favorite song and hers. Hers is Mr. Bojangles and mine is Up against the Wall, Red Neck Mother. Both are by Jerry Jeff Walker."

I guess really each song I've chosen transports me to another time in my life. Another Place. Not better by any stretch but memorable.

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.

I was thinking about all the fathers in my life - the ones I especially appreciate and am thankful for. My Grandfather, Bob Coston, taught me to see nature; birds in trees, turtles and snakes on logs and other wild animals that hid themselves so they would'nt be seen. Old John, a black share cropper was one of his best friends - unheard of in Louisiana in the 40s. He was a loving and gentle man. My father, Harvey Harrison, loved my mother and me more than life itself. He was kind and charming and he let me swing on the trapese upside down (my mother thought that activity might damage something). My husband, Roland Gatlin, was a wonderful father. He knew things most people don't know. He was the smartest person I've ever known. And he was kind and loving and the single worst driver I ever rode with - in the car with him driving is where I learned to really pray.

My sons, Ten Bears and Brady, are terrific fathers. Ten Bears, an outdoorsman, loves taking his son and neices and nephews horse back riding and teaching them about wildlife and geological surprises. Brady has a wisdom and playfulness with his children that is amazing. He is a loving father; very gentle and fair. My son-in-law, Jamie Stephenson, is also a wonderful, fun-loving father and he truly enjoys his children. And Wesley Woods, Deanna's father, is a great dad. He supports Deana in her activities and maintains a close relationship with her and the rest of us. These guys love my grandchildren!

Each of these fine men bring something special and individual into my life and I'm so very fortunate to have them. I love them - each and every one. I hope they have a wonderful Father's Day with ugly shirts, funny socks, soap-on-a-rope and silly, mushy cards.