~Ruby Slippers & Broomsticks~

~ My new blog ~

2010-01-08T16:46:00.000-08:00

I'm moving to a new blog. :) Follow me there & let me hear from you! my email address is jaymeloveschris@yahoo.com & my new blog is located here.
See ya'll on the other side...

Spirit in the sky...

2009-09-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm being incredibly nostalgic over my family these past few days, and last night I yearned for my grandmother Kathryn to wipe my tears and make the chaos go away. I missed her the way I did when I was a young girl, weeks after she lost her battle with cancer. I even posted a facebook status, mentioning my grandmother. I had wished that she could help us have a relationship w/my nephew/adopted brother. I said a prayer & went to bed.

Tonight, I was looking at a lady's photos on Facebook, and commented 'you have gma's hairstyle' in a prom pic. I knew she was related to us, but I couldn't remember exactly how. I thought she had lived in California and only moved here when I was a kid. The point is, I was still missing my grandma and that pic reminded me of her...

I buzzed the lady in instant messenger, and what I discovered was that she is much closer related to me than I had realized....before I knew it, I was hearing stories about my great-gma/pepaw, my aunts and uncles....this lady had grown up down in Collins with all of my daddy's family! She's as much one of them as my grandmother is!

My heart just felt happier. After all these years of grandma being gone, the very days I'm oddly missing her, I find a treasure chest of memories with my...as I NOW know her lol....second cousin and farmtown helper on Facebook.

The BEST part, though....

I was sad and wanting my grandma (as a little girl would lol), because I wanted to see my nephew. I want to see him and hug him, and I want my sister to be able to, even more than me. That suggestion was IMPOSSIBLE 24 hours ago. The crazy thing...Just a few minutes after I heard grandma stories on facebook, my sister called crying....we get to see him tomorrow! We don't know why, or how, just that we get to see him!!

I'm so happy! I feel like my grandma is right here beside me tonite. :)

ATPA Convention

2009-08-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Having a great time in Hot Springs! We've toured the historical places, tried lots of new cuisines (I never thought I'd eat squid or alligator, but both ended up being quite tasty!), relaxed in spas, and showed the kids a great time before school starts.

We've been here most of the week for the Arkansas Timber Producers Association annual convention, and I'm so glad the Tigercat exhibit has been a huge success. Congrats to my hubby for doing such a great job putting it all together!

I have had so much fun and have enjoyed being here with friends such as Daryl & Kelsey Windham, Sam Dennison, Jonathan Davis, Todd Abbott, Tommy Barnes, and lots of other Tigercat families, as well as seeing local friends such as Mike Pennington, Lynn & Joe Frost and D.H. Forrest.

I'm so proud of my hubby and the great job he does....Chris and logging go together like fish and water. :)

My Most Important Blog Ever: Part 2

2009-08-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

I've gotten several messages today, from people I can honestly say that I don't even know, from this blog & facebook. I had no idea it would generate such interest.

I have alot more information, and people are asking for it, so it'll actually be more than two parts, I suppose.

Today's writings are particularly important to me, and quite therapeutic to my heart in a time where I'm forced to separate myself from family members to protect my daughter from constant drama. All these things have happened to me and other loved ones so many times that I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I read it.

If I can't fix my family, maybe I can fix someone else's, so read this. ;)

People with attention-seeking personality disorder (Jekyl/Hyde personality) is often referred to as serial bullies, perhaps one of the most dangerous and abusive personalities in existence, due to repeated torture of numerous victims, most likely for years, even decades.

The serial bully is an adult on the outside but a child on the inside; he

or she is like a child who has never grown up. One suspects that the bully

is emotionally retarded and has a level of emotional development equivalent

to a five-year-old, or less. The bully wants to enjoy the benefits of

living in the adult world, but is unable and unwilling to accept the

responsibilities that go with enjoying the benefits of the adult world. In

short, the bully has never learnt to accept responsibility for their

behaviour.

When called to account for the way they have chosen to behave, the bully

instinctively:

a) denies everything.

§ Variations include Trivialization ("This is so trivial it's not worth talking about...")

§ the Fresh Start tactic ("I don't know why you're so intent on dwelling on the past"

§ "Look, what's past is past, I'll overlook your behaviour and we'll start afresh")

this is an abdication of responsibility by the bully and an attempt to divert and distract attention by using false conciliation. Imagine if this line of defense were available to all criminals ("Look I know I've just murdered 12 people but that's all in the past, we can't change the past, let's put it behind us, concentrate on the future so we can all get on with our lives" - this would do wonders for prison overcrowding).

b) quickly and seamlessly follows the denial with an aggressive counter-attack of counter-criticism or counter-allegation, often based on distortion or fabrication. Lying, deception, duplicity, hypocrisy and blame are the hallmarks of this stage. The purpose is to avoid answering the question and thus avoid accepting responsibility for their behavior. Often the target is tempted - or coerced - into giving another long explanation to prove the bully's allegation false; by the time the explanation is complete, everybody has forgotten the original question.

Both a) and b) are delivered with aggression in the guise of

assertiveness; in fact there is no assertiveness (which is about

recognizing and respecting the rights of oneself and others) at all. Note

that explanation - of the original question - is conspicuous by its

absence.

In the unlikely event of denial and counter-attack being

insufficient, the bully feigns victim hood or feigns persecution by manipulating people through their emotions, especially guilt. This commonly takes the form of bursting into tears, which most people cannot handle.

Variations include indulgent self-pity, feigning indignation, pretending to be "devastated", claiming they're the one being bullied or harassed, claiming to be "deeply offended", melodrama, martyrdom ("If it wasn't for me...") and a poor-me drama ("You don't know how hard it is for me ... blah blah blah..." and "I'm the one who always has to...î "You think you're having a hard time... "I'm the one being bullied...").

Other tactics include manipulating people's perceptions to portray themselves as the injured party and the target as the villain of the piece.

Sometimes the bully will suddenly claim to be suffering "stress". Alleged ill-health can also be a useful vehicle for gaining attention and sympathy.

By using this response, the bully is able to avoid answering the question and thus avoid accepting responsibility for what they have said or done. It is a pattern of behavior learnt by about the age of 3; most children learn or are taught to grow out of this, but some are not and by adulthood, this avoidance technique has been practiced to perfection.

A further advantage of the denial/counter-attack/feigning victim hood strategy is that it acts as a provocation. The target, who may have taken months to reach this stage, sees their tormentor getting away with it and is provoked into an angry and emotional outburst after which the bully says simply "There, I told you s/he was like that". Anger is one of the mechanisms by which bullies (and all abusers) control their targets. By tapping in to and obtaining an inappropriate release of pent-up anger the bully plays their masterstroke and casts their victim as villain.

When called to account for the way they have chosen to behave, mature adults do not respond by bursting into tears. If you're dealing with a serial bully who has just exhibited this avoidance tactic, sit passively and draw attention to the pattern of behavior they've just exhibited, and then the purpose of the tactic. Then ask for an answer to the question.

Bullies also rely on the denial of others and the fact that when their target reports the abuse they will be disbelieved ("are your sure this is really going on? "I find it hard to believe - are you sure you're not imagining it?"). Frequently targets are asked why they didn't report the abuse before, and they will usually reply "because I didn't think anyone would believe me." Sadly they are often right in this assessment. Because of the Jekyll & Hyde nature, compulsive lying, and plausibility, no one can - or wants - to believe it.

Denial features in most cases of sexual assault, as in the case of Paul Hickson, the UK Olympic swimming coach who sexually assaulted and raped teenage girls in his care over a period of 20 years or more. When his victims were asked why they didn't report the abuse, most replied, "Because I didn't think anyone would believe me". Abusers confidently, indeed arrogantly, rely on this belief, often aggressively inculcating (instilling) the belief ("No-one will ever believe you") just after the sexual assault when their victim is in a distressed state. Targets of bullying in the workplace often come up against the same attitudes by management when they report a bullying colleague. In a workplace environment, the bully usually recruits one or two colleagues who will back up the bully's denial when called to account.

Reflection

Serial bullies harbor a particular hatred of anyone who can articulate their behavior profile, either verbally or in writing in a manner which helps other people see through their deception and their mask of deceit.

The usual instinctive response is to launch a bitter personal attack on the person's credentials, lack of qualifications, and right to talk about personality disorders, psychopathic personality etc, whilst preserving their right to talk about anything they choose - all the while adding nothing to the debate themselves.

Serial bullies hate to see themselves and their behavior reflected as if they are looking into a mirror.

Projection

Bullies project their inadequacies, shortcomings, behaviors etc on to other people to avoid facing up to their inadequacy and doing something about it (learning about oneself can be painful), and to distract and

divert attention away from themselves and their inadequacies. Projection is

achieved through blame, criticism and allegation; once you realize this,

every criticism, allegation etc that the bully makes about their target is

actually an admission or revelation about themselves. This knowledge can be

used to perceive the bully's own misdemeanors; for instance, when the

allegations are of financial or sexual impropriety, it is likely that the

bully has committed these acts; when the bully makes an allegation of abuse

(such allegations tend to be vague and non-specific), it is likely to be

the bully who has committed the abuse. When the bully makes allegations of,

say, "cowardice" or "negative attitude" it is the bully who is a coward or

has a negative attitude.

In these circumstances, the bully has to understand that if specious and

insubstantive allegations are made, the bully will also be investigated.

When the symptoms of psychiatric injury become apparent to others, most

bullies will play the Mental Health Trap, claiming their target is

"mentally ill" or "mentally unstable" or has a "mental health problem". It

is more likely that this allegation is a projection of the bully's own

mental health problems. If this trap is being used on you, assert

"projection" as a defense against disciplinary action or as part of your

legal proceedings.

It is a key identifying feature of a person with a personality disorder or

psychopathic personality that, when called to account, they will accuse the

person who is unmasking them of being the one with the personality disorder

or psychopathic personality from which they (the bully) suffer.

Most serial bullies have unhappy and unsatisfactory private lives that are

characterized by a string of broken relationships. If you are the current

target of a serial bully and taking legal action, a little digging into the

bully's past, including their personal life, will usually unearth some

unsavoury facts that the bully would prefer not to be made public. In some

cases, serial bullies have been found to have criminal convictions for

fraud, or to have been compelled to attend therapy or counseling for their

habit of compulsive lying, or they might have a record of domestic

violence. Under normal circumstances making these facts part of the

proceedings might be considered unethical; however, if you're the target of

a serial bully, the circumstances are not normal.

Validity of testimony

Because of the serial bully's Jekyll and Hyde nature, compulsive lying,

charm and plausibility, the validity of this person's testimony cannot be

relied on in disciplinary proceedings, appeal hearings, and under oath at

tribunal and in court. Emphasize this when taking action.

Mediation with this type of individual is inappropriate. Serial bullies

regard mediation (and arbitration, conciliation, negotiation etc) as

appeasement, which they ruthlessly exploit; it allows them to give the

impression in public that they are negotiating and being conciliatory,

whilst in private they continue the bullying. The lesson of the twentieth

century is that you do not appease aggressors.

My Most Important Blog Ever: If this is you, PLEASE GET HELP (Part 1)

2009-08-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

Human beings are social creatures and need social interaction, feedback, and validation of their worth. The emotionally mature person doesn't need to go hunting for these; they gain it naturally from their daily life, especially from their work/taking care of their families, and from stable relationships.
Emotional maturity, also known as emotional intelligence, is a much better indicator of a person's character and value than their intelligence quotient, or IQ.

The emotionally immature person, has low levels of self-esteem and self-confidence and consequently feels insecure; to counter these feelings of insecurity they will spend a large proportion of their lives creating situations in which they become the centre of attention. It may be that the need for attention is inversely proportional to emotional maturity, therefore anyone indulging in attention-seeking behaviours is telling you how emotionally immature they really are.

Attention-seeking behaviour is surprisingly common. Being the centre of attention alleviates feelings of insecurity and inadequacy but the relief is temporary as the underlying problem remains unaddressed: low self-confidence and low self-esteem, and consequent low levels of self-worth and self-love.

Insecure and emotionally immature people often exhibit bullying behaviours, especially manipulation and deception. These are necessary in order to obtain attention which would not otherwise be forthcoming. Bullies and harassers have the emotional age of a young child and will exhibit temper tantrums, deceit, lying and manipulation to avoid exposure of their true nature and to evade accountability and sanction.
Attention seeking methods
Attention-seeking is particularly noticeable with females so I've used the pronoun "she". Males also exhibit attention-seeking behaviour.

Attention seekers commonly exploit the suffering of others to gain attention for themselves. Or they may exploit their own suffering, or alleged suffering. In extreme forms, such as in Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy, the attention-seeker will deliberately cause suffering to others as a means of gaining attention.

The sufferer: this might include feigning or exaggerating illness, playing on an injury, or perhaps causing or inviting injury, in extreme cases going as far as losing a limb. Severe cases may meet the diagnostic criteria for Munchausen Syndrome (also know as Factitious Disorder). The illness or injury becomes a vehicle for gaining sympathy and thus attention. The attention-seeker excels in manipulating people through their emotions, especially that of guilt. It's very difficult not to feel sorry for someone who relates a plausible tale of suffering in a sob story or "poor me" drama.

The saviour: in attention-seeking personality disorders like Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy (MSBP, also known as Factitious Disorder By Proxy) the person, usually female, creates opportunities to be centre of attention by intentionally causing harm to others and then being their saviour, by saving their life, and by being such a caring, compassionate person. Few people realise the injury was deliberate. The MSBP mother or nurse may kill several babies before suspicions are aroused. When not in saviour mode, the saviour may be resentful, perhaps even contemptuous, of the person or persons she is saving.

The rescuer: particularly common in family situations, she's the one who will dash in and "rescue" people whenever the moment is opportune - to herself, that is. She then gains gratification from basking in the glory of her humanitarian actions. She will prey on any person suffering misfortune, infirmity, illness, injury, or anyone who has a vulnerability. The act of rescue and thus the opportunities for gaining attention can be enhanced if others are excluded from the act of rescue; this helps create a dependency relationship between the rescuer and rescued which can be exploited for further acts of rescue (and attention) later. When not in rescue mode, the rescuer may be resentful, perhaps even contemptuous, of the person she is rescuing.

The organiser: she may present herself as the one in charge, the one organising everything, the one who is reliable and dependable, the one people can always turn to. She is known for extravagent planning, making lists, keeping records, but in actuality does none of it very well in many instances. However, the objective is not to help people (this is only a means to an end) but to always be the centre of attention.

The manipulator: she may exploit family relationships, manipulating others with guilt and distorting perceptions; although she may not harm people physically, she causes everyone to suffer emotional injury. Vulnerable family members are favourite targets. A common attention-seeking ploy is to claim she is being persecuted, victimised, excluded, isolated or ignored by another family member or group, perhaps insisting she is the target of a campaign of exclusion or harassment.

The mind-poisoner: adept at poisoning peoples' minds by manipulating their perceptions of others, especially against the current target.

The drama queen: every incident or opportunity, no matter how insignificant, is exploited, exaggerated and if necessary distorted to become an event of dramatic proportions. Everything is elevated to crisis proportions. Histrionics may be present where the person feels she is not the centre of attention but should be. Inappropriate flirtatious behaviour may also be present.

The busy bee: this individual is the busiest person in the world if her constant retelling of her life is to be believed. Everyday events which are regarded as normal by normal people take on epic proportions as everyone is invited to simultaneously admire and commiserate with this oh-so-busy person who never has a moment to herself, never has time to sit down, etc. She's never too busy, though, to tell you how busy she is.

The feigner: when called to account and outwitted, the person instinctively uses the denial - counterattack - feigning victimhood strategy to manipulate everyone present, especially bystanders and those in authority. The most effective method of feigning victimhood is to burst into tears, for most people's instinct is to feel sorry for them, to put their arm round them or offer them a tissue. There's little more plausible than real tears, although as actresses know, it's possible to turn these on at will. Feigners are adept at using crocodile tears. From years of practice, attention-seekers often give an Oscar-winning performance in this respect. Feigning victimhood is a favourite tactic of bullies and harassers to evade accountability and sanction. When accused of bullying and harassment, the person immediately turns on the water works and claims they are the one being bullied or harassed - even though there's been no prior mention of being bullied or harassed. It's the fact that this claim appears only after and in response to having been called to account that is revealing. Mature adults do not burst into tears when held accountable for their actions.

The false confessor: this person confesses to crimes they haven't committed in order to gain attention from the police and the media. In some cases people have confessed to being serial killers, even though they cannot provide any substantive evidence of their crimes. Often they will confess to crimes which have just been reported in the media. Some individuals are know to the police as serial confessors. The false confessor is different from a person who make a false confession and admits to a crime of which they are accused because of emotional pressure and inappropriate interrogation tactics.

The abused: a person claims they are the victim of abuse, sexual abuse, rape etc as a way of gaining attention for themselves. Crimes like abuse and rape are difficult to prove at the best of times and their incidence is so common that it is easy to make a plausible claim as a way of gaining attention.

The online victim: this person uses Internet chat rooms and forums to allege that they've been the victim of rape, violence, harassment, abuse etc. The alleged crime is never reported to the authorities, for obvious reasons. The facelessness and anonymity of the Internet suits this type of attention seeker.

The victim: she may intentionally create acts of harassment against herself, eg send herself hate mail or damage her own possessions in an attempt to incriminate a fellow employee, a family member, neighbour, etc. Scheming, cunning, devious, deceptive and manipulative, she will identify her "harasser" and produce circumstantial evidence in support of her claim. She will revel in the attention she gains and use her glib charm to plausibly dismiss any suggestion that she herself may be responsible. However, a background check may reveal that this is not the first time she has had this happen to her.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of "My Most Important Blog Ever: If this is you, PLEASE GET HELP"

~To my sister, Amy~

2009-08-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my sister!
She arrived in Sturgis, South Dakota, for the release of her book after riding her Harley all the way from Arkansas.
She battled chemo sickness (her treatment for Lupus, which keeps her severely ill most of the time), horrendous storms, heat and exhaustion, and I'm so proud of her strength and determination.
I hope you have the time of your life, Sis, and your book is already a success, so I know you'll have a great time. I'm so proud of all the things I've seen written about you by so many prominent authors and biker celebrities.
You've done it. You had a dream and you've lived it, and I'm so happy for you.
We love you!

the prison break.

2009-05-31T15:58:00.000-07:00

I've been out of town this weekend, so I didn't have to drive to Cummins and cover the prison break story. Apparently, 'powers that be' had the bright idea to allow one of the jobs at the prison to be prisoners making guard uniforms.

I'm sure those that don't know about this can tell where it's going....because of this grand plan, two convicted murderers borrowed a couple of the uniforms and waltzed right out of the prison with the other guards during shift rotation to a car that was parked nearby, apparently waiting for their escape.

A possible sighting was reported in Missouri, and I certainly hope noone loses their life because the State of Arkansas could not foresee that a possible security breach was on the horizon when they allowed the same garments guards wear to actually be made by prisoners.

I'm just surprised it hasn't happened before now.

I wonder if another job in the prison is making keys for the gates.

Drew County Speedway hosts popular MSRA series

2009-05-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

The MSRA Super Late Models roared into Drew County Speedway for a two -night show May 15-16, on the heels of fans’ requests for an appearance by the thriving series. Racers often televised on such networks as The Speed Channel arrived in full glory, and cars built throughout the southern region of the United States thundered around the track in multiple heats, B-Mains and two features, surpassing fans’ expectations. The show was packed with 27 super late model racers rolling into the speedway, taking their turns at the 3/8- mile oval track.

Kyle Beard (#86) of Truman, who ran at Drew County Speedway in 2008, proved his skills in last year’s race by leading the most laps before being passed at the very end to finish second. Speaking of his previous appearance before Friday‘s feature, Beard said “I’ve always liked running here at this track. The surface is right tonight, and my car’s been pretty good (so far). It looks to be a good night for the #86 car.”
The weekend did serve Beard well, granting him a win Friday night after an explosive run with hard-driving contenders (#93) Ray Moore of Shreveport, La., who finished second; and (#8M) Michael Murphree of Little Rock to round out the top three. Beard went on to secure a fifth place finish in Saturday’s feature.

Finishing mid-pack both nights (11th and 14th places), the #94r driver stuns locals wherever he goes when fans learn Austin Rettig is only 14 years old. In contention for 2008 Rookie of the Year, the zealous teenager of Sikeston, Mo., followed in his dad’s footsteps, also a dirt track racer who has recently limited his competition to allow Rettig to take the wheel. Rettig first strapped into street stocks at the age of 12, then moved up to crate late models where he earned two wins before graduating to the MSRA super late models this season.

However, Rettig is not the only teenager to run with the series’ veteran drivers; 15-year-old Gary Christian of Broken Bow, Okla., began racing go-carts at the age of five, then made his way through motorcycles and mini-stocks, honing his skills on modifieds before moving into super late models last year. His dad is known in the ASCS world for racing sprint cars, and Christian is sure to have a strong future in his sights, having already earned a racing resume of which many men would boast.

Monticello driver Bobby Derryberry (#13x) raced his way into the feature in Friday’s B-Main, while Stormy Derryberry (#311), also of Monticello, earned his way into Saturday night’s show after missing by inches over the finish line a second-place secured spot into the show during an exciting Friday night B-Main run.

Saturday’s feature was won by Billy Moyer Jr. (#21JR) of Batesville, a local favorite who has raced against well-known drivers such as Scott Bloomquist, as well as headlining racers known in the NASCAR series.

Local Series

Friday’s mini-stock race ended with returning champion Nick Frost of Monticello (#11) winning the checkered, followed by (#11x) Eric Moss of Watson in second and (#44L) Chris Lawson of Warren placing third.

In the cruiser feature, the top three contenders Friday evening were John Anthony of Dumas (#35), Brian Pharr (#26), and Tony Gillespie of Dumas (#11), who secured a third place finish after moving through the field from 16th spot.

The hobby stock division awarded winnings to three of its strongest Monticello racers again this week, with Jimmy Gibson (#83) winning the feature, followed by second place (#225) Kenneth Harvey and (#5M) Mandy Hayden, third place.

Thirteen street stocks took the track and was led to the checkered Saturday night by Huttig racer Joel Ball (#B1), with racer and car owner Eckie Harrison’s cars (#53 and #54H) lining up in second and third place finishes.

Friday’s limited modified show brought first place winner Waylon Ball of El Dorado (#B75) to the checkered, with Warren racer Joey Simmons (#17J) racing into second place as Monticello drivers (#1R) Bennie Ryburn and (#07T) Todd Abbott had another strong week with top five finishes.

The O’Reilly Modfieds took the track Saturday night and Casey Findley of Bryant (#17f) held off second place Richard Anders of El Dorado (#18A) to take that win.

Introducing Art Veno.

2009-05-18T07:19:00.001-07:00

I am quite honored and owe a special thanks to Dr. Arthur Veno, best-selling author who has chosen my photography from a selection of nationally recognized photographers to be featured in his latest project, Biker Chicks, now available for sale and, as I have been told, is currently listed as the #1 bestseller in Australia.

Introducing Dr. Veno....

Dr. Arthur Veno is Adjuct Professor of Criminology at Monash University.

He has written three popular books on bike culture The Brotherhoods: Inside outlaw motorcycle clubs (Allen and Unwin, 3rd ed November 2009); The Mammouth Book of Bikers (Constable and Robinson, London, 2007) and Biker Chicks: The magnetic attraction of women to bad boys and motorbikes (Allen and Unwin, May, 2009).

He was the Director of Police and Justice Studies at Monash for many years and has received numerous national and state awards for his work in violence prevention with both bikies and police.

From 2001-2005 he worked on a grant requiring him to ride with The South Australian Gypsy Jokers during their campaign to stop the introduction of the current anti-bikie legislation in South Australia and assisted the Secretariat of the Joint Parliamentary Committee reviewing the Australian Crime Commission's Serious and Organised Crimes Act in 2008.

He was awarded the Australian Psychological Society's Distiguished Career award for his work with bikies and police in 2007.

He has never been a member of any club.

Biker Chicks named best seller in Australia

2009-05-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

I just got word that Arthur Veno's book "Biker Chicks" is the #1 best-seller in Australia!
I find that to be particularly fabulous because my sister is a contributing author and featured in it!

My previous blog about these books.

A repost...

2009-05-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

Read this!

Shelley's blog...

2009-05-16T14:20:00.001-07:00

My friend Shelley posted a blog about Kristina, our friend who is battling cancer.
Please visit this blog and keep Kritina in your prayers.
Thanks, Shelley, for this post.
~We love you, Kristina~
http://naturallightphotog.blogspot.com/2009/05/kristina.html

My sister, the author. She never ceases to amaze me, that's for sure.

2009-05-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

She arrives in all her splendor...

Well, here it is! Actually, here THEY are.

My sister, a Monticello native and writer for Easy Rider and In the Wind biker magazines, has become a reknown biker personality throughout the United States and Australia.

As contributing author, her story is featured in the newest project of well-known and best-selling author Art Veno (and Edward Winterhalder), Biker Chicks..., as well as a book written by Amy, Wicked Bitch. Both books will be on tour this summer, beginning later this month with numerous appearances in New York City.

The first person in history allowed to be photographed with Elvis Presley's bike collection, Amy and her book have gotten rave reviews from some of the biggest names in publishing and outlaw biker organizations. Her sometimes amusing, often heart-wrenching, and constantly shocking stories are sure to stun and entertain anyone who dares to read it.

The book is available for immediate purchase by clicking here.

Tenth DTF makes arrests

2009-05-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

www.pbcommercial.com

Erratic driving with a child in the vehicle ended in the arrest of two Hot Springs men on drug manufacturing charges Tuesday.

Tenth Drug Task Force Lt. Jason Akers said a traffic stop was made in Drew County “after a lengthy surveillance on the vehicle and its occupants“; the surveillance, Akers said, was the result of the vehicle being seen weaving on the highway.

During the traffic stop, agents learned that an unspecified quantity of ephedrine-based cold pills were inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle located four boxes of the ephedrine-based medicine, often used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Akers said the DTF has information the pills were being taken to a location other than Drew Couny to be used in the manufacturing of the illicit drug.

The driver of the vehicle, Charles Lee Hancock, 50, and a passenger, Tommy Smith, 26, were arrested, and each face charges of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia with the intent to manufacture. First appearances for the suspects have not been conducted. A third person was inside the van at the time of the incident, Akers said, but was not arrested. A small child was also inside the vehicle.

My flowers Spring 2009

2009-05-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of these lil boogers. The rain has tormented them....twice I've had to pick them up out of the yard after floods and replant. At least a dozen times more, they have completely flooded and drowned in the flower bed. I was certain they wouldn't bloom.
I snapped these a couple of days ago when the first blooms started appearing...I woke up this morning and have at least 50 gorgeous pink, purple, orange and white flowers, just overlapping each other, and I'm so happy! I could stare at them for hours....lilies are officially my MOST favorite flowers EVER!!

2009-05-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Tragic search ends in Bradley County

2009-05-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

Family members of LaTasha Strong, a Warren resident and 32-year-old mother of two, stood nearby as the Honda Civic she was a passenger in was pulled from flooded waters at approximately 3:45 p.m. Monday, following a 34-hour search near the Flat Branch Creek bridge in Bradley County .

The car was located in the same location amongst trees and brush where a rescue boat crashed in violent waters and overturned at approximately the same time Sunday while searching for the vehicle; searchers were not injured in the incident.

Strong’s body was located inside the vehicle. Police believe the driver, 30-year-old Tyrone Gilliam, also of Warren, fell asleep while traveling in the westbound lane of Hwy. 278 West, approximately ½ mile east of the Saline River Bridge, just before 5 a.m. Sunday. Gilliam was able to escape the submerged vehicle and was transported to Bradley County Medical Center where he was treated for minor injuries and released.

Strong’s father, Jeff Strong of Banks, told reporters minutes before the vehicle was recovered “I know we won’t find her alive, but hopefully we can find some closure to it.” A large crowd of family members, friends and volunteers had gathered Sunday and Monday along the highway awaiting word.

Bradley County Sheriff Rick Anders expressed his sympathy Monday evening to the family of Strong, as well as his appreciation to the numerous volunteers and emergency workers in nearby counties who assisted in the search and recovery effort.

Search for Warren resident continues in violent waters

2009-05-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Heavy rain and continually rising flood waters are hindering the search of a woman who was passenger in a vehicle submerged in rapidly flowing waters early Sunday morning in Bradley County.

Rescue personnel and volunteers from Bradley, Drew, Jefferson and Ashley counties have gathered since approximately 5 a.m. Sunday and fought violently rushing waters near the Flat Branch Creek overpass, approximately ½ mile east of the Hwy. 278 West Saline River Bridge.

While the area surrounding the creek is rarely flooded, its current is violent and continues to rise with the ongoing rains in southeast Arkansas, preventing divers on the scene from searching for the missing car and victim, who was identified as LaTasha L. Strong, 32, of Warren, by her her father, Jeff Strong of Banks. Strong’s family has gathered along the highway and awaited word, hovered under umbrellas near a pile of plastic car pieces that were recovered Sunday.

While magnets have picked up signals in the vicinity south of the bridge, the waters are too dangerous for divers to search, drastically affecting a full-scale search.

At one point Sunday afternoon, a boat carrying rescue workers and volunteers was shoved by the violently flowing water and crashed into trees, overturning the boat; the searchers were able to cling to trees and were not injured.

According to the victim’s family, Strong was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Tyrone Gilliam, also of Bradley County, in the westbound lane when the vehicle left the road and drove into the flooded area of the creek. Gilliam was able to escape the vehicle and was transported to Bradley County Medical Center where he was treated for minor injuries.

Arkansas State Police Sgt. Gary Gambill said Monday that the ASP is assisting with the highway’s traffic flow in areas of the search and remains on the scene; however, a complete investigation is stalled until the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office recovers Strong and the vehicle. “We were dispatched to the wreck, but until Ms. Strong or the vehicle is recovered, we cannot proceed with any information other than an initial report of the accident.

DCS gets rave reviews from some of nation's top drivers

2009-04-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect for racing and the pits yet again filled with racers as Commercial Bank presented under lights the Parts Plus USCS Winged Outlaw Sprint Cars, Rislone Pro Modifieds, Faster Pastor Charity Challenge (a special charitable event), SportMods, Cruisers and Mini Stocks at Drew County Speedway Saturday night, April 11, 2009.

The evening also marked the much-anticipated grand opening of Signs, Shirts & Decals KidZone Klub, in memory of Faith Reed. KidZone Klub Director Mellissa Rodgers and volunteers planned a fun-filled evening for the younger crowd at the track, complete with an Easter egg hunt and the first round of the World Championship Econo-Box drag races.

Faith Reed’s mother, Elizabeth, was present for the ribbon cutting ceremony, as well as primary sponsors Kerry and Becky Rice of Monticello, owners of Signs, Shirts & Decals. “We are very happy to be able to sponsor the new playground here at Drew County Speedway,” Kerry Rice said as children scurried by him through the entrance to gather for the Easter egg hunt. “The night we lost little Faith was so tragic and shocking. I stood and watched everyone here coming together for Faith, and I felt so helpless. My wife and I are very excited to be able to provide a good, safe place for the children to play in Faith‘s memory…to get them out of the pits and stands and give them something fun to do while their parents enjoy the show,” the former flagman and track tech said. “God has blessed us, and we are so proud to be able to pay it forward to benefit the children and this track. It really means a lot to us.”

“We really appreciate the Rice family and everyone who helped make this playground possible for the children,” Reed said. “The people at Drew County Speedway have been so kind, and it touches our hearts to know that Faith is remembered and loved by so many, and that children will have a place to play each week at the track. Thanks to everyone who came out and made this a special night for our family.”

The Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint cars blew into the speedway for a fast-paced, action-packed show, followed by the Rislone Pro Modifieds, who thundered around the 3/8-mile oval track for an intense run in front of a packed crowd.

A 25-year veteran of racing and sprint racer since 1990, 2008 Mid-South Champion Tim Crawley dominated the 25-lap feature in his return visit to DCS, having raced in Modified divisions at the track in previous seasons. He brought Memphis car owner Mike Ward’s winged sprint car to the checkered and gave local fans a show like none they’d ever witnessed at the fast-growing speedway.

“We’re happy with the surface; they’ve done a good job getting it ready for us,” Crawley said before the race. “It’s a nice dry, slick track, and that’s fine with me. I like ’em dry,” he said, thanking team sponsors Boater Sports, AMC Plumbing, Southern Renovations, Simply Countertops and Senter Farms. Recapping the night after his win, Crawley said, “Basically, we missed a little early on in the heat race and dash. Being the first time here in winged sprints, we weren’t sure on some things, but we worked hard and got the car dialed in. Everything was good for the feature, and we went on for the win.” 2008 Mid-South Championship runner-up Marshall Skinner (#26) secured a second place win, followed by third place Bryce Vowan (#2M).

Another favorite in the series, Bartlett, Tenn., driver Terry Gray (#10 Rislone) also seemed pleased with the track development and expected a strong run. “It seems like a nice place; we’ve never run sprints here before, so everyone’s on even ground. I’m looking forward to getting out there and giving it a shot,” he said pre-race. The seven-time USCS Champion and 2008 National Champion won the six-lap dash over other series headliners, but his evening turned sour when the car’s drive shaft broke and put Gray out of contention for the feature, finishing in 10th spot. “That’s just something that doesn’t happen very often,” Gray said.

Hunter Rasdon, the 22-year-old USCS Rislone Pro Modified driver, was ultra-fast in qualifying and went on to win his fifth feature win of the year (third for USCS) in his quest to secure the 2009 championship. “I’ve been racing since I was four years old, but I’ve only been running modifieds for about three years,” Rasdon said.

Running on a limited schedule in 2008, Rasdon secured a third place finish in the championship last year, proving his #5R car is the one to watch this season. Rasdon is no stranger to winning, securing in his career eight track championships and numerous big feature wins, making him one of the hottest open-wheeled modified racers in the nation. “We had a great time here at DCS,” Rasdon said, adding he looks forward to the upcoming races on the schedule this year when they will once again invade the speedway. “I travel all over the place, and this track has nice facilities on it; the pits were nice and big (we weren’t crowded like a lot of places), the lighting is real good, and the track surface was nice to race on. It had multi-grooves and we could run just about anywhere we wanted. They did a good job of getting the show moving and running smoothly for us. We’re definitely looking forward to coming back.” Behind Rasdon, 2006 USCS Champion Ben Reed powered his #07 car to a second place finish in the 25-lap feature, followed by third place #73, driven by 2008 USCS Champion Ashley Newman.

USCS representative Pete Walton said the series would return to DCS May 29. “It’s going to be a really big show,” he said. “We’ll be bringing about 30 modifieds, so it’ll be an exciting night for sure.”

In the sport modified class, Heath Wilson (#A1) of Farmerville, La., started on the inside pole and held off Cody Harger (#6VOLT) to lead the entire race to the checkered. Harger started the race in fifth position and worked his way to second place. The top two cars pulled away from the field and held a strong lead throughout the race, followed by Monticello drivers #8 Robert Moore and #1R Bennie Ryburn, with #5T Guy Teeter rounding out the top five. Ronnie Adcock (#0), who started in 12th position earned a ninth place finish, and #27h Roger Hayden finished out the top ten.

After many racers donated their cars to be used in the charitable Faster Pastor Challenge earlier in the evening, the mini-stocks took the track, and #11x Eric Moss, this year’s repeat winner, fell back to seventh place as Nick Frost of Monticello (#11) returned to the track the for the first time this season in his 1996 Honda Civic and took the checkered. Frost was a four-time feature winner in the 2008 season.

A fender-banging fan favorite, the Cruiser class was once again packed, with 20 cars making the feature. Tonya Chadwick of El Dorado (#27tc) became the first female to be named winner of the class, who ran a strong race with second place finisher Brandon Lloyd (#15). “We’re always happy just to be able to run a clean race and pull our car onto the trailer at the end of the night with no major damage; although, we sure do like it when we have a trophy in our hand, too,” said Lloyd, also last week’s second place finisher.

For Chadwick, racing at Drew County Speedway has become a full-family affair, with her sister Lisa Owens (#44) racing alongside her in the Cruiser division and her son, Cody Chadwick, operating the #14cc limited modified (who finished in 11th place in his class). “Our main focus is Cody, of course,” Chadwick said, “but my dad convinced me last year that I could do it, too. I didn’t believe him at first, but here I am in first place, so I guess women CAN race, too! I’m so happy that my dad believed in me and that racing is a way for our family to spend time, work and have fun together,” she said. “We’ve raced a lot of other places, and won at a few of them, but DCS is by far the best place we’ve ever been. If it weren’t for our great experiences here, we never would have invested the time and money into two cruiser cars and two modifieds for Cody. This is our home track. We love this place, and we’ll never race anywhere else again.”

Official race results may be found at www.speednetdirect.com/results.php .

Parts Plus United Sprint Car series sprint car results at DCS, April 11, 2009:

1. 88 Tim Crawley of Benton, Ark.

2. 26 Marshall Skinner of West Memphis, Ark.

3. 2M Bryce Vowan of Forrest City, Ark.

4. 24 Justin Carver of Drummonds, Tenn.

5. 16 Anthony Nicholson of Bartlett, Tenn.

6. 26S John Stinson of Memphis, Tenn.

7. 01 Jeremy Newkirk of Little Rock, Ark.

8. 31 Michael Craddock of Olive Branch, Miss.

9. 25 Ray Bugg of Iuka, Miss.

10. 10 Terry Gray of Bartlett, Tenn.

11. 1A Lee Moore of Tuscaloosa, Ala.

12. 58 Wade Oliver of Southaven, Miss.

K&N Filters Pole Award: Marshall Skinner

Parts Plus Power Dash: Winner #10 Terry Gray

Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Winner #26 Marshall Skinner

Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Winner #10 Terry Gray

JE Pistons Top Guns: #16 Anthony Nicholson, fifth place

Lunati Crank It Up Award: #24 Justin Carver

　

　

Rislone USCS Modified Series feature results at DCS April 11, 2009

1. R5 Hunter Rasdon

2. 07 Ben Reed

3. 73 Ashley Newman

4. 19 Jeremy Kester

5. 8 Mike Palasini, Jr.

6. 18A Richard Anders

7. 51 John Polasini

8. 401K Travis Broach

9. 26 Patrick Linn

10. 99R Justin Roberts

11. 20 Shannon Farr

12. 88S Seth Reed

13. 48 Alan Brown

14. 22 Richard Kinney

15. 22M Casey Minton

16. 51F Cory Dumas

17. 74 Matt Stacey

18. 8 Jodey Reep

19. 89 Joseph Leister

20. 26 Kevin Ferrell

21. 27F Lynnsee Povence

22. 17F Casey Findley

23. F2R Keith Craft

24. 60B Mike Bowers

25. 15 Grant Box DNS

K&N Filters Fast Time: Hunter Rasdon 17.86 seconds

Rislone Power Dash Winner: 51 John Polasini

Aero Race Wheels Semi-Feature #1 Winner: 51 John Polasini

R.H.S. Racing Head Service Semi-Feature #2 Winner: 17F Casey Findley

Comp Cams Hard Charger: 99R Justin Roberts (started in 24th position and finished 10th)

Seeking Justice for Sharron Prior

2009-04-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

A lady added me to Facebook several months ago, and just a few days ago she messaged me these links...this is her sister, Sharron. This touched my heart, and I wanted to share Sharron Prior's story with you and the work they do for her and victims everywhere.

www.sharronprior.com This is Sharron's Story. Please visit and sign their guestbook.

www.sharronprior.blogspot.com This Sharron's family website, focusing on a variety of cases.

There is nothing more frightening....

2009-04-14T05:43:00.000-07:00
I had perhaps the biggest scare of my life yesterday. I'm writing this so that one day my baby girl can read it, understand why I was so upset, and know how much her mommy loves her.

Since August, I have talked to scores of family members who are searching for their missing loved ones, mainly children who either vanished, into mid-air it seems, or or murdered. Missing children have always been close to my heart and I pay closer attention to missing children cases in the media than most, probably, and my daily prayers always include families that are enduring the horrific nightmare as well as children who have been abducted.

I don't talk about it much these days, but during the third week of August 2008, my friend Jamie had been talking to me about the Caylee Anthony case. It was on the news daily, and my friend told me I should blog about the bizarre circumstances surrounding the case. "Nancy Grace is on right now, and they are talking about it," she said, so I flipped the channel and watched a few minutes of the coverage.

Something they said about people trying to extort and scam victims' families reminded me of bastards who had lied about having my baby cousin 20 years ago in order to collect ransom. The FBI set up a sting, and the people, nothing more than a bunch of greedy, lying, losers, were arrested, but they didn't have my cousin. They just wanted money. I remembered the heartache felt by the family caused by false hope, and it still angers me to this day.

In 1989, when I was 12, my five-year-old cousin was abducted from a Christmas party in Virginia. As they were leaving the party, M asked her mom if she could take some potato chips home with her. As the story goes, M's mom watched her walk across the room, scoop up a handful of potato chips into her pudgy, tiny hands and head back towards her mother to go home. Her mom looked away for a split second to tell a friend good night, and when she turned back, my baby cousin had vanished.

After an exhausting, and one of the FBI's most famous, investigations, a groundskeeper for the complex where they lived, who had attended the Christmas party that night, was arrested and charged with abduction with intent to defile.

The forensic evidence in M's case was historical and ground-breaking, forcing huge developments in the FBI's technology and development of extensive testing in major crime cases. Media attention and the nationwide search for M could be compared to the wide-spread international focus of such cases as Polly Klaas & Adam Walsh. But M was never found, and her abducter has spent the last 20 years in prison, refusing to utter a single word. There are still episodes aired at least three times a month about my baby cousin, for which I'm grateful and a bit awed, knowing that is MY baby cousin they still wonder about two decades later. I loved her then, and I still do.

I assumed all this time, like most people, that he murdered her, but there was NO evidence of that, so in the back of my mind, I held onto my childhood hope that one day she would be found. Unlikely, I know, but how could I continue to pray for her safety if I didn't believe, at least a little, that she was alive somewhere?

The media coverage of the Anthony case reminded me of M for a few days. Perhaps because we were children and it was more traumatic on the younger members of the family, distant as we were, than what everyone realized, M's cousins have never forgotten her and have always felt helpless. After all, we were just kids....while the adults consoled each other and searched, the children in the family couldn't do anything to show our love for her. In these past few months, I've spoken to several of her childhood and church friends, as well as other cousins, and realized that children all over who knew her also feel a special bond to her and search for her case from time to time, so I've realized I'm not as weird as I had initially thought.

Add to the fact that our mom, always diligent over watching us and warning us of predators BEFORE M's abduction, became more worried that it could happen to anyone, to us, the way it did M and instilled a constant reminder that this is not a safe world for children and to always be careful, with our safety as we grew, and our babies after we were adults.

I'm such a public Nazi when it comes to B, and have told her from early on that NOWHERE is safe, and if she is outside or in public she HAS to stay as close to me or whoever she's with...as close as possible, to stay safe. She's always had a few more rules about playing with friends than her peers, and I have felt guilty about that from time to time, thinking that she's missing out on fun her friends are having, but I just can't bring myself to relax. There's plenty of things to relax about and ignore, being a mom, and I choose for that issue not to be one of them.

Back to August, I googled M's name because I decided to blog about her and tell my friend Jamie, since she is interested in missing children cases, also. That moment sent my life into a tailspin. Perhaps one day I can share the...rest of the story...but not today. I just ask for everyone's continued prayers for M, her family, and a girl I found after googling M's name that day who needed help and a Christian influence, also.

Since that time, though, I have met so many people who have felt the heartache M's parents felt. Two days ago, one of those new friends sent me a link to her family's blog, and I shall share it next, but it's just an example of the types of stories I've heard these past several months, making me more diligent than ever before about my own little girl's safety.

Yesterday at 4:52 p.m., I was talking to my sis on the phone and hanging up a load of laundry when B came to the bedroom. "Mommy, can I go walking with P and her mom?" "Her mom's going?," I asked, without even realizing it because it's become second nature to me...B knows the rules of the household well by now, and she would have known not to even ASK such a thing unless an adult was going along with them.

B has three friends...N lives across the street, and sisters, P and A (who is older), on the other side of us, that she plays with daily. The two families are kin and are some of the best neighbors we've ever had. The moms are responsible and watch their children as closely as I do B, which is a blessing.

"Yea, her mom's taking us," B said, sighing, as though she KNEW I was going to ask that. "Are they out there now?" "Yea, her mom is putting her walking shoes on," she said, impatient to be on her way. "Ok, just be careful and watch for traffic...stay close to her mom," I rattled off as she headed down the hallway to meet them.

About ten minutes later, Chris came in from work and said "Where's B?" I was checking my email and said, with quite a bit of unattention, "She went walking with P." It couldn't have been more than five seconds, and I heard a knock at the door...suddenly, Chris yelled, "JAYME! WHERE'S B????", running down the hall towards me. "She went walking with P," I said, still not paying much attention, but noticing the panic in his voice, I started to pay attention...quickly, and climbed off the bed, nearly crashing into him as he rushed into the bedroom. "No, she's not! N and P are at the door looking for her!"

I ran down the hall, past the kids out the door and said, "B is with ya'll, walking! Where'd she go? Have you seen her? Where's your mom?', scanning our yard and up and down the streets. P and N just stood, looking stunned at me. I was already panicking but trying not to show it....they just weren't answering my questions fast enough! Where's your mom, P? Where's your sister (A, the older of the girls)? Did B come to your house? She said she was walking with you! N, did you see her, did she go to YOUR house? Where's your mom?...I don't know how many more questions I asked, but none of their answers told me where my baby was. OMG OMG Jesus, where is she? I thought, trying not to panic. Chris circled the house, ran to the other neighbors' yards, but no sign of her.

Where's your sister, P? Where's your sister??? Is B with her???
P said, A's at home, in the house, B isn't there. "Go, run, check! Find A, tell her I can't find B! Make sure she isn't in your house! She said she was with YA'LL! SHE SAID YA'LL WERE WAITING FOR HER OUTSIDE!!!' The other two moms circled their houses...no B in the yard...they stuck their heads in the house and yelled her name. No answer....By this time I was standing at the end of our street, my head spinning....my sis was on the phone and I just kept saying, "I can't find her, Amy! I can't find her!' Chris, check her room! "I just did when I got home...she's not here! Her bike isn't here, Jayme! Where is she? Where is she?'

I saw the fear in his eyes that I felt in my heart. "I lost his baby, I lost his baby" began churning in my head. I started thinking of all the undesirables who lived nearby us, trying to calculate exactly how many minutes she'd been gone...they could be in Monticello...half way to Pine Bluff by now....WHERE WAS MY BABY???? SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS WITH P'S MOM! P'S MOM IS STANDING IN HER YARD, with her walking shoes on...STARING AT ME! "Call you back" I said to my sis, my voice shaking, my eyes still searching the neighborhood for ANY sign of her. I thought about my cousin, her mom, all the people who I had talked to, even the day BEFORE, all those babies who had disappeared. OMG, OMG, DID THEY TAKE HER, PLEASE GOD, WHERE IS SHE? Those few minutes seemed like the longest hours of my life.

My sister's call disconnected, I dialed 911, and with my finger on the green call button, watched for P to come back outside and tell me whether her older sister, A, had seen B...just to make sure before I called the police. My knees began getting weak as I thought of the horrible things that could be happening...of all the places in the world she could be....of all the hundreds of cars that drive by our house each day...she could be anywhere, with anyone. I never imagined the world as huge and frightening as I did in those moments.

What was only a minute later but seemed like an eternity, I saw P emerge from her house, shaking her head no with her hands in the air....her sister wasn't behind her. Their mom appeared from behind their house where she was scanning again, stopped P in route to me, and told her something...P ran towards me and said, "Mommy said they may have gone on ahead or walked to the dollar store," she said. Fear turned into pure rage....she BETTER HOPE I don't find her little butt in town without an adult!

Anger....while I immediately felt guilty for being mad when she could possibly be in danger, I guess it's the only way my mind could process the information enough to be able to function...to be able to make it back to my car to go find her....As I whipped out of the driveway, the neighbors and Chris stood in the yard staring at my spinning tires as I peeled out onto the main road...I must've been going 60 before I made it the short distance to the stop sign, where I would turn left and head toward the dollar store. WTF is she doing going to the store???, I asked myself as my phone rang and I turned the corner...it was my sister..."I'm headed to the dollar store...A isn't home so hopefully they are together...she is going to be in so much trouble amy! she BETTER be at the store! she better NOT be at the store, I said in the same breath, but oh, how I wanted to find her safely there. If not there, where? wtf? the STORE? She didn't say anything about the STORE!!! She KNOWS not to go anywhere without an adult, whether an older kid is with her or not! I just wanted my baby back....OMG I should have watched her when she left...but she said they were waiting on her....this is my fault, all my fault. Where is she? She HAS to be at the store....

My sis was in my ear on the phone, but I couldn't comprehend what she was saying...could barely hear her...my ears were ringing, chest pounding, the knots in my stomach that appeared the moment Chris told me the girls were at the door looking for Becca was growing by the second. I whipped into the store parking lot, and saw a girl that resembled A walking down one of the aisles..."I think I found them, Amy, I think I found them," I rushed into the store, but no sign of them..."I thought you saw A?" Amy was saying in my ear, with me saying "She's not here, Amy, she's not here" rushing up and down the main aisles, whipping my head left, right, then left again, paying extra attention to the toy aisles. "It wasn't her, it was someone else," I said, turning to head back out of the store. I noticed a girl in her early 20s staring at me with a snotty look....if I weren't in such a hurry to find my baby, I was in the right mood to smear that look right off her face...'eff her, my baby's missing,' I thought as I slammed back out the door and headed to my car, looking all through the parking lots nearby for the girls.

"She has to be with A. She has to be ok, Amy. She is in SO much effing trouble when I find her! What was she thinking???? She KNOWS better, Amy!" I shouted as I made my way back towards the house, looking inside Subway, behind the insurance office, up and down the streets I passed. As I approached our street, I saw the moms and children standing in the middle of the street, watching for me....A was with them...I looked in my yard and there was B, safe, confused, sitting on her bike. As I slid onto our street and slammed my brakes, B was waving, "Hey, Mommy! Where'd you go? I'm fixing to go walking, ok?" Where in HELL were you, B????," I screamed out the window, finally allowed to be angry now that my baby was safe at home, thanking God over and over that she was safe. I felt tears welling in my eyes as I parked the car....B headed towards the car and said, "We thought her mom had already left, so we went down that way to catch up with her, her little fingers pointing the opposite direction of the store...."but she was still at home, so we came back," she said, innocently, her big blue eyes staring up at her nutted up mom. "INSIDE! NOW! YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT!! INSIDE! I THOUGHT SOMEONE TOOK YOU! GET INSIDE!"

"But I want to go walking, Mommy!" she cried in protest..."INSIDE!!!!!" I said, slamming my car door and pointing towards the house, my face flushed, trying to calm myself.

B burst into tears, threw her bike to the side and stormed into the house, me stomping right behind her and slamming the door....
I sat on the couch, my ears still ringing. I could see her explaining to her dad where she had been, and him, looking very concerned, answering her and nodding his head, then hugging her as tightly as possible, thankful she was safe, thankful I had not lost his baby, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. My ears wouldn't work, my hands wouldn't stop shaking, and I felt vomit forming in my mouth.

Chris finished hugging her, kissed her forehead, her cheek, her forehead again. My hearing was coming back....we were just scared, B, so glad you're ok. You scared us.' She looked at me, obviosuly seeing my fear and headed straight to me, "I'm okay, Mommy," she said. "Look, I'm right here," as I held my arms open and she climbed in to my lap. "Don't be mad, Mommy. We thought A's mom had already left. We didnt' see her outside, so we went to catch up with her. I'm ok, Mommy."

The next five minutes or so was me kissing her, squeezing her, so thankful she was back in my arms, so thankful I wasn't one of those moms my heart had broken so many times for, so thankful my baby was safe. We had the 'kidnapped' talk again...what to do if anyone ever seemed odd, scary, approached her...how she should fight like hell, and if they DID get away with her, to PRAY, PRAY PRAY....we reminded her that even if she can't SEE Jesus, even if she can't HEAR him, even if someone is hurting her, to just PRAY, and that Jesus would be right there with her....that noone could hurt her heart, her soul, no matter what because she is a child of God. She seems to know that even more than I do, I guess. "I'm not angry, B, just scared, Baby." "I know, Mommy, you don't want me to disappear like M. But Jesus took care of her, too, Mommy. He'll take care of me." Tears poured down my cheeks....my baby is smarter than most adults. She has peace in her heart, and for that I'm so thankful....

"Can I go play now, Mommy?" I looked at Chris, wild-eyed...I didn't want her to ever leave my sight again....outside seemed so frightening...I knew I wouldn't be able to say Yes because all I wanted to do was hold her in my arms, but I knew that I would have to let her go and be a kid. Chris seemed to know just what was in my heart. He winked at me, said, "She'll be ok, Jayme..." and smiled at me. "Yea, Baby, let me watch you go over to N's. The girls are waiting on you."

As they headed out the door, I rushed to the bathroom and lost what I had been trying to hold back for 20 minutes, praying, taking deep breaths, brushing my teeth, and wiping my tears. I called my sister and told her all is well again, that my baby was safe. "But how are YOU?" She asked..."Oh, I'm ok, now," I said.

I know how all those moms felt now, and I wish I could bring their babies back to them. I was only afraid a few minutes. Some of these parents have been terrifed for years....have never been able to hold and hug their babies, thankful they are back at home safe.

One bassett safe at home, another looking for his owners....

2009-04-14T05:18:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys....
Holly found HER puppy, but in the process, someone trying to help her on the Drew County Speedway forum (great folk, those racers....) sent me this link, AND IT'S ANOTHER BASSETT who has lost his way!

This breed of dogs are just about the sweetest pets you'll ever find, but they have extremely strong hunting instincts which causes them to wander ever so often....

This is a male bassett, so if you know of anyone who is looking for their pet, send them to this link and photo please! Thanks!
http://searkdogadoption.weebly.com/new-at-the-pound.html

Please help find my friend's bassett hound!

2009-04-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Holly R. is searching for her 10-month-old tri-colored Bassett Hound named KC, so if anyone in the Drew County area sees a female bassett anywhere near the Hwy. 425 South area, please contact me, or if you hear of anyone with a bassett as a new pet.....She was last seen in between the Drew County Speedway and Hwy. 425 mud track.

This is a more recent AND younger picture of the puppy, so remember that it'll be a good bit larger by now than the puppy pic! Her children really want their pet back!
:(

Just waking up.

2009-04-10T07:38:00.000-07:00
YAY! No tornado and the house didn't fall on my head (I'm still having to contend with a dog that's a bit annoying today, though....and have lil munchkins running all around, too).

I just heard a vicious rumor (actually, I read it on Tasha's myspace status) that there's a 70 percent chance of rain Sunday??? I certainly hope not, Tasha!

We have Easter egging all day tommorrow, and perhaps a sunrise service Sunday morning, so here I go back to weather.com again....

So today, I'm going to try and finish my laundry! Yayay! I've found a few things for the La'Keisha Shepherd family, and got a phone call last night, finding a few more things, so that's what I'm going to be doing today. Dirt-trackies, don't forget to bring items for the cash & clothes drive, and thanks for helping!

Okay, off to town I go to get cigs & coffee. Not a very healthy start to the day, is it?

Oh, goodness....

2009-04-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

I just THOUGHT I was freaked out by the movie I'm watching (The Happening).
Then the storm showed up! I'm looking up the weather warnings now, but it's sounding dreadful out there.
Apple and egg-sized hail???? I've never heard of such!
Guys, be careful if you're in the line of the storms, and pray for those that may be danger if you're not.

I was never much afraid of tornadoes until I moved to Warren, but they are serious threats here, much more than Monticello (only 20 miles away) because it's higher land over here. Since I've lived here, I've SEEN tornadoes move over, and storms take on a whole new meaning for me. We're getting reports of massive damage in communities all over Arkanasas, and I hope everyone is safe.

I'm worried about Becca. She's staying the night across the street with her bestie. We talked about going to get her, but their house is brick and in the middle of the street, where mine is in an open area on the corner and NOT a brick house, and not as large either, so we've decided she's probably safer over there for now.

I hope everyone's okay!

Please help the La'Keisha Shepherd & her family!

2009-04-08T15:24:00.001-07:00

This Saturday night at the Drew County Speedway, track owner Rodney Box will host a “Cash & Clothes” drive for La’Keisha Shepherd who lost her house and vehicle after a devastating house fire (see attached photos). At the time, she was out of town with her three children and fiancée.

Early Sunday morning on March 29 La’Keisha, who was visiting friends in Dallas , received the news that her house was in flames. Unfortunately, the fire department was unable to save the structure, its contents, or the family car.

This family could really use our help. So this Saturday night at Drew County Speedway, we are going to do what we can to get the family back on their feet.

We’ll have a donation site near the main entrance for dropping off clothing donations (see sizes below). The racers have also offered to pass their helmets thru the grandstands, tailgate area, and pits during intermission in an effort to raise cash for the family. Please support this important cause if you can. Thanks!

Draylan (boy) age 5
Pants-6 regular
Shirts-6/7
Shoe-12

Keonia (girl) age 8
Pants-10 regular
Shirts-8/10
Shoe-2

Chauncey (boy) age 9
Pants-12 (slim)
Shirts-10/12
Shoe-4

LaKeisha (mom)
Pants-16
Shirts-16 (1x)

Jerelle (fiancée)
Pants-46 x32
Shirts-3xl Tall

~ My Facebook people can contact me if you'd like to help! ~

I'm so totally against this crap.

2009-04-08T15:03:00.000-07:00
How stupid. Aren't there enough unwanted babies in the world to adopt? If you want to be a WOMAN who has BABIES, then don't go have a penis attached. Pick one or the other, please.

http://www.malepregnancy.com/

The Easter Bunny vs. the Bassett Hound

2009-04-08T12:44:00.000-07:00
Okay, if this dog doesn't shut up barking, I'ma lose my mind.

Have you ever heard a bassett hound howl? It rattles the windows.

He's gotten spoiled to coming inside when he barks nonstop, bc he knows, I suspect, that I'll get tired of saying 'hush!' and clapping my hands real loud at him, give in, and bring him inside....but it's not even 'inside' that he wants....what he WANTS is to roam the neighborhood, and I can't let him do that.

But I can't even bring him inside to shut him up today! I went out and played with him, fed him TWICE as much as I usually do, pampered and loved on him, but he's STILL being stubborn. Why can't I give in and bring him inside? Because my daughter is the proud owner of a baby Easter bunny and a pink baby Easter chick. And every Easter animal she's EVER had has either gotten sick and died, committed suicide in the toilet, or been eaten by the cat.

A hounddog would LOVE to snack upon a bunny, and the cat wouldn't mind chowing right past the pink feathers on the baby chick, so they are OFF LIMITS, and the dog's not taking it very well. I bet he smells rabbit...

I'm SO ready for Easter, by the way! I LOVE THAT DAY!!!! I usually make my rounds at the parents, then end the day at our besties' house, Mandy and Roger, with the kids dying eggs and hiding them while we join Mandy's family for lots of food and laughs.

They are close to my heart, and I often spend most weekends during dirt track season and as much time with them on holidays as I do my family. They love us like we're their own, and Easter is one of our fav holidays with them.

Last year, Becca had a homemade dress that was GORGEOUS that my sis had made her, and I had a regular Easter dress for her to wear after church in case she got dirty playing outside. It's a good thing I changed her outfit at the Haydens', because I was dying eggs with the kids, Mandy's lil one Mason got tickled, slammed his hand down on the table, and the ENTIRE cup of pink dye covered Becca. LOL She was a pink as the Easter chick I'm trying to protect from the housecat.

Happy Easter, everyone! Love ya'll!!!! And thanks, God, for sending Your Son to redeem us. Easter really IS the most important day of the year.

STRESS!!!!

2009-04-08T11:27:00.001-07:00
It's been so crazy around here. Chris just passed his one year anniversary of being service manager at a logging equipment dealership. He's worked so hard and turned the department COMPLETELY around since taking the position, and I've never been prouder of him in my life.

And it's been TOUGH these past six months....huge corporate changes stemming from the economy has left them all stressed and worried about their jobs, but at the same time working harder than ever to overhaul the entire company. About the time they got it squared away and felt a safety net, they were informed the company was being sold.

His new boss has taken over this week, and we are most excited because it's a well-known local business man who is their new boss, and we feel certain the company is going to soar. But the stress is still there, mainly from the financial crunch Chris and I, and a few other of the families in management, are feeling because of shifted pay schedules, delayed checks, extremely long months....so, if you see me on my hands and knees in the front yard begging the light man not to disconnect, you'll know why...but we've had harder times than this before, so I'm confident that the sun will start shining again soon and we'll be just fine.

I'm so tired of being anxious, though. It feels as though just about the time we think we are going to see the checkered, the flag man throws in another 10 laps. Which brings me to my next topic....dirt track racing.

I have taken on a new task, and it's kept me quite busy....being the track reporter for our local dirttrack. I've been doing it about a month now, and while a few people didn't like a few things I said, everything has been correct and gone quite smoothly. Busy, but error-free. Those of you who know me know how much I trip over errors in my writing, and this dirt-track reporting leaves SO many openings for mistakes....similar cars, numbers, different views, poor view of the other side of the track no matter WHERE I sit...who did what, or was it what was did to them by who?

I've done great so far, but yesterday, I made my first mistake....and didn't catch it until it had been sent out in a mass-mailing to subscribers and media outlets!!!! I was MORTIFIED! I said that Ronnie Adcock plowed into two other cars, and it WASN'T RONNIE ADCOCK!!!! I changed it where I could, but couldn't do anything about the subscribed emails that had been sent out. I called Ronnie and began apologizing PROFUSELY, but thankfully track people are so nice (generally). He laughed about it and told me several times he wasn't bothered at all about it and that it's okay. But it's not okay to me, and I feel horrible about it.

One mistake out of about 20 races is pretty darn good, especially since I'm crash-coursing in all of this as I go and learning ALOT of information in a short period of time, but I still regret my mistake SO MUCH, almost to the point that I don't even want to try it any further.

But I got alot of emails from great people who have been racing for YEARS, and writing about racing, and they say I'm doing a great job, and that's made me feel ALOT better.

I'm still going to be over at Ronnie Adcock's car Saturday offering to clean the mud off of it or SOMETHING to make up for my mistake.

So, to my dirt trackies...thanks for being patient and forgiving with me whilst I learn this new genre. Good luck racing!

More third grade....

2009-04-08T10:44:00.002-07:00
I went off on a little tangent there, yesterday, didn't I? That came from way out in left field.
I would like to add, though, one other thing Becca is tripping over....she keeps asking, "Do you think I can get a 60 percent, Mommy? I HAVE to have a 60 percent for I'll flunk the third grade!"

What they DON'T tell the kids is that a 60 percent is a D AVERAGE! Rather than saying, "Most of you will get a 60 percent even if you SLEEP through part of the test, so it's okay, don't be scared" they instead TERRIFY them with it because to an 8-year-old, 60 percent sounds HUGE. Most of them think that means they have to perform A-average, or they will fail the ENTIRE third grade. Which is crap, too, by the way. If they had BEEN TEACHING ALL YEAR RATHER THAN REVEIWING FOR A STANDARDIZED TEST, THE CHILDREN WOULD PROBABLY KNOW BY KNOW WHAT 60 PERCENT MEANS!

How can a child work hard, study, and do good...EVEN THE HONOR ROLL....all year long, then flip out on test day, fail the test, and FLUNK, throwing ALL YEAR'S WORK OUT THE WINDOW???? And how dare they tell these kids that in an effort to make them try harder on the test! If that's not cruel, what is?

I'm glad that Becca has a pretty good teacher and I can forgive her for the Benchmark stuff, because if she had wound up with a crappy one on TOP of Benchmarks, I would most likely have been dragged from the school by men in either blue or white by now.

SO READY FOR SUMMER BREAK!!!!

I hate third grade.

2009-04-07T20:06:00.000-07:00
It’s been said that one learns something new every day. Lately, I’ve been learning something new every hour, it seems.

A friend of mine said a few days ago ‘If stress is supposed to make you thinner, I’d be invisible.’ ‘Amen,’ I thought, glancing down at my not-so-skinny self. Many of you know the recent events with my baby cousin’s case, and it has taken a huge toll on me. I can finally TRY to function again, but it still eats at my heart daily. We can’t do anything but hurry up and wait, and I ask for everyone’s prayers to continue on so many different levels.

Becca is tired of the third grade, and I am, too. The Benchmark crap infuriates me. It stemmed from one of Bush’s mistakes, so why is my baby still having to stay until dinner-time two nights a week (she is honor roll so it’s not like she needs extra help…..they pressure ALL third-graders to go on Mondays and Tuesdays after school ) for Benchmark prep, in addition to the HOURS a day they make them hunker over the same boring practice tests, redundant classwork with sample problems, rather than her actively LEARNING. I’m so tired of the kids being DRILLED CONSTANTLY BY THE ENTIRE SCHOOL STAFF. Benchmarks are a CONSTANT DAILY REMINDER to these kids. They are ready to vomit by the time it comes around (next week).

The deal with Benchmarks above other standardized tests is that the schools, ESCPECIALLY the ones who have sucked in the past, HAVE to have good marks to prove they are doing their job, or else they start losing authority of their schools, and possibly funding (if I remember correctly). So it ALL comes down to people trying to keep their jobs and the bottom dollar on the yearly budget.

Basically, if the kids do bad, the teachers look like they aren’t doing their job. THEREFORE, to prove they did better than the year previous, they NEGLECT MY CHILD’S EDUCATION TO STUFF MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS DOWN HER THROAT, PAGES AT A TIME. I wish I had saved the social studies work Becca has been given this year. And don‘t be mistaken that it‘s a lot. They spend about 30 minutes one afternoon and give them a test the next day, or something to that effect.

It’s horrendous and some of the crap has NOTHING to do with civics. It‘s questions like, “If a friend asked you to do something bad or break the law, would you?” wtcrap? Isn‘t that what they should be learning in Sunday School? I suspect it’s more benchmark crap they squeezed into a social studies lesson by throwing the word ‘law’ into it. And then the next question would be ‘Who’s the first President?’ (which my daughter has known for at LEAST three years), then ‘Who built the first car?’ ?????????????? Actually, I’ve just this moment had a revelation….the reason they stick random crap like that together is because they are combining lessons in that subject so they can SAY they covered the material, but actually use the extra time for….what? More Benchmark crap, I’m sure.

I’m highly offended by this because I have gone to college to study American history. My child has learned more about America from The History Channel and Johnny Horton songs than she’s EVER learned in her years of school COMBINED. Why? Because the school administration is apparently TERRIFIED of looking bad so they are obsessed with getting good scores. “It’s not their fault,” one may say. I said that, too, until this year, when I’ve watched my little girl collapse and sleep as soon as she gets in from school.

When I’ve seen things my daughter SHOULD be learning and she’s not because they are ‘practicing for Benchmark.’ Okay, guys, you know Varsity Blues and how freaking obsessed they were over football? That’s the way they are over Benchmarks. I’m angry because if the teachers REALLY gave half a damn, instead of using all this energy having special pep assemblies (am I fooling you? NO. They actually have damned pep assemblies for the freaking test) and figuring out sneaky ways to steal from my daughter‘s VALUABLE (in her ONLY SHOT AT AN EDUCATION) time to shove more Benchmark at her to make THEMSELVES look good, they would INSTEAD use that time to go to CONGRESS and REFUSE TO DO IT FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN, then that would be a lot easier and quicker, and better for our KIDS.

It’s laziness. All of the time all the teachers in the nation spend on all the kids in the nation to answer all the right questions in the nation….think of the time and energy WASTED. THAT’S why I said it would be easier for all of them as a whole to go to Congress rather than continue like ZOMBIES, and in the process making our kids HATE school. Kids who used to LOVE learning….Paperwork is easier to many teachers than actually interacting all day every day, so many of them have gotten lazy. As long as they get good scores, who cares. They don’t get paid enough anyways. If they ARE great teachers and the kids do bad on the test, they could lose their jobs, so screw it. They hand out the papers.

My daughter this week is told to PRACTICE GOING TO BED 30 MINUTES EARLY, waking up 15 minutes early, PRACTICE WEARING COMFORTABLE SHOES….a WEEK before the test, mind you, being told what kind of breakfasts and snacks to eat, advised not to wear jewelry. She is so freaking stressed about this test. She mentions it at least a few times a day. And they’ll probably kick it into high gear the rest of the week b/c there’s only a few days left. Is it because they care about her performance this year and how much she’s ACTUALLY learned and gained from her experience, or are they just tripping because they want THEMSELVES to look good? Hmmm, I think we all know the answer to that.

Okay, this turned into I hate third grade, and I was really going to talk about dirt track racing. Perhaps next time….

I miss being me!!!

2009-03-03T08:04:00.000-08:00
Hey, guys....we are supposed to find out in 24 hours or so, so keep praying for the entire family, Tiffany, and us because alot of stuff has been going on within this past day or so and has left us all completely stressed.

I PROMISE to catch up with everyone in just a few days. I'm SOOO ready to get back to being me again!

Luv ya'll bunches!

Jury finds Hamburg man guilty in less than 30 minutes

2009-02-03T14:04:00.000-08:00
www.pbcommercial.com

Steven Wayne McDougald, 45, was convicted last month by an Ashley County jury of kidnapping and second-degree sexual assault against a 2-year-old Ashley County resident.

Circuit Judge Sam Pope upheld the jury’s recommendation of two consecutive 20-year sentences in the Arkansas Department of Correction. The jury deliberated for 30 minutes on Jan. 15 before returning with the guilty verdict.

An habitual offender with four prior convictions, McDougald, of Hamburg, was arrested March 30 after he left with the toddler on a four-wheeler during a cookout and did not return in a timely manner.

The mother of the toddler reported that McDougald had asked her husband if he could take the child for a ride around the premises on the four-wheeler but left the immediate area without parental consent. A phone call to McDougald was made when the parents realized he had left the area, approximately 30 minutes later.

McDougald reportedly told them he was on his way back with the child.

When he did not return, the father of the toddler and the host of the cookout searched the area on atvs and found McDougald and the toddler approximately an hour and a half after they first went missing near a creek in the Fountain Hill area.

Police were notified after the child told her parents McDougald had inappropriately touched her.

Forensic experts presented dna evidence that indicated the child had been touched inappropriately.

Prosecutor David Cason told the jury there was only one set of tire tracks found in the woods, which disputed McDougald’s claims of being lost.

“If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, it’s probably a duck,” Cason said.

Jury rules not guilty in rape trial

2009-02-03T13:59:00.000-08:00
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By Jayme Lawson/SPECIAL TO THE COMMERCIAL
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 10:08 AM CST

Rodney Daniels, 30, of Warren, one of two men facing rape charges, has been found not guilty in Bradley County Circuit Court.

A second suspect in the case, Keatron Ridgell, 24, also of Warren, is awaiting trial.
Daniels was acquitted following at two-day trial, which ended Jan. 23.

According to testimony, an 18-year-old woman reported that she was raped by Ridgell last year at a friend’s apartment while four other people were upstairs.

After being raped by Ridgell, she said, he left with her cell phone, and his phone was left behind. The victim testified she called Ridgell by dialing her number on his phone. He returned and “grabbed hold of her and made her leave with him,” according to Prosecutor Frank Spain.

She alleged that Ridgell took her to another apartment, where she was taken upstairs against her will, held down by Ridgell and Daniels. With other unidentified men also in the room, she was forced to engage repeatedly in sex.

The victim’s friends who were at the apartment where the first rape allegedly occurred testified that they heard the victim call out, but when they couldn’t find her downstairs, they called her phone. The person who answered her phone led the woman’s friends to the apartment where they ran upstairs and “saw their friend being forced to have sex with people,” Spain said.

The friends left the apartment and called 911. Ridgell reportedly left the apartment before police arrived, and authorities found Daniels leaving the residence. He was questioned whether anyone else was in the apartment to which Daniels replied, “No.” When the alleged victim was located upstairs, Daniels maintained that he did not know she was upstairs and that he did not engage in sex with her.

When forensic results from a rape kit and bodily fluids located during the investigation indicated that both men had engaged in intercourse with the alleged victim, Daniels admitted that he did have sex with the woman but claimed it was consensual.

Former city employee pleads guilty to theft

2009-02-03T13:57:00.001-08:00

A former City of Warren sanitation department employee pled guilty to a felony theft of property charge and was sentenced to five years in the Arkansas Department of Correction and ordered to pay the city restitution in the amount of $4,679.18.

Mack Henry Collins, 55, of Warren, was fired from his job July 10, 2008, in the midst of an investigation in which he was suspected of charging several hundred dollars worth of fuel to the City of Warren for his personal use.

A week after his termination, he was arrested following a police investigation into the matter, in which additional unauthorized fuel receipts from a local station were discovered.

Jury orders $2,500 to man who remains unresponsive in nursing home...

2009-02-03T13:51:00.000-08:00
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A Drew County jury ordered $2,500 to be paid in retribution to a man who remains unresponsive in a nursing home and has incurred more than $11,000 of unpaid medical bills since he was injured by Robert Carr, convicted last week of battery in the second degree.

Carr was also required to pay a $7,000 fine. Because he is an habitual offender with at least four previous felonies, Carr will be required to serve out his prior sentences due to parole violations stemming from the battery conviction , but was sentenced to no time by the jury in relation to the most recent conviction.

A witness at the trial testified that she observed Carr punch Eddie Baines in the face during an apparent argument on June 10, 2008, and that Baines immediately fell backwards to the ground. The witness called 911 at the request of Carr when Baines would not move and blood was seen pouring from his ear.

When police arrived at the scene, Carr was seen standing nearby, “smiling a little,” according to Prosecutor Frank Spain and was questioned. Carr told police that he and Baines had argued, Baines swung at Carr, missed and fell, hitting his head on the ground. Later, Carr recanted his story and said he had thrown his hands up to dodge an attempted blow by Baines and accidentally struck Baines in the head. Monticello Police Lt. Greg Johnson reported swelling around the eye/cheek area of the victim.

Baines was transferred from Drew Memorial Hospital to Jefferson Regional Medical Center where he underwent brain surgery in attempts to reduce swelling. He has since remained in a nursing home, where, according to the testimony of one of his nurses, he doesn’t have the ability to talk and is fed through feeding and water machines. She added that he has remained non-responsive and doesn’t appear to have any awareness of his surroundings. “She said that sometimes he moves his hand or his head, or preps his blanket,” Spain said.

The nurse testified that, based on her experience and education, “without a miracle, he will permanently be in that bed,” saying his it’s not likely his condition will ever improve.

Search continues for man convicted of attempted arson...

2009-01-31T07:28:00.000-08:00
Originally published by The Pine Bluff Commercial

Authorities in Bradley County are searching for Warren resident Larry Lee Atkins, 54, who failed to appear at a January sentencing before Circuit Judge Don Glover.

According to the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office, Atkins was convicted December 12 of attempted arson and aggravated assault. Sentencing was postponed when the jury failed to reach an agreement concerning sentencing until January 5, at which time information such as Atkins’ criminal and financial records would have been provided to the jury for consideration in sentencing.

Atkins faces up to six years in prison for the aggravated assault conviction and five-20 years for attempted arson, and/or up to a $10,000 for each charge.

Atkins was arrested April 12, 2008, for attempting to destroy his home in order to collect an insurance claim. The Warren Fire Department was dispatched to his house after his wife came to the fire station and reported that she had returned home and discovered open gas lines and lit candles placed inside the home.

Anyone with information on Atkins’ whereabouts is asked to call the Bradley County Sheriff's Department.

Habitual offender sentenced to 60 years

2009-01-31T07:20:00.000-08:00
Originally published by The Pine Bluff Commercial

A Drew County jury this week sentenced a habitual offender with 17 prior felony convictions to 60 years in prison for possession of crack cocaine with intent to deliver. By law, Michael Anthony Green, 41, will be required to serve 1/4th of his sentence.

Green had rotated through the prison system since 1987, and was arrested after a parole officer verified his presence at Pine Hill Liquor Store, a violation of his parole requirements. Police stopped Green’s vehicle shortly after he left the store and located when they took him into custody a small breath mint dispenser containing crack cocaine in his pocket. A plastic bag was also found containing a larger quantity of the drug.

Green maintained in court that he had paid $120 for the drug and it was for personal use. However, agents deemed as experts in the street value of the narcotic testified the crack cocaine in Green’s possession valued at approximately $1,000.

~Kwynne~

2009-01-30T18:36:00.000-08:00

I'd like you to meet little Kwynne Morphis, my friend K.T.'s newest arrival. I'm already SO smitten with her, and I haven't even held her yet! Isn't she adorable?!?

My friend asked me to post this...

2009-01-30T14:13:00.000-08:00
I was shopping on ebay when I come across this family's auction which later led me to this website. I beg of you, please go to this website, read about them and if it touches your heart, donate to help them. If I had 20,000 to purchase everything they are selling on ebay I would purchase it and let them keep every single bit of it. My heart breaks for this family. I know that I as a person take so much for granted. I have so many things to be thankful for. Just reading about this family's struggle and the decisions they have made and the faith that they have held on to during all of their hard times makes me feel so ashamed at my petty whining and griping over things that truly don't even matter in this world. I know that we all can't donate but if you can't...please pray for them. Some may be able to give more than others. I am unable to donate a large amount but if we all give something small, it will become something big. Thanks so much to everyone who is willing to help this family out.

The website address is: everythingweown.
org

***Please repost this and lets help them in every way we can!!!***

ALSO: It is my understanding that if they do not sell everything in their bulk auction on ebay that will end at 11:58 pm on 01-29-2009, they plan to auction things out separately. You could also go and purchase something from them and allow them to keep it.

Just something to consider!

Thanks again,

Summer

Especially for my friend Dean...

2009-01-29T20:20:00.000-08:00
Well, of COURSE I'm serious, Dean!!!

Here's your joke:

What do you call a Super Bowl ring worn by a New Orleans Saint?
~Stolen~

bwaaahahahaa

And, now for my most special story...
A few years ago, I met a guy that had a spade tat on his shoulder blade. I said "What's that?" He said 'The Saints Emblem.' I said, "OH! You're Catholic?"

Happy...

2009-01-29T12:28:00.000-08:00
Happy Birthday to my friend Greg!

And....

Happy Birth to my friend KT who welcomed a beautiful baby girl in the world yesterday!

And....

Happy Anniversary to my parents and parents-in-laws!

And....

Happy Me cuz I know all these people!

25 Random Things

2009-01-29T11:07:00.001-08:00
I was tagged, which means I have to write 25 random things about me...

1. My bostian terrier had a people toe.
2. I am hard of hearing.
3. I have so many stalkers they probably bump into each other in the bushes behind my house.
4. My favorite childhood toy was a bouncy ball until it was violated by my pet goat.
5. If there is an idiot anywhere in the world, they somehow find their way into my surroundings.
6. I think emo children are really, really sad.
7. I know where Possum Valley is, but I don't tell it.
8. The shoe department at Wal-Mart gives me bowel movement urges every time I go there.
9. I grew up in a body shop and have been married to a mechanic and racecar driver for ten years yet know jackdoodly about cars.
10. I don't think I've completely finished my laundry since some time in 1997.
11. I'd much rather travel by bubble.
12. I still miss my first editor all the time.
13. I lose my keys at least once daily.
14. I lose my cigarette lighter at least once hourly.
15. I went to the store yesterday wearing two different shoes.
16. I have a strong fondness for fishnets, Converses and Johnny Cash.
17. At least three of my immediate family members have been locked away for psychriatric evaluations and two got shock treatments. It didn't help em, though.
18. My uncle who thought he was Elvis isn't one of em.
19. I lied at Thanksgiving and everyone thinks I cooked something that my sister did just because I put coolwhip on it.
20. My sister once found a driver's license in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. It was mine.
21. I'm not allowed to watch Mommie Dearest.
22. I can't stand for people to touch my knees.
23. I think I suffer from Toxic Shock Syndrome at least once a month.
24. I forgot to pay my water bill again yesterday.
25. I was once talked into taking a bite of a honey bun dipped in sardines.

The Original Deck of Cards...

2009-01-28T12:22:00.000-08:00
I was being all musical in my morning blog, then I checked my email and had a forward from my friend called 'Deck of Cards'...it was a story. Well, I found the original story (which YES does happen to be in my most awesome record collection!) on youtube and I think it's so much better hearing the great Red Sovine tell it....thanks. How did you know I was going to be all nostalgic today? LOL

i'ma try to put it over on the right because i dont know how to add it here. :)

DTF Agents confiscate seven grams of Ice methamphetamine in arrest of Drew County man

2009-01-28T09:05:00.000-08:00
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Monticello District Judge set a Drew County man’s bond at $100,000 following his arrest Friday in connection with drug charges. James Kevin Dunnahoe, 44, of Drew County was arrested Friday by agents of the Tenth Drug Task Force following a traffic stop and is currently being held at the Drew County Detention Facility.

According to Lt. Jason Akers, Dunnahoe was stopped for traffic violations on Highway 138 near Winchester by agents and was found to have what is estimated to be several grams of 'Ice' methamphetamine in his pocket.

A search warrant for Dunnahoe’s residence at 131 Brixie Road, Monticello, was subsequently obtained, and agents, assisted by the Drew County Sheriff's Department and the McGehee Police Department, searched the residence and confiscated approximately seven grams of ice methamphetamine, in addition to an unspecified amount of marijuana, "a laser sighted handgun, a rifle and a shotgun,” Akers said, “in addition to baggies, scales and other paraphernalia” that were allegedly used to distribute the narcotics. Agents also seized more than $1,000 in currency from Dunnahoe at the time of his arrest, he said.

Dunnahoe was charged with three felonies, including possession of marijuana and methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, possession of drugs and a firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as driving left of center.

~Rainy Day Woman~

2009-01-28T07:01:00.001-08:00

I HAVE to show ya'll one of my most favorite things EVER. It's my new record player, and I've been meaning to post it on myspace but haven't had time. I know it's a sin to desire Earthly things, but I have fullfledgedly DESIRED records for as long as I can remember.
Records?? Yup, music records. I have a thing for em. It's a big ol' long story, but I'll just skip ahead and tell ya the conclusion because I'm feeling extremely attention-deficit this morning...as you shall see (as a matter of fact, this is the first true 'rambling' that I've done publicly so it's a kind of a big deal...I usually only let my myspace besties see the extremes of my flightiness).

~The needle is making that lil thunk thunk...thunk thunk...sound because the chunky lady has sung!~

After years of desperate attempts at peeling away from my dearest mom's grasp one of the most awesome country, gospel and oldies record collections in HISTORY, in my opinion, she has finally gifted me with about half of em. They would prolly be worth about $15 at a garage sale, but they're priceless to me. I grew up on them and wore so many of them out, but lots of em are still shiny, great ones like Waylon Jennings, Johnny Horton, & I'll always luv my ol' Hank. :) ~I think I (finally) know what he meant when he sang about the Lost Highway...~

This morning, I woke up, and hoping just like the little wide-eyed eight-year-old beside me that school would get a snow day, I headed to one of the best Christmas gifts, besides my records, that I've ever in my life gotten....a Crossley vintage auto-rama record player/radio. It looks like it came straight from Graceland, or Jerry Lee Lewis' pink house, at the least. Thanks, again, Sis. I LOVE it!!! No snow day, though....it's just a rainy day. (Why, YES! That IS an allsusion to the Waylon Jennings song!)

I've been listening to the greatest songs ever this morning...they are playing one right after another, from Tom T. Hall's "I Love" (which is why I'm in this cheesy mood cuz it does that to me hahaa) to "Fancy Free" by the Oak Ridge Boys, and even a little Charley Pride. OH, and they just played "All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down." So true. So true. Thankfully.

I especially love KXSA 103.1 fm because listening to that station stirs my soul and reminds me of the years I've spent at my dad's body shop, ALL my hubby's shops, the race track, weekends and inside jokes with my besties, car trips with my sis, and a decade of listening to Larry Doggett predict the weather as I fried chicken and mashed taters at dinnertime for my hubby.

Larry Doggett, by the way, the longtime local dj for our little area, is a singer on one of my records. Ain't that neat? I worked with him when I did news a while back for the radio stations, and KNEW that I remembered him from somewhere but could never figure out why until my mom gave me the record collection a few weeks ago. His family traveled as a gospel group back in the day, and I even have one of THEIR records! He's my buddy, and I wish him well.

As I conclude, I realize that I MUST compile soon a list of my records so that ya'll can see how fabulous my collection is. It'll make ya just want to go out and drink some Jose Quervo with a lil salt and lime, kiss all the cowboys, and shoot out the lights...ohhh gotta go. "Common Man" by Conley is on and needs some lipsyncing....

~There's some common people that I hang out with....they're my good time buddies. They're my friends....-Conley~

True love and homegrown tomatoes

2009-01-26T22:40:00.000-08:00
This blogpost may be copied with credit.

By Jayme Lawson

~True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes~

Dedicated to Angela and Jeremy, and everyone else in Warren, Arkansas....

If you have found yourself blessed enough to live in Bradley County:

Make sure you have plenty of bread and milk if the weather hints at ice ANYWHERE in Iowa, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Minnesota or El Dorado, because all two grocery stores will be wiped out within an hour.

There are things in your wardrobe adorned with appliquéd tomatoes.

The remainder of your wardrobe which possesses not tomatoes shall be orange and black.

Those garments which are not orange and black should be fireproof and approved by a dirt track or race team.

Further, remaining garments must be camouflage or hunting orange, slightly brighter than Lumberjack shades.

You can no longer follow the yellow brick road because it’s red.

You have rescheduled a wedding, a funeral, or a root canal to coincide with high school football, especially the root canal because the dentist is going to be cooking hamburgers at the game.

The last person out of town really DOES turn the lights out during conference games.

You remember every Saturday morning not to sit in that one particular lil lady’s booth at Molly’s Diner, because she WILL yell at you ‘You’re sitting my booth!‘ The waitresses, apologetically to all parties involved, move whoever dared to post there. Thankfully, I never made that mistake. But I’ve seen three or four times the little lady wander off to talk to the other regulars then return to people at her table. The funny thing is she’ll just laugh and talk with you once you move, and she’s happily seated. I almost dropped my bacon the first time I heard her. I don’t know who she is, but don’t sit in her booth.

You know that Big Boy, Cherry and the Early Girls are not porn stars.

You eat mayo mater sandwiches in the summer and canned salsa in the winter.

You enter an Orb of Stupidity as you approach the four way stop next to the Dollar General and everyone’s commons sense goes out the window. Enter at your own risk. Further, you understand that between Sonic and KFC traffic rules do not apply.

You know not to talk on your cell phone in the gas station for fear of retribution from the phone Nazi (she's my friend and I told her about this already, so don't be offended).

If you want to go out for a real special dinner, you can have Chinese, Mexican, or Chinese.

You still go to the pink tomato festival hoping to find a chilled Bradley to cool you off, even when there haven't been any tomatoes there in 4 yrs counting.

You completely understand why they put a carnival at a tomato festival, but not at a fair. You try not to miss the carnies during the actual fair time when the powers that be don‘t schedule em to appear.

You have a bumper sticker on your van that says try using plastic toilet paper, log a load for kids, or support your dirt track racer.

You learn to keep your basset hounds closely guarded because there is a local long-eared bandit lurking about.

Your cell phone ring is "Home-Grown Tomatoes". What is ‘Homegrown Tomatoes”, you may ask? Well, it’s a song by John Denver and Guy Clark. Wanna hear it? Here it go:

Ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Than bacon & lettuce & homegrown tomatoes
Up in the mornin' out in the garden

Get you a ripe one don't get a hard one
Plant `em in the spring eat `em in the summer
All winter with out `em's a culinary bummer
I forget all about the sweatin' & diggin'
Everytime I go out & pick me a big one

Homegrown tomatoes homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love & homegrown tomatoes

You can go out to eat & that's for sure
But it's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Put `em in a salad, put `em in a stew
You can make your very own tomato juice
Eat `em with eggs, eat `em with gravy
Eat `em with beans, pinto or navy
Put `em on the site put `em in the middle
Put a homegrown tomato on a hotcake griddle

If I's to change this life I lead
I'd be Johnny Tomato Seed
`Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see
When I die don't bury me
In a box in a cemetary
Out in the garden would be much better
I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes

You pull over on the side of the highway out of respect for ragged pickups pulling trailers with bald tires stacked high with waxy cardboard boxes.

You do the same for log trucks.

A night on the town consists of driving to Wal-Mart over in Monticello followed by dinner at Taco Bell, or Wendy’s or Rays or Breaker…anything but McDonald’s or Sonic.

You make fun of people in Banks and Wilmar because you live in a way bigger place.
You quickly learn to lock your bicycle chains because of the notorious hustle gang that roams the streets.

You can pretend you’re vacationing in Tijuana the opening week of harvest.

Ninety-seven percent of the air you breathe is sawdust.

You try to guess the secret sound on the radio every morning while you brush your teeth.

There are more car washes than there are any other business in town.

You have seen more than once the guy with spinner hubcaps have to get out at the red light and start his spinners spinning again.

There’s nothing like Cash’s coffee and fresh morning air scented with diesel fumes.

You may have a next door neighbor who has been arrested for assault charges over getting in a scuffle over a 25 cent Nora Roberts novel at a garage sale.

There are more flea markets on the square than there are fleas on LULU the shop dog.

You cower in fear as Hoosier, the other local shop dog, stands over you with his big humungous slack jaws drooling dog slobber all over the fried bologna sandwich you got from Molly’s. But you love him anyways.

The sound of the tornado warnings grow more familiar than your spouse's voice.

Instead of cookies you leave Santa a helpin' of fried green tomatoes.

You get used to living in a town where the population is a citizen/cop one-to-one ratio.

You’ll realize the loud booming at noon on Friday is not a shoot out at Molly's, the equivalent to high noon at the OK Coral, but is just the weekly tornado warning yet again.

You still sigh in nostalgic wistfulness as you cross what used to be the big bridge.

You know the legend of the 20 point buck.

You spend the weekends between football season perfecting your ringers for the local horseshoe tournaments.

You known not to disturb anyone who has a dale Earnhardt flag on their porch during Sunday afternoons.

You know where Possum Valley is, but you don't tell anyone.

You would let a blind folded drunk edward scissorhands cut your hair before you would venture near that blonde at the yadda yadda hair salon.

You think the Mad Butcher is way better than the Piggly Wiggly.

You know the Family Dollar crackers taste better than the Dollar General crackers.

You have been to Spanky’s, but you don't admit it….unless you’ve been awarded the ‘I got spanked at Spanky’s’ teeshirt.

You know that Food Stamp racing isn't something that happens when they open the door of the Harvest Foods on the third.
Weddings still resemble the 1989 one in Steel Magnolias, including the shot gun, grumpy old women, ugly dogs and possum for dessert.

You have been snipe hunting ….and caught one.

You aren't shocked when your kid comes home and says someone called him a "punta".

You really wonder why there isn't a Taco Bell in warren.. I mean really.

Every time you go by the YMCA, you wanna sing ‘Hey, young man….come and listen to me….’

You’re tired of hearing Feliz Navidad in stores at Christmas time.

You have been naked at some point at Ozment’s Bluff.

You plan your swimming activities by how high the river is at the bridge. Similarly, you have submitted your urine sample as a donation during droughts to the Saline River.

People in Florida, California and Timbuktu email you on Facebook and want to know if you've ever been to the Pink Tomato Festival. Likewise, people in Georgia email you and want to trade peaches for maters.

You will always think the guy that sells 1999 Nike tennis shoes, fur rugs and Fubu suits by the motel is a little scary.

You know not to sit on in the last booth on the right side of Molly’s after church because there is a picture of a man’s butt that says ‘Say no to crack.‘ And speaking of Molly’s, when you haven’t been for a week, you start suffering from sign withdrawals.

The only biker gang in town is comprised of 14 year olds and steals schwinns and huffys.

Oh I just remembered…it’s probably not there anymore, but once when I went to the sno-cone stand, the summer town attaction, there was a chalk outline of a person in the parking space in between the sno-cone stand and courthouse, and a bunch of YMCA kids were trying to see how many could fit inside the body at once.

Who needs a Wal-Mart? We have a co-op.

The only season that outshines racing season is deer season.

You aren’t popular unless you spend New Year’s Day at Wilmar Hunting Club with their barbecued hog snacks wrapped in aluminum foil and strapped to the back of your four-wheeler, whilst out of 4,876 people, 4, 874 of ’em get stuck, lost or go a’swimmin in da crick.

You will become a master at rotating your daily wearing of FoodStamp racing, Arkansas Hogs, Budweiser & Mossy Oak caps almost as well as you rotate the tires on your skidder.

In conclusion, we love God, our families, our friends, tomatoes, and Wal-Mart even though they didn’t love us and put their store here instead.

We even love the Super Bowl, but we still just can’t understand why our beloved Lumberjacks hadn’t made it there yet.

~If you live in Warren, you understand the only two things that money can't buy...that's true love and homegrown tomatoes~

~Hack jobs~

2009-01-24T08:27:00.000-08:00
I'm so irked.
A few months ago, I took Becca to the beauty salon...she wanted her hair short, and a lady in Warren had opened a shop; I've known her family since childhood in Monticello and decided to patronize her...
She was busy and assured me the other girl would do a good job...she BUTCHERED Becca's hair...I don't know what she did wrong, but I heard '90 angles' and 'what did you do that for' as she and the lady I knew argued over the hackjob.

I wasn't angry...I can't cut hair and am slow to judge people who have talents I don't possess. The lady took Becca, put her in HER chair, and after 45 minutes and three more inches, finally fixed Becca's hair. It was extremely short, but adorable.

Before the girl had started Becca's hair, I had told her I needed a cut, too. So while the other lady was trying to salvage my daughter's 'do, the other one asked if I was ready for mine. I felt embarasssed for her because I had just watched her screw up Becca's hair, and assumed it's because I had asked for a difficult cut. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and told her that yes, she could still trim my hair. I couldn't tell she did ANYTHING to it. It was the WORST trim I've ever been given.

This morning, Chris went to town to get his hair cut because he's flying out to meet CORPORATES in Georgia this week....he has a full week of working in the home store, meetings and powwows with executives (His service department was third in their chain, btw, so I'm very proud of him). He came home wearing his racing cap, but it looked two sizes too big on him. He said, "You're not going to believe this" and took off his hat.

Apparently, his regular girl wasn't open, so he went to the other lady's place instead...she was busy and sat him in a chair...the girl that butchered Becca's and sucked with mine appeared. He didn't know any better, so he let her cut it...I'm telling ya'll, I could have shaved his head, poured lighter fluid on it, set it afire, stomped it out with soccer cleats then drawn hair on with a magic marker and it would have been less of a hack job then what this girl did.

He said in his panicky voice: 'She just kept cutting and cutting', all the while feeling around on his head saying 'What's this, what's this?' at funky spots all over his scalp. It's horrible, and whilst I try really hard not to be a brat and go off on people, I called the beauty shop...I told the owner I appreciated HER skills but the idiot that butchered my hubby's hair was going to run her out of business quickly if she didn't do something soon. I said a few other things, but I try to keep this blog censored so I'll leave that out...I'm so tempted to post a huge picture of the hairdresser on here and say 'Beware of this stupid girl', but I won't do that. Just make sure if you're in Warren, Arkansas, you know the hairdresser really well before she takes scissors to your head

Thankfully, Chris hair grows faster than drama so it'll be filled out a little by morning, and a lot more by Monday. I just hope they don't mistake him for a refugee and send him off to some 3rd world country when he tries to get on the plane. I'm tempted to make him a teeshirt that says 'My hair is usually sexier than this.'

~A triple-dog dare~

2009-01-23T15:59:00.000-08:00
This is another old one from my private page. I was not going to post it publicly because it's dumb, but I was tripledog-dared. And I rarely pass up a tripledog-dare. It's a wonder I haven't shot my eye out yet. I DID stick my tongue to the end of a frozen orange juice can when I was a kid once and got stuck though. It hurt, too.
~~~~~~

I told at least three or four of ya'll something I wanted for Christmas, but I don't remember who. Since I can't remember who exactly I told and can't go back and say 'oops', I'm just going to tell all of ya'll in case there's someone besides me that doesn't already know about this. However, by the looks of my research, I think I MUST BE the only person that didn't know this.

I told my sister last night same thing I've told a few people. My sister has been TORTURING ME about what she got me for Christmas. And I have guessed EVERYTHING I can think of. I said 'Is it a banana hammock?"

My sister was like "WHAT???? You dummy! Do you even KNOW what a banana hammock is???" I said, 'Uh, Yeah. It's a hammock for your bananas. I've wanted one forever."

"OMG, Jayme." Then I could hear her calling her hubby away from the Bears/Packers showdown. "Bobbbb! Do you know what this fool just said she wants for Christmas? A banana hamock." I didn't see what was so funny. Bob was a chef and is all OCD about his kitchen so I figured he'd say "I'd like one of those, too." Instead, I heard him in the background say "Well, my Lord," and start laughing.

I googled and searched on my most favorite online dictionary, and I'm posting what I found.

First, though, this is the banana hammock I want:

Ain't it cute??? I want a real hammock, too, then I saw the following pic, and I wish my sofa was a hammock:

Anyhoo, I want a banana hammock because I never have anywhere to put my bananas, and they are my most favorite fruit.

And this is what I found along the lines of my sister's claims on my fav dictionary site:

~A man's speedo swimsuit.

"Look at all of the banana hammocks in Fort Lauderdale. "

~A men's style of undergarment that holds the genitalia in a sling-like hammock apparatus, allowing the ******* to protrude offensively. Favored by greasy Europeans at the beach, and even greasier weightlifters during competition and posedown sessions.

"When I was swimming at the Y the other day, this hairy Italian hedgehog was hanging out at the pool all day showing off his silky red banana hammock."

"Joe: This banana hammock's crushing my hardyboys. It's no mystery."

"This banana hammock is chafing my butt cheeks"

"I think I'll wear a banana hammock instead of boxers today."

"I have to lose the winter tire, so my banana hammock still fits."

~A phrase used between guys to tell one another to check out one girl or another
"Hey, Vince... banana hammock at 5 o'clock."

~An athletic supporter. A jock strap. Very common since at least the 1950s.

"What are you giving your husband for his birthday Jane?"
"I thought I'd get him a new banana hammock, Mavis."

~Come & listen to my story 'bout a man named Jed~

2009-01-23T15:40:00.000-08:00
“She tried to hide it by the faded denim clothes she wore
But I knew she'd never been inside a bar before”

My mother always says she's 'never been to a honky tonk and wants to go just once.' We've tried to take her several times, but she always goes 'NOOO! What if someone sees me there?!?' A friend, rest his soul, used to say "Baptists are the friendliest people in the world, except when they see each other in the liquor store." Haa. I think that's funny, and I love my Baptists...I'm a Baptist, and I understand the truth in that lil saying....I fight my spiritual battles and have remembered my church covenant every time I've ever taken a sip.
My mother, though she’s never graced the doors of a bar, is the root of my classic country passion. Her favorite is Marty Robbins’ In the Misty Moonlight (their song) and anything Conway Twitty. She has told me of the time dad took her to one of his concerts, and as he finished singing one of MY personal Conway Twitty favorites “Don’t Cry, Joni”, a woman stood up in the back and screamed, “Serves ya right!” I realize you may have to google the song to see why that’s so funny.
Conway Twitty, by the way, was born Harold Lloyd Jenkins in Mississippi. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Helena, Arkansas, and it was there he grew and later formed his first singing group, The Phillips County Ramblers. Within two years, he had his own radio show and was offered to play baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies, but an Army draft ended that dream. Following his discharge from the Army, he headed to Memphis, Tenn., and worked with Sam Phillips at Sun Studios, the home of greats like Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. However, he didn’t think he name was marketable, so in 1957, he was looking at a road map and noticed Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas. Just so ya know...

~~~~~~~~~~

“Ya’ll come see us now, ya hear?”

The other day, I took my daddy to town for dinner and shopping. In the car, my daddy couldn't see the stereo panel very well, and he was really trying to find me some good music, so he bounced from cd 1 to am to cd 4 to fm to cd 2. Just as I could tell he was getting frustrated and I was feeling bad about that, a few notes played on cd 5. "OH! I love this one! You'll like it!," he said excitedly and turned up the volume. I was disappointed a little that it wasn‘t “Rainy Day Woman” by Waylon Jennings, which I know for a fact is Number One on CD 4 in their car. "It's Jed Clampit," he said. He was right...I did enjoy it.
Now, I don’t know if that’s his birth name or if he just had a fondness for the Beverly Hillbillies, but Jed Clampit is a Monticello-rooted musician who used to be friends with my dad and stop by the shop when I was little to see him in between his road trips. I couldn't have been more than 8 the first time I met him and was certain he was the long-haired guy from the Oak Ridge Boys, whose songs I lip-synced often back then. By the time I saw him again a few years later, I confused him with the ZZTop guy.
One of the few cars, trucks, buses, vans, 18-wheelers, or delivery trailers that I actually specifically remember of the thousands that went in out of our bays...the thousands I crawled around, sanded, leaned and turned ratchets on all the time throughout my childhood and first half of my adulthood... was Mr. Jed’s big ol’ tour bus that my dad painted. During racing season, I get to glance at it each Saturday as I speed down the highway south of Monticello towards the dirt track.
My dad and I ran his errands with Mr. Jed singing beautiful gospel songs all the way; I dropped my dad off, came home and logged onto myspace. My friend Randy (who I think we should start calling Rob hahaha) had an update…he had just became friends with JED CLAMPIT. I was stunned! I was shocked Mr. Jed had a page, but more shocked I HAD JUST BEEN LISTENING TO HIS MUSIC, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. Perhaps Randy has some kind of cosmic connection to my dad, because he worked for years with my daddy’s family at Radio Shack/Strykers, and my dad always thought he was ‘a good kid.’
I added Jed Clampit and sent him a note with the request…”OMGoSH, Mr. Jed! This is Big Ben’s youngest daughter and I took him to town tonight and we were listening to YOUR songs!” I have not seen this man since before I was in junior high, and I was just shocked.
He emailed back and said, “Tell Big Ben hi,“ and said he plays at the River on Wednesday nights. So THAT’S why Randy the Robber had added him…
I called my Daddy and told him, and he’s really excited about it. My mom has shingles this week, so if she’s better next week, I’ma take her to the place which has a bar. She could possibly kick, scream and pray all the way there, but I'ma do it anyways.
My daddy’s the best Baptist deacon I know, and my mom is, if nothing else, the funniest deacon‘s wife you‘ll ever meet. So, Mr. Jed (and Randy), I’m taking my mom to fulfill her sinful dream and my daddy to visit you. There’s either gonna be a reunion or a revival….maybe both.

www.myspace.com/jedclampitmusic

~I'm here, there, everywhere...~

2009-01-23T06:46:00.000-08:00
I saw a thing a few weeks ago on my friend Dean's blog, but now I can't find it anywhere. It had to do with live feeds, and putting all your pages in one location, or something to that effect.
What I need is a page that I can check everything from, including yahoo, myspace, facebook, twitter, my blog, and a few other websites i go to often, such as the pine bluff commercial and monticellolive (woop woop joe...i just gave ya a shoutout!).

IS there something like this that exists, and where do I find it?

~My new blog~

2009-01-22T15:13:00.000-08:00
I'm weirded out a little. I feel like I'm wandering off from camp into the wilderness without my flashlight. Perhaps I should change my layout to something other than black, then I'll just feel like I'm wandering off in daylight. I've stayed inside the realms of my myspace page, so I hope I start generating friends here soon before I freak and go back. LOL

Teenager stabbed to death during July 4 festivities

2009-01-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

Alicia Ammons, 19, of Monticello was convicted Friday by a Drew County jury of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in the Arkansas Department of Correction in the death of 15-year-old Courtland Jones. She had been charged with first-degree murder after she plunged a bread knife into Jones’ neck during an altercation on July 4. Ammons was angry the teenager had allegedly shot fireworks and either almost struck or struck her infant.

Her father, Clarence Ammons, 48, who his attorney told the court is a convicted felon, was acquitted of aggravated assault in the presence of a minor. He had also originally also faced murder charges, but the charges were reduced pre-trial.

The jury (including two alternates who were released from their duties prior to deliberations) held a ratio of nine men/five women: 12 Caucasian jurors and two African-American jurors.

Courtland Jones and a group of 10-15 other boys were walking on Robin Hood Drive the evening of July 4, firing bottle rockets and roman candles into a yard where several members of the Ammons family had gathered for a barbecue. Several people and children were in the front yard of the house. When the boys, who Clarence Ammons’ defense attorney said ’were not just boys, they were a gang” shot fireworks into the yard, Clarence Ammons approached the boys and said, according to his attorney Steven Porch, “Would you stop shooting fireworks this way? There are children in the yard.” Jones replied that Ammons couldn’t tell him what to do, a few words were exchanged, then the group left and walked the street. At some point during this time, an 11-year-old relative of Alicia Ammons testified that Alicia Ammons was sitting in a truck in the driveway, listening to music, and shouted, “If one of those hit my baby, you’re head’s gonna come off.”

A short time later, the boys returned, and according to testimony by both a boy in the group with Jones and a friend of Alicia Ammons, one of the boys shot a bottle rocket into the yard as Jones began lighting a roman candle with a cigarette lighter, then pointed it towards the yard where the Ammons family was gathered and began firing. As sparks flew across the yard, some of the children were gathered up and taken into the house (although throughout the trial there was confusion and it was never determined who had taken Alicia Ammons’ infant son from her before the stabbing and where the child was during the the situation until more than three hours after the crime had taken place and Alicia Ammons was in custody; the child never received medical attention for being injured). Clarence Ammons went to the road and said, according to his defense attorney Steven Porch, “Why are ya’ll doing this? Stop!” One of the boys in the group testified they were being fired at by someone in the Ammons yard. Again, words were exchanged, and testimony was conflicting as to whether Clarence Ammons initially approached the boys with a butcher knife, or whether Alicia Ammons approached the group holding both the butcher knife and the bread knife that was used to kill Jones. According to Porch, Clarence Ammons took the butcher knife away from Alicia Ammons and stood in between her and the group of boys. There was also conflict in testimony as to whether Clarence Ammons, at any time before or after the stabbing, kicked Jones in the leg, face, or at all.

During the altercation, Clarence Ammons was punched in the nose by Courtland Jones, grabbed his face, dropped the butcher knife he said he had taken away from his daughter, and Alicia Ammons reached around her father and plunged the knife into Jones’ neck.

According to Porch, Clarence Ammons heard one of the boys say “She stabbed my homeboy”; he grabbed his daughter and pushed her back away from them, then fled with two other subjects in the truck Alicia Ammons had previously been sitting in. Alicia Ammons also fled the scene with her sister and a friend in a separate vehicle. Authorites stopped both vehicles shortly after being notified of the stabbing.

Monticello Police Sgt. Walter H. Hollinger testified that he found the butcher knife in the floorboard of the seat Clarence Ammons was sitting when the vehicle was stopped. A blood-covered bread knife was found at the scene. “I asked him what had happened and he said, “Fireworks were flying everywhere and a boy got cut,” Hollinger said. When Alicia Ammons was apprehended a few minutes later, Hollinger said she told him, “That son of a bitch almost hit my child with a bottle rocket.” He testified that she was still agitated, upset and yelling when officers took her into custody.

Deputy Prosecutor Zach Vaughn presented a majority of the case, with 10th Judicial District Thomas Deen assisting, and introduced witnesses, including: Arkansas State Police Special Agent Rick McKelvey, first responders, neighbors, and a nurse who treated Jones at Drew Memorial Hospital before he was transported to Arkansas Children’s hospital along with Officer Larry Smith Jr., who each testified that Jones had told them “Mott did it.” Alicia Ammons is sometimes known as Mott.

Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson presided over the case; Attorney Joe Mazzanti represented Alicia Ammons; and Porch defended Clarence Ammons.

The jury sentenced Alicia Ammons to the maximum of ten years for manslaughter; 1/6th of the sentence is mandatory, which is approximately 18 months, according to court officials. Ammons has already served close to six months in jail awaiting trial. She will give birth to a baby in a few months.

Awaiting word on sentencing Friday night, Jones' mother said of the conviction of manslaughter over first or second degree murder: "I broke down at first, but I'll just have to find peace with it. I'm okay. I just gave it to God. I just had to give it to God.

"I heard him," she said, "They wouldn't let me back there at the hospital, but I heard him through the door say 'Tell my momma I'm gonna be okay,'and I knew God would take care of my baby."

Walking up the steps towards the courtroom to await the sentencing phase of the trial, someone offered her a place on the elevator, "I can make it," she said. "I've gone this far, surely I can take a few more steps."
After Ammons, who had originally faced as much as life in prison, had been sentenced to then years for the manslaughter conviction, Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson informed Ammons of her sentence and asked her if she had anything to say for herself. Mazzanti spoke for his client and said no, she had nothing to say.
Gibson addressed Jones' mother and expressed condolences, then once again addressed Ammons, asking her repeatedly if there was nothing she'd like to say...."Do you show NO remorse?" She stood silently and stared back at Gibson. She was taken into custody and escorted by Drew County Sheriff Mark Gober to the Drew County Detention Facility.

~Story/photos were taken/written for and published with the permission of the Pine Bluff Commercial by Jayme Lawson~

~Stuff Christians Like~

2009-01-22T07:51:00.000-08:00
My favorite blog that I've found thus far...
I recommend him to ANY of my friends to read. It's great. I got addicted to it (is that as bad a sin as cursing?) then got away from the whole blog scene for a few months, but now, just one post has got me hooked again.

Add him to your feeds. He's the best, especially for an unorthadox person such as myself.

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/

~The Law of the Seed~

2009-01-21T21:17:00.002-08:00
THE LAW OF THE SEED

Take a look at an apple tree.
There might be five hundred apples on the tree, each with ten seeds. That's a lot of seeds.
We might ask, "Why would you need so many seeds to grow just a few more trees?"
Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us: "Most seeds never grow. So if you really want to make something happen, you should better try more than once."

This might mean:
You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job.

You'll interview forty people to find one good employee.

You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, car, vacuum cleaner, insurance policy, or idea.

And you might meet a hundred acquaintances to find one special friend (when I reposted this tonight, I had not read it in forever either, and it touched me, considering what I'm going through right now).

When we understand the 'Law of the Seed', we don't get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims. Laws of nature are not things to take personally. We just need to understand them - and work with them.

IN A NUTSHELLSuccessful people fail more often. They plant more seeds.

--- Author Unknown ---

OKAY, I'm glad I was going through my old blogs because I REALLY needed to read that tonight. I'm going to come back and read it every day til this stuff is over with.

~It's a Letter, Man~

2009-01-21T21:10:00.001-08:00
A letter by David Letterman....

'As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it seems to hit the mark.'
'The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so unhappy about?'A. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?B. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?D. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments thanDarfur has seen in the last year?E. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Oceanwithout having to present identification papers as we move through each state.

F. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?G. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.I. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.K. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.L. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.M. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?
Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable' discharge after a few days inthe brig.So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done itthis way......Insane!Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the NewYork Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

-David Letterman

~My Earl List~

2009-01-21T20:40:00.000-08:00
Based upon the horribly skanky white trash show My Name is Earl....

I'm apologizing for horrible things so that maybe Karma will give me a break...

My wonderful friend Amy told me I could blog about this, how could I NOT, and for that I name her the Ultimate I.M. friend of all time.
I can't believe the things I do on a daily basis. I keep my foot in my mouth more than in my Converses.
I have edited this blog because it's public, but basically, Amy gave me permission to blog this because she made the same slip a few days later in a really awkward moment....

1. Amy I.M.ed me one night and I asked her about something and said 'omgosh did u just have a heart attack and die when....'
She had logged on to tell me her friend had suffered a heart attack and died.

2. I felt worse about this, but thankfully this friend is a sweetheart too and joked with me about it recently. She told me to add it to my Earl List. Last year, I saw her at the Mexican restaurant eating lunch with her mom. Being all cheesy, I went over hugged her and said 'How's your dad! Tell him I said 'hi!' Her mom busted out crying. Her dad had died months before. Since I've moved from Monticello, I'm out of touch with alot of people I've known my whole life. I was so embarassed. I was mortified even more when we got to the car and my hubby said, 'Dang, Jayme. And it's Father's Day, too.'

3. I'm sorry I got my sister grounded twice in high school. The first time for taking me to see Rodney, my lil jr. high boyfriend, when we were supposed to only be going to Piggly Wiggly for ground beef. It wasn't slutty, at all, by the way. I was a good girl, I was...a fat little bible thumper all the way through high school. But I talked her into going by his house for a few moments of awkard flirting on his dad's porch. When I walked in the door at the house, after my sis drilling me all the way home not to tell Mom we went ANYWHERE but the store, my mom said 'How's Rodney?' I said 'Oh, he's doing great.' I apologize for getting her grounded again with Phillip. That time when I walked in the door, my mom said 'What's Phillip doing today?' I said 'Watching a movie.' dang.

4. I'm sorry what I told the girl at the church. In my defense, she had worked weight into every single conversation with me for at least two months. Every time, this chick would say 'If you'd just lose a little weight, you'd look better...' or 'Maybe you should try this diet I'm on and get rid of those fat arms.' I was suffering from PMS one day, quite grouchy, and was irked cuz this girl was fatter than I've ever been. I just turned around right there in the fellowship hall and said 'Why are you always so worried about how fat I am? What if I told you that you look like a side of beef in a wig?' I feel bad about that.

5. I'm sorry to the janitor at the IMAX about 15 years ago when I peed on myself because I got tickled and couldn't find the bathroom in time. (Refer to my older blogs if you must know more).

6. I'm sorry to our friend that came to visit us about a month after Becca was born. It was a good friend of my hubby's (and many of you, actually) and we were sitting and having baby talk. Chris tickled Becca's feet and I freaked and said, 'NO! You can't tickle her!' 'Why?', they asked? 'Cuz my great-grandma said if you tickle her she'll grow up with a speech impediment.' After the guy left, I found out that he suffered from the particular speech impediment I was referring to...I had just never heard him.

7. I'm sorry for Grandparents Day altogether. Becca's grandparents weren't going to attend GP Day at the school, and I felt horrible because I didn't want her to be left out. We called the teacher and I kept her home from school and took her to the park. I was quite proud of myself for being such a great mom until she fell off the monkey bars and landed flat on her back. After a trip to the ER, I took her to see her dad at work. I ran over a limb that I should have known better not to run over and had a blowout in the parking lot. The salesmen were standing at the door of the dealership, and one of them came out to check it out. Chris was inside on the phone. Already frazzled from the whole 'I let my daughter fall off the monkey bars' thing, I said, 'OMGosh! Was it that big ol' stick, Daryl?', knowing full well it was, 'I gotta get it out of there before Chris sees it!' I squatted, and the whole back of my jeans ripped in two. So sorry to Becca for keeping her home from school, to Chris for blowing out a brand new tire, and the two school buses of children riding down the highway as well as all the Tigercat guys I mooned. My butt is not a good one to be flashing, I assure you.

8. I'm sorry to the people that I typed the birth announcement for years ago at the newspaper. I was busy that morning, and I swear I thought it said Alan when I proofread it. Nope. Anal didn't go over well at all.

9. I'm sorry to the manager of Wal-Mart when I answered phones during Christmas season about 10 years ago. I had worked at our local grocery store as assistant bookkeeper all through high school, and must've answered the phones at least a few hundred times a day. I was sitting at the fitting rooms running the swtichboard at Wal-Mart a few years later when a girl who used to work with me in high school stopped to say hi. About that time, the phone rang, probably someone wanting Electronics or Lay-A-Way, and I screwed up TWICE in one fell swoop. When I answered, not only did I accidently push the intercom button to send it out across the store, but I said, 'Welcoome to Piggly Wiggly! May I help you?' They didn't ask me to watch the switchboard much after that at our local Wal-Mart.

10. I'm sorry to Chris for passing gas in the grocery store then running around to the other aisle so people would think he done it.The Butcher wasn't the only one that was mad that day.

11. I'm sorry for killing Becca's kitty. I swear I didn't know it was under the hood of my car. And I'm sorry for forgetting and letting the replacement kitty out two days later, leaving it to the fate of the neighborhood stray dog. I also apologize for puking on it when it I discovered it had resurfaced a few days after we buried it. The stray dog apparently wasn't through with it yet and dug it out of his grave, returning it to my front porch.

12. I'm sorry I ran over my high school teacher's pet rooster on Bolling Street a whole two days after I got my driver's license. And I'm also sorry for going to the school the next day and saying, 'Hey, Colonel. I fried a chicken by your house last night.'

Endnote: My sister, the sibling who never forgets anything, added to my list in a myspace comment:

she didn't say she was sorry when she laughed when a cow pooped on her mom at the fair, for accidentally whacking me in the nose with the truck door cuz she was chasing me trying to delete a picture of her boobs out of my phone, for wearing a new beautiful sweater my mom bought her for christmas to watch the new years fireworks and getting the sweater caught on fire, for the 10 dozen times she froze my bra, for dragging her pigtails through a wet paint job on a car my dad just painted, for backing my ford truck into a dork's bumper in front of the piggly wiggly, for yelling bloody murder and making me hit a trash can in my mother's van, for calling in to the radio, winning billy ray cyrus tickets and screaming like a banshee for five minutes then telling the annoncer her name was "amy adams", for making me watch the brady bunch, for laughing til she cried when i fell on the ice and broke my nose, for threatening to murder the nurse's dog when i was in the hospital having ben....

~I would like to say in defense of the dog thing that Ben was seven weeks early, he had a huge crater in his tiny lil chest becasuse his lungs were collapsing, I was the only one there, the nurse wouldn't call the doctor, and neo natal in Little Rock when they flew him there said if he had gotten there just half an hour later they wouldn't have been able to save him.

~To cheer my grumpy friends~

2009-01-21T20:39:00.000-08:00
All of my happy people are being emo, with good reason, I shall add.
I've noticed that you all derive great pleasure from laughing at my foolish moments, so I'll just go on and tell ya in hopes of bringing back a few smiles, for a moment, at least.
I went to the grocery store to night, and trying to be all bonnie-n-clyde, I didn't grab a basket, knowing I always get more than I go in for.
I made my way through the Mad Butcher, gathering cinnamon rolls, smoked sausage, mustard and buns. Before I left, I hurried over to the chip aisle and grabbed some pretzels and headed towards the checkout.
I was wearing my ugly yellow dirt track crocks that I've promised myself never to wear again because they are hideous. But I wear them anyways. That was a mistake.
I busted my @$$ right there in between the Doritos and Dr. Peppers. They had been mopping the floors and I had already felt the slippiness (is that a word?) underneath my awful bus-yellow shoes, but I guess I had a brain fart and forgot to be careful.
I looked like an ice skater doing a grand finale....sliding across the floor on one knee, all the way down to the Mountain Dews. I was extremely impressed with myself, though. I didn't drop one thing. Heck, I didn't even smush the cinnamon bun icing.

~Just Rambling~

2009-01-21T20:36:00.000-08:00
My car is filthy and I gotta clean it out today. I must say it's not as bad as it has been in the past, but it's pretty funky. I said something to a friend this morning about it and said 'I don't clean my car out. Lawson does that. He gets pissed when I do it.' Then I realized that prolly made no sense.
What I meant, is there are certain things, like mowing, setting out that trash (which he didn't do last week, so there's like eight bags. blech.), and washing my car that he doesn't want me doing. He's said more than once 'I don't want people to think I make my wife mow the yard. That's my job.' When I say he gets 'mad', it's not mad, just irked, and shamed, I guess, cuz he thinks those are his chores. I'm the same way about things too...I hate him to leave the house in a wrinkled shirt or buying groceries. Those are my departments...
I'ma clean my car out today though, I promise. I also have to clean the porch b/cuz it's looking a little white-trashy, and I forgot to pay the blooming water bill. Again. Actually, who I won't mention, promised to run by there, so I just didn't think about it anymore.

~A smile for my sister on one of her chemo days~

2009-01-21T20:32:00.000-08:00
I posted this one for lupus awareness....my sister is in advanced stages of systematic lupus and suffers with several similar diseases.

~October is Lupus Awareness Month~
One for the girls Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my shape to keep.
Please no wrinkles, Please no bags And please lift my butt before it sags.
Please no age spots, Please no gray And as for my belly, Please take it away.
Please keep me healthy, Please keep me young, And thank you Dear Lord, For all that you've done.

Five tips for a woman.....
1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.
2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.
3. It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to you.
4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.
5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.

Foot Note: One saggy boob said to the other saggy boob: 'If we don't get some support soon, people will think we're nuts.'

~Well I woke up Sunday Mornin'...-Johnny Cash~

2009-01-21T20:28:00.000-08:00
"Becca is great! So smart!" I know.
Wise beyond her eight years, Becca has been going to church on Sunday nights with our neighbor's daughter, her bestie. I met the preacher tonight. He's a sensible, intelligent and nice person, and I had really good vibes from him. I'm actually interested in visiting the church (For ya'll who don't know me, I'm the daughter of a die-hard Southern Baptist deacon, one of the most spiritual people I've ever met, but my dad and I vary on several religious, and well, churchy, views. I'm member of the First Baptist Church but I don't regularly attend.).
The preacher told me some great things about my daughter's spiritual development and personality when her mother isn't looming above her. After I had been griping and grouchy all day, God sent me a preacher, a complete stranger, who told me answers to prayers I've prayed my entire life. Since I was smaller than Becca, I've been praying for the salvation of my children, husband, even grandbabies. I was told to in Sunday School one time and it stuck, I guess.
I know I'm nowhere near where I should be as a role model to Becca, but the things that preacher stood out there and told me was everything my heart needed to know. I'm going to work harder than ever to show that child how to walk in Christ. From what the preacher said, she already knows alot. God has something great in store for her.
Now the funny part...
The pastor was telling me how Becca is sociable and can talk to an 80-year-old as well as she can a two-year-old. He said the first week of Awanas, she raised her hand (this was the first time ever to that church and I couldn't believe it) and said she had a 'testimony.' I do not ever remember even discussing 'testimonies' with her. He said my baby stood right up and told about giving her life to Jesus, and he'd never seen anything like it. He said that he was amazed by this little girl and went over to talk with her, asking her name, age, just small talk. He said she looked right at him and said 'Do you read EasyRider?'
I nearly fainted. I was so embarassed. "No, she didn't," is all I could muster, but I knew she had because my sister writes for EasyRider and Becca adores Amy. He laughed and said yeah, and and that Becca had told him my sister is a writer for magazines, and had wrote about Elvis' bikes. I stuttered that she isn't allowed to SEE EasyRider and she knows it's because there's skanky girls in it, and that my sister is also published in PG stuff and Becca gets THOSE copies. He was laughing so hard. I said 'What did you tell her?' He said 'I told her, yeah, I'd seen it.'
He also said last week they were talking about her being in the First Baptist choir and he asked her what music she likes and she said 'Elvis and Johnny Cash.' I love my mini-me.

That's all I have to say about that

2009-01-21T20:20:00.001-08:00
had the most terrifying experience of my life tonight. As we pulled up to the redlight in Pine Bluff (near the new Walmart), Chris and I happened happened to glance in the mirrors at about the same time and saw a car speeding towards us, with me sitting there applying my brakes. By the time we saw them, they were all the way on us, suddenly swerved to the left, and sped in between me and the three cars in the lane next to me. The light had been red more than a few seconds (I had already come to a complete stop and was looking back when I saw the car) and praise God they missed traffic. Thank God for whatever made that person swerve to the inside because my precious baby was sitting there in the back seat. I can't say anything more about this. Any parent would understand.
In a split second, my precious baby's life was spared. I dare anyone to try and argue divine intervention with me tonight. Thank you, God. We praise you in the name of Jesus.
~~~~~~
After it happened, and Lawson and I had a near-meltdown because he knew exactly how close we came, we sat in Arby's parking lot in silence. My little sweetheart chimed in (she always does at the perfect moments) and said "Mommy, the radio was playing that song on the vacation movies. Ain't that weird?' That made me instantly calm down for her sake because Becca and I have giggled so many times (at the edited versions, of course)...as the 'holiday rooooaaad' song played on National Lampoon's vacation movies . She could probably quote you most of the Wally World movie..again, the edited version. Movies are a big 'mom and becca' thing, and she totally got the irony. I love my baby so much. That moment made me realize again how precious life really is.
She is such a mini-me and the greatest blessing in my life. I could never imagine watching Chevy Chase without my baby dunking a peanut butter sandwich in milk and giggling nearby. In that small moment I have never in my life been so thankful for my baby. I love you Becca, and I love you, God, for giving her to me and protecting us.
Another extremely odd thing that freaked me out, as far as irony goes...guess what the idiots were waving out the window when they went by? A MONTICELLO BILLIES flag!!! For those that may not know, that's our hometown and Alma Mater. Idiots headed to a footbball game....NO! Wait! What's even WORSE is: Do you KNOW where they were headed when they almost killed my baby, and us, too? WAL-MART. Do people learn nothing? There were at least three fatalities, if I'm not mistaken, in Monticello the past few weeks, and two of the deaths were a stone's throw from the Monticello Wal-Mart. Then I go to PINE BLUFF, and the Monticello idiots are driving the same way up there AFTER their town has just laid three people to rest for reckless driving??? I admit that if I EVER see that car parked somewhere, it would be worth a charge to make them not EVER forget what they almost did tonight.
A friggin' Billies flag.

~Whew, I'm glad I finally got outta that class...these are old blogs, remember...~

2009-01-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

I'm stressing over a biology lab test. A couple semesters ago, the powers that be put me in biology but not the corresponding lab, so I'm having to sit through a similar course again this semester. I was surprised at how much I DID actually retain, but that biology class was the HARDEST course I have EVER taken....I got through it, though, and now I'm struggling through the lab. Science and my brain doesn't play well together, and I think it's quite unfortunate because I DO find biology interesting, especially the lab...I just have a hard time with words such as hemicellulose and especially tonight's topic....what IS THIS CRAP????
Predict what would happen if you mixed sufficient water with the 500 mOs sample shown above to reduce its osmolarity to about 300 mOs.
~~~~~~
I have tried to blog at least a dozen times, but myspace has been giving me fits. As you can see, I'm in the halloween mood, one of my favorite holidays, mostly because of the lack of stress compared to some of the other ones. I adore Autumn, too!
Other news....
We are through racing, but I had such a GREAT time watching all my friends and riding with Chris and am actually looking forward to next year, which surprises me. Racing and I have had a love-hate relationship because of the time and stress involved with it, not to mention 100 degree weather and dusty boogers. It's Chris' passion, and therefore, I like it, too, for his benefit and try to support it. I'm thankful for this season because I've mellowed out and learned to enjoy it alot more without worrying so much about the dangers and whatnot...

~My first ride in the Mustang~

2009-01-21T19:27:00.000-08:00
~Parental and Prude Discretion Advised~

Since I don't know WHO all knows, I might as well finish the 'job' and tell ya'll too in the process of letting my track buddies on here and anyone that owns a CB radio in Drew County who may have heard it know that I was NOT doing THAT two weeks ago...
I rode with Lawson in a Mustang when he raced a couple of Saturdays ago, and we finished third btw (he got second the week before...YAY!). It's a four cylinder class, and safety harnesses aren't required yet because you are not going any faster than you would be on Hwy. 425 during rush hour. Lawson is putting racing seats in, but most people in that class don't have them. In the last minutes before the race, I jacked Shane Endsley's firesuit and helmet and hopped in with Lawson.
Waiting for the other class to finish their race, Lawson ran through quick instructions about how to brace myself if we hit the wall, or someone else, and showed me where to put my hands so they wouldn't be crushed between the roll cage and car body. He told me to brace myself, lean in, and put my right hand on the roll cage in front of the glove box area while I grip the waist of my seatbelt with my left hand. When we finally pulled onto the track after a lengthy wait, I had forgotten most of what he told me because I had realized that at those moments I had to go to the bathroom worse than I ever had to in my whole life, even worse than at Riverfront Park during whatever Days they have up there...what's it called?...anyways, the huge annual thing and I had to go soooo bad because I had drank about 40 of those huge cups of Dr. Pepper. That was the longest stretch of portapotties I believe I ever saw...it looked like a milelong train of pooh, and I gagged all the way to the end. I have a mental block against those things and would rather risk a bee sting on my bum in the woods somewhere.
I saw the cars on the track slow down and exit....I yelled to Lawson through the helmet and said 'OMGosh I hafta pee.' 'It's gonna be awhile,' he yelled back, slid his helmet visor down, and pulled onto the track.
My first time of being in a racecar after being at the dirt track with a slew of racers nearly every weekend, and I made a total fool of myself. I didn't urinate, and I didn't do what they thought I did, either....
When we went green and headed into Turn 1, I thought about my fat tail snapping the old seatbelt and flying straight out the window....assuming I would be able to fit through. I remember he said 'Lean', so I LEANED, ya'll.
I had soooo much fun! I loved it! I've been riding with Lawson's lead foot for years and wasn't scared at all, aside from the concern of the seatbelt snapping. In the straightaways I'd lean up and in the turns, lean back over towards Lawson. I do remember ducking a few times when cars were side by side with us, so I wonder if that is what everyone was talking about...
After the race, my bestie came up and said 'Do you have any idea what you looked like with that big ol' helmet leaned over in his lap? hahahaha' I didn't think much about it.
Then Lawson came back from his sponsor's trailer and said 'in a roundabout way, Jimmy asked what you were doing....' I found it odd that two separate groups of people had their minds in the gutter, but thought they were just picking at me.
This morning, I went to Monticello and ran into one of my cousins who works at the track. He informs me that the radio chatter concerned not cautions or black flags, but who the chick in the blue Mustang was. There is NO WAY my head was that far down! 'Are you kidding me???' I asked, but I knew he wasn't due to my prior conversations. No, he said. He said they had a bet going. I'm so shamed. At least I'm not a pit hopper and I've been married to my hubby for 12 years, but I'm still mortified.

~Grease is the Word....Chucks is the other one~

2009-01-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

I have discovered the roots to my Converse passion, and it's never even occurred to me until tonight. 'Grease is the word...'

Those who find themselves fortunate enough to gaze upon my beauty in photo albums since childhood (hahaha) will discover there are random spells of Chuck Taylor Converses scattered throughout. In some periods of my life, you may find them nearly as often as you see freckles. The day my sister was married (I was 16, I think), there are in existence pictures of the toes of my Chucks are poking out from underneath my pink satin bridesmaid gown....during the reception, of course. They made me wear crappy shoes for the actual ceremony.
My daughter shares the same love for the movie (the edited version!) that I have always held. Perhaps to blame is the months during my pregnancy of being stuck on bedrest, which would find me bored and sick of talking on the phone and daytime television. I often found myself reading those gigantic 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' volumes and watching old movies (I actually mean 'nonrecent releases.' What may be considered 'old' defines such favorites as Gone with the Wind, but could be as recent as Friday and Sixteen Candles).
We were giggling and singing every word of Sandy and Danny's high school days as the 25th anniversary DVD lasered away tonight when she suddenly looked down at her tiny black Chucks (a nickname affectionally derived generations ago after the basketball player Chuck Taylor, who sent the shoe brand's popularity worldwide with his marketing ideas generations ago), and then looked at me with her big blue eyes and said, 'Mommy! Look at all the Chucks in this movie!'
That's when I realized why I had always been partial to Chucks. Grease was my absolute favorite movie of all time for at least a decade of my younger life, and I'm a diehard Grease enthusiast (along with Blues Brothers, Forrest Gump and countless other movies, books and songs). Watch the movie closely, and I think you'll agree there's more than enough evidence here, especially if you're one of the lucky souls to have had the privilege of knowing me personally. Grease was definitely where this whole 'Converse' shoe thing with me started. They aren't shallow attempts at showcasing emo, sporty, trendy or fashionable aspects of my personality. They are just me.

~What a rotten day~

2009-01-21T18:57:00.000-08:00
Okay, this is the 3rd time I've tried to write this...
I picked a heck of a day to try and build a new blog. It's been rotten for me. I look at the time...8:59 p.m....I know if I go to sleep now, which is all I've wanted to do all day, I'll be back up by 11, and that'll mess me up the rest of the night.
I've posted some of my older blogs, and I'll post a few more, but I wanted to tell some of you bloggers that I'm sorry. I freaked a few weeks ago because I had major things going on with my life, my blogs, and a few of my friends were arguing back and forth with a bunch of people on my page....I didn't want to be accused of being party to the drama, and basically I just had a bad few days about privacy and deleted a bunch of people until things calmed down and I quit freaking. I'm over it now, and I'd love for everyone to be back on my Myspace page, so you can add me if you want. If you are offended, I apologize...I've been traveling roads I've never been down before...that noone's ever been down before... and it's been tough for me to handle.

~August 21, 2008~

2009-01-21T13:51:00.000-08:00
Okay, I'm going to stop here for the day. From here down were some of my myspace posts from the past year, until August 21, the day that changed my life....
I'll tell ya about that very soon. If I do it now, if I go past this date in my archives, I'll get all wound up, and I've spent all day trying to calm down, trying to stop crying....

~I have attention deficit disorder~

2009-01-21T13:47:00.000-08:00
1) I NEED TO TELL YO0H A SECRET (LO0K AT 5)

2) THE ANSWER IS (L0OK AT 11)

3) D0NT GET MAD (L0OK AT 15)

4) CALM DOWN DONT BE MAD WHEN YOU READ THIS( L0OK AT 13)

5) FIRST (L0OK AT 2)

6) D0NT BE THAT MAD (L0OK AT 12)

7) I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I LOVE YOU!

8) WHAT I WANTED TO TELL YOU IS...(THE ANSWER IS ON 14)

9) BE PATIENT (L0OK AT 4)

10) THIS IS THE LAST TIME IMMA DO THIS (L0OK AT 7)

11) IM NOT MAD WHEN IM SAYIN THIS:( (L0OK AT6)

12) S0RRY (L0OK AT 8)

13) D0NT BE GETTIN ALL HYPER (L0OK AT 10)

14) I D0NT KNO HOW TO SAY THIS (L0OK AT 3)

15) YOU MUST BE REALLY MAD (L0OK AT NUMBER 9)

I blogged it because I wanted to ask you this...How does your brain feel after reading that?? Jumbled and drained? THAT is how children with ADD/ADHD feel sometimes.

~And how my bad day turned out (part 2 of 'having a bad day)

2009-01-21T13:45:00.000-08:00
~Monticello~
All ritey...I have to give a follow-up on my day. It started out with me anticipating a bad time, as I blogged this morning.
I headed straight for 'no anxiety' Bible verses, but I still felt like dung when I left the house. Becca had also woken up grumpy, which set me back at least half an hour before I even got going.
I had to go to UAM and deal with registration. I had dropped the ball at the end of the Spring semester and was so burned out I didn't even get my grades because I figured I had bombed. That meant more stress registering, and I had prepared myself for all kind of words like 'fail', 'academic denial' and 'petitions to student affairs.' I dreaded even opening that can of worms.
On top of that, the most malicious branch of my family tree shook a few leaves around my day around 6ish this morning, and I knew I had to go spend the day where I get my most stressed (If you don't already know and would like to inquire further out of sheer confusion on this paragraph, email me).
With my list of chores, I repeated the 'do not worry' verse about half a dozen times in the short drive to the college and my mom's house, feeling my blood pressure and dread rise by the minute.
BUT, when I made it to UAM, I found out that not only had I NOT bombed last semester like I had suspected, but I did pretty good and am set to start school in a few weeks with not one piece of paperwork. ~WoW~ God took care of that one, and I felt a little silly for worrying in the first place.
Then, as I cleaned the surroundings of my family tree, ran errands, just interacted with my closest branch in general, took my daddy shopping, and completed one chore after another, I realized that my day was going pretty darned good. As a matter of fact, this was the first day I didn't want to scream, pull my hair out and flee to Warren five minutes after I arrived. I had to laugh a little when I realized God had handled this one, too.
On top of my first-ever pleasant day there, I met a lady when I took my dad to Wal-Mart that was the live-in nurse for my aunt, who I'm studying and writing a book about. As a matter of fact, my writings of this particular story could not have been completed without a firsthand source for the years this lady was there. She is the ink in my pen, if you will, and was totally excited when I asked her to let me interview her. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE TO MY PUZZLE AND BETTER THAN THE CHUCK TAYLORS I'M NOT GONNA GET ON MY BIRTHDAY!!!
Other good things happened, too, like I had a chance to hang out with Mandy, my bestie, a few minutes this morning; I saw my lil Megan, my cousin who lives in Star City, my dad and I had a BLAST when we went to town...just me and him time and I adore him SO much; I talked to a couple of my closest friends while I ran errands around town (and I saw Jennifer Prince, too, but I didn't get to talk to her, so that kinda sucked, but at least I saw her!); and in general, just had a great blooming day.
So moral of the story....when God tells us things like not to worry and we plant the seed of His word in our heart, that seed will be sown if we keep it in our hearts, even when we aren't feeling it at first. My seed blossomed into a beautiful day where weeds and thorns often leave me lost and injured....right smack dab underneath my family tree in a little place that was named after another, more famous plantation (Thomas Jefferson's place, actually): Monticello.

~Havin' a bad day~

2009-01-21T13:44:00.000-08:00
Matthew 6:25-34
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

This is one of my favorite passages, and I have leaned on its comfort many times. I went straight to it this morning for peace, as I awoke incredibly anxious. This passage has helped me so many times when I've worried about everything from not having enough groceries to shut off notices. While I read it this morning, though, I enjoyed the familarity, love & common sense I found in it, but I still felt anxiety rippling through my body, dread through my mind, and nervousness in even my arms and down into my fingers as I sat here and typed.
My mind keeps saying 'Yeah, but it says 'don't worry about tommorrow'...it's today that's got me trippin'.' Then right after that thought, I'm telling myself, 'Sure, this verse is great for money problems, but what I'm having anxiety about is college and mothers. It doesn't saying ANYTHING about those things.'
I know the passage actually covers even drawing my next breath, but my stubborn little spirit isn't ready to let go of the anxiety that my day holds. That's my problem. It's nothing too big, but I tend to shut down and find migraines when dealing with the things I have to deal with today. Nothing stresses me out more than college registration besides my dear mother. I love her, but she makes me insane. LOL
I'm just gonna saddle up, and jump in and get it all done today. I'll be busy and don't see myself having the time to repeat THAT huge passage over and over in my head, so I found a shorter one with the same message that I'm going to try out as I practice not getting stressed, anxious, or angry while completing my daily responsibilities:
Phillipian 4:6 says "Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. "
Perhaps, though, this next one will serve me even better....
'Thou shalt not murder." Deuteronomy 5:17

~One of those surveys and how I answered it...~

2009-01-21T13:39:00.000-08:00
What's your favorite color?
"Till things are brighter, I'm the man in black." ~Johnny Cash

What's your favorite animal?
"I woke up in the middle of the night last night, thinking about how I'm well on my way to becoming a cougar. Except probably not as hot as Demi though... " ~Christine Griffin

Who's your role model?
"The only man a girl can depend on is her daddy." ~Frenchie (Grease)

How many siblings do you have?
"If evil is inevitable, how are the wicked accountable? Nay, why do we call them wicked at all?" ~Horace Mann

How many people live in your house?
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life...." ~Robert Frost

How many animals do you have"I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it." ~Abe Lincoln

Where do you live(trailor, mansion, regular house )?
"To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labor tends, and of which every desire prompts the prosecution." ~Samuel Johnson

Who is your most valuable friend?"
And when I need to lift my spirits, Kermie can always do the trick." ~ Rich Little

Which friends do you hang out with the most?
"The atmosphere seems to change once the sun goes down and the race fans get to watch a good show." ~Dale Earnhardt

How many best friends do/did you have?
"A girl's legs are her best friends, but the best of friends must part." ~ Redd Foxx

How many friends have moved out of your city?
"All my exes live in Texas." ~George Strait

Would you rather have...coke or sprite?
"I was putting peanuts in my coke" ~Barbara Mandrell

Lunch or dinner?
"I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." ~Hannibal Lector

A sister or brother?
"She's the queen of the silver dollar, she rules the Smoky Kingdom. Her sceptor is a wine glass, and a barstool is her throne. Now the jesters flock around her, trying to win her favor..." ~Dave and Sugar, then later, Dr. Hook

Mcdonalds or Burger King?
"I haven't eaten at a McDonald's since I became President." ~Billy Clinton

Boyfreind or friend?
"An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind." ~Buddha

Hug or kiss?
"When my time on earth is gone, and my activities here are passed, I want they bury me upside down, and my critics can kiss my ass!" ~Bobby Knight

Pinch or poke?
"Smile, it's better than a poke in the eye." ~ Doug Horton

Clown or doll?
"I see myself as an intelligent, sensitive human, with the soul of a clown which forces me to blow it at the most important moments." ~Jim Morrison

I wrote this months ago...

2009-01-21T13:38:00.001-08:00
and haven't read it until today. I really needed to hear what I said. LOL

"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."- Jeremiah 33:2-3

My third blog of the evening, I've explained my goal, my 'mission', if you will, and while I've written two blogs, my thirst of writing still had not been quenched.
At a loss as to what I wanted to write, I went to an online Bible site and found the above passage, their 'verse of the day.'
Those few words spoke volumes to me. I'm torn in so many directions right now, as far as school, work and my future is concerned. There are so many unanswered questions and confusing decisions to be made, not to mention worries that my ignorance will cause me to fail in any endeavour I attempt to embark upon.
And right there, in black and white, a simple reminder that it's not my job to have the answers. That's God's job, and He promises me things that I don't know, he will teach me.
The One that created the world, that keeps us spinning on its axle, is the same One who will give me answers as I need them. He forms my future, not me, or college hours or employers. He gives me knowledge, not me, college professors or work experience. He will be the One to bestow blessings upon my life, not me, edcuation or paychecks.
He knows all things in the world, and wisdom through Christ is neverending. My thirst for writing still hasn't been satisfied, but I have a greater thirst...I crave knowledge, I look forward to learning, and I'm excited about my future, and the wrinkles, bills and realized ignorance that comes with it.
Thank God I have Him to lead me over the next few months, because I can't even make it to the grocery store without forgetting where I'm supposed to be going.

~The Bible, Johnny Cash & Fishnets~

2009-01-21T13:36:00.001-08:00
So what swims in my mind this evening is this....
Are fishnets a sin? I totally have a thing for fishnets, and whilst I understand that FISHNETS aren't, the question I'm truly pondering is how much of my personality will I be giving up?
As I'm venturing into getting myself right, I wonder what about me will change. I guess we shall see. Is it okay to still love Janis Joplin, even though she died of a drug overdose, or will I be seen as a hypocrit? I'm a very laid-back person, and I see good in most all things. I'm not exactly the person you'd see sitting next to you in Sunday School, and Johnny Cash's Sunday Morning Coming Down does just as much for my soul as Amazing Grace.
But maybe that's part of God's calling. Maybe my oddities are part of the tools God has instilled in me.
I wonder if He wants a witness that is different from all others, one who doesn't mind admitting that there's dirty laundry in the washer when she goes to bed at night and dishes in the sink when she wakes up in the morning.
I haven't read too many devotionals where the writer willingly admits that she had smoked more pot than Cheech or cursed more than a frustrated sailor. I believe, though, that's the whole point of the Prodigal Son. The one who had once ventured into the world is many times more blessed than the ones who never ventured there. Of course, it's a great thing never to stray from God, but those of us who have gain wisdom, understanding and respect for our Father's power for having been there and being brought back. Our robes may be ripped and stained, but we are certain the greatest place really is in the shadow of the Father. Blessings taste so much sweeter after you've tasted the bile of the rest of the world.
Perhaps a witness that listens to Tom Petty can reach someone that a Amy Grant fan could never get through a conversation with.
I'm not going to worry about whether it's right or wrong, the Holy Spirit is telling me that He'll take care of all that in due time.
But I still have to wonder...can I wear fishnets to church?

~The Pee Blog~

2009-01-21T13:28:00.000-08:00
I woke this morning to the sounds of Lawson running late for work...I had left his work clothes on the bedroom door, but forgot to lay out his unmentionables last nite before I went to bed, so when I woke up, he was opening his undies and sock drawers...big wooden drawers underneath our bed.
He kissed me goodbye and rushed down outside, and I rolled of bed. My left foot landed in the top drawer - that he had accidently left open.
My foot twisted around backwards, and the drawer slammed shut on it. I have no idea where my other leg disappeared to while all this was going on, but it didn't help me at all.
Drawers slammed around, brass handles clanged, and after what seemed like forever,my right shoulder landed on the floor, shortly followed by my a**. My mid-section however, didn't hit the floor....it ended up across the corner of the bottom drawer, also open.
I am quite the clumsy one and shall be the first to admit it. I don't normally whine, or even tell people, about my slips and falls. But this one made me cry. It hurt like hell....my foot, ankle, big toe on my other foot (wtf? how did it get hurt? it wasn't anywhere to be found! 'Serves ya right,' I thought.), left wrist, and right hand....
I put a small red lump on my forehead from the wall, tore a piece of tiny little piece of flesh from my right pinkie on the baseboard of the wall, jarred my back, and my shoulder still ain't feelin' rite.
So, as revenge to my beloved, I shall share with you HIS brain fart of the week....
He was helping me clean out my car Sunday while Ben and Becca were nearby swimming in the pool that reminds me of a big ol blue witchpot, like we're cookin' kids in the backyard..the green and orange neon floats even look a little like giant carrot and celery sticks floating around with em....anyways....
I had gone inside and when I came out, Lawson was standing between the car door and the pool and had this brownish purple crap smeared all over his chest....'this mess is sticky, but it smells good,' he said, smelling the stuff all over his hands and fingers. It was darker than any lotion I had ever used. I was confused.
He was standing there in his swimming trunks holding a little package....you know the little samples of tanning lotion from the salon that are about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide? I buy those, and he had found one in the car and put it on. As I got closer to him, the scent of grape grew stronger and stronger.
I took the package from him and looked at it....on the last day of school, Becca's class had gone to the IMAX in Little Rock....Lawson had smeared this smushed up grape crap that the teachers had given the kids as a snack all over him thinkin' it was my tanning lotion.
I feel totally justified, by the way, in the telling of this IMAX tale because he has taken pure joy for years in telling everyone that even mentioned that place about the time decades ago when I peed on myself there. Yeah, I just said on the Internet that I peed on myself at the grand opening of the IMAX in Little Rock, AR. It's not the stupidest thing I've done, is it, Chris? And that was his fault, too. He wanted to go upstairs and I had to pee, so he told me he had already been up there and saw a bathroom. When there wasn't one on the second level, he said it was quicker to the third level than back down to the first level...and I believed it! LOL
You can see where this is going, I'm sure....I knew I couldn't make it all the way down to the first level. I was criss-crossing my legs and bending my knees....my knuckles were white from holding on to the brass railing around the shuttle (or whatever the hell it was...I didn't pay attention. I HAD TO PEE!!!) on display. Lawson opened the only door up there, with huge yellow and black 'do not enter' signs on it. I was beginning to panic, but trying to whisper at the same time so the middle-school class on tour behind me wouldn't hear. "NO! We'll get caught!"
Lawson peeked inside and said "COME on! There's a bathroom right there! I told you there was one up here." I managed to get thru the door stooped over, knees still together, looked up and there was nothing but, I swear to you, a coke machine, two plastic coke crates, and two doors.
I immeidately sat on the crate just to get my groupings so I could make it over to the bathroom door, but it wasn't even a bathroom door! It was a locked office, and when Lawson threw the other door open, he almost fell off a ledge! The IMAX is also an aircraft museum, and there was a door, like a loading door or something, just up in the air in the side of the building. He looked like Clark Griswold at the Hoover Dam (Nat'l Lampoon's Vegas Vacation). He slammed the door and turned around - his eyes were about to pop outta his head, and I just lost it. We both fell out laughing and I felt it right there on the brink...."OMG! I CAN'T HOLD IT ANYMORE!!" I said, and I laughed till I cried. And peed everywhere.
In conclusion, Lawson had to go downstairs and buy me a pair of little kid shorts to wear back home commando...we were with my PARENTS, I might add. And when I got down to the lobby and whispered to my mom why I had on a new pair of shorts, my dad goes, "YOU PEED? MY GOD, JAYME," and joined in with Lawson & everyone else in there.
ANYWAYS, since I'm clownin' on Lawson today, I'll give him props, too....he's only been service manager a few months & is hearing good at work...he's doing great & I'm so proud of him! The stress is gettin' him, tho...maybe tonite I'll try to relieve the tension and give him a massage with mashed up, rotten fruit. He seems to like that. But I promise not to pee on him.

~One of my favorite books~

2009-01-21T13:22:00.001-08:00
An excerpt from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
It may seem marvellous, that with the world before her, free to return to her birthplace, or to any other land, and there hide her character and identity under a new exterior, as completely as if emerging into another state of being - and having also the passes of the dark, inscrutable forest open to her, where the wildness of her nature might assimilate itself with a people whose customs and life were alien from the law that had condemned her - it may seem marvellous that this woman should still call that place her home, where, and where only, she must needs be the type of shame.
But there is a fatality, so irresistible and inevitable that it has the force of doom, which almost invariably compels human beings to linger around and haunt, ghostlike, the spot where some great and marked event has given the color to their lifetime; and still the more irresistibly, the darker the tinge which saddens it.
Her sin, her ignominy, were the roots which she had struck into the soil. It was as if a new birth, with stronger assimilations than the first, had converted the forest-land, still so uncongenial to ever other wandereer, into her wild and dreary, life-long home.
All other scenes of earth were foreign to her in comparison. The chain that bound her here was of iron links, and galling to her inmost soul, but could never be broken.
It might be, too - doubtless it was so, although she hid the secret from herself, and grew pale whenever it struggled out of her heart, like a serpant from its hole - it might be that another feeling kept her within the scene and pathway that had been so fatal.
There dwelt, there trode the feet of one with whom she deemed herself connected in a union, that unrecognized on earth, would bring them together for a joint futurity of endless retribution.
Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint-like, becasue the result of martyrdom.
She, therefore, did not flee.

~Carlin Quotes~

2009-01-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

I posted this when comedian George Carlin died....

I remember well sneaking my dad's Carlin records into my room and hiding them in between CCR and Johnny Cash. Perhaps this flashback is a clue to my weirdness these days...He was infamous in his personal and professional life....this is perhaps one of my favorite weird people, simply because ' I love words, too....'

Here's just a little glimpse at an American historic icon....the late George Carlin....

Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck. Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy. I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
If we could just find out who's in charge, we could kill him.

If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.

In comic strips, the person on the right always speaks first.

Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.

Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town.

May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.

Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.
Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.

One can never know for sure what a deserted area looks like.

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor. People who say they don't care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don't care what people think.

Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.

Standing ovations have become far too commonplace. What we need are ovations where the audience members all punch and kick one another.

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.

The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.

The reason I talk to myself is that I'm the only one whose answers I accept.

The status quo sucks.

The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.

There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.

There's no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past.

Think off-center.

Weather forecast for tonight: dark.

Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?

What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get .. you get on?

When someone is impatient and says, "I haven't got all day," I always wonder, How can that be? How can you not have all day?

When Thomas Edison worked late into the night on the electric light, he had to do it by gas lamp or candle. I'm sure it made the work seem that much more urgent.

When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands.

When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat.

You know an odd feeling? Sitting on the toilet eating a chocolate candy bar.

You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans.

~Signs You Race~

2009-01-21T13:06:00.000-08:00
And this is one I posted in honor of my hubby and besties who dirt track race...some I jacked, some I wrote...

- You think the primary purpose of wings is to PREVENT flight. - You take your helmet along when you go to buy new eyeglasses. - You feel compelled on a road trip to beat your previous best time. - You are happiest when your street car's tires are worn to racing depth and the wear bars are showing. - When something falls off of your car, you wonder how much weight you just saved. - When you hear 'overcooked it', instead of food you think 'off the track'. - You change engine oil every week. - You sometimes hear little noises from your passengers when you get on the throttle right after turning in. - You thoroughly enjoy showing the tailgater behind how to drive around a highway off-ramp. - Your racing budget is one of the big three -- mortgage, car payments/maintenance, wife bribery. -Your email address refers to your race car rather than to you. - You walk proper lines through the grocery store. - You've been known to yell "It means 'check your mirrors' dammit!" at your television. - You've paid $4.00 a gallon for gas before George Bush ever had anything to do with it. - You buy new parts because you don't know where you put the spares. - You bought a race car before buying a house. - You bought a race car before buying furniture for the new house. - You're looking for a tow vehicle and still haven't bought furniture! - You find that you need a new house because you've outgrown your garage and the neighbors are threatening violence if you park one more vehicle on the street or in the front yard. - The requirements you give your real estate agent are (in order of importance): 1) 8 car climate controlled garage with an attached shop. 2) Outside parking for 6 cars, a motorhome, a crew cab dualie, a 28'enclosed trailer and a 34' 5th wheel. 3) 3 phase 220V outlets in the garage for your welder. 4) A grease pit. 5) Convenient to a hazardous waste disposal site. 6) Deaf neighbors. 7) Across the street from a paint and body shop. 8) Some sort of house with a working toilet and shower on the property somewhere -or- hookups for the motorhome. - You measure all family acquisitions in terms of the number of race tires that could have been purchased. - You know well that Orthodontic work is the equivalant of three sets of tires - You sit in your race car in a dark garage and make car noises and shift and practice your heel and toe, while waiting for your motor to get back from the machine shop. - You look at the purchase of tools as a long term investment. - Your wife says, "If you buy another set of tires, I'm getting a new redneck." - Your garage holds more cars than your house has bedrooms. - You have enough spare parts to build another car. - More than one racer supply house recognizes your voice and greets you by name when you call. - You have car parts in your office at work. - You think the last line of the Star Spangled Banner is: "Start your engines!" - You can't remember when you last worked on weekdays and rested on weekends. - You're registered for wedding gifts at J&H Garage & Motorsports. - Your Christmas list begins with another set of rods and peel-offs and your wife actually knows what they are. - After your answer to "What did you do this weekend?" the next question is always: "And you do this for fun? Right?" - You have a separate drawer for 'garage clothes,' but all your good clothes always end up there.- Your reading material in your bathroom consists of auto parts and racing supply catalogs, several books written by famous drivers, every book Carroll Smith has ever written.... and 400 car magazines, none of which have centerfolds. Those may be found giantly displayed on the walls and masked as Snap-On calenders.- People know you by your class car number and car color. - People know you by your "off"s". "Oh, you are the one stuck in turn 4 last weekend!" - You talk to other cars on the road, calling them by the manufacturer's name. - Your idea of a romantic Saturday night with your wife involves asking her to crew for you and pick up the order at Waffle-Inn on the way home. - Your criteria for selecting a friend include auto repair skills. Air tools optional. - Your friends don't recognize you without a helmet and driver's suit. - Your family remembers your hair color as "grease". - You plan your vacations around the race schedule. - You astound the clerk at Sears by bringing in a snapped breaker bar every other week or so. - You remember the dates and details of every race you've ever been in, but can't remember your phone number. - Your family brings the couch into the garage so they can spend some time with you. - You complain when cars in front of you on highway off-ramps don't stay on the line, causing your exit speed to drop. - A neighbor asks if you have any oil, to which you query, "Synthetic or organic?" and they reply, "Vegetable or corn." - You give out Summit Racing's number when a friend asks for the best hardware store. - You refer to the corner down the street from your house as "Turn One." - You look at the fire hydrant at that corner and see an apex marker. - You enjoy driving in the rain on the way to work or school. - You always late apex the intersection and try to pass a few cars coming out. - Everywhere you go, you try to find the fastest line through the turn. - You always do a toe & heel downshift while whoever might be your passenger gives you a real funny look. - You can't stand anyone telling others how to drive. Of course, you are the best. - You can't stand understeer. - You always want to change something in your street car to make it handle better. - You will gladly pay up to $8 for a quart of engine oil. - You hate long distance driving, but you will gladly drive 800 miles to the race track. - You think that traction control and ABS are for those who can't drive. - You've ever tried to convince your wife you needed that flow bench to fix the air filter on her station wagon. - You save broken car parts as " momentos". - Your last several freeway forays included just brushing the curbs as you apexed the on-ramps perfectly.... - You've found your lawnmower runs pretty good on 108 octane gas (but doesn't particularly care for alcohol). - The local tire shop won't honor the tread life warranty on any car you have been within 50 yards of... - The shop manager at your local car dealer mutters "dear Lord" under his breath after he sees the size of your exhaust piping. - The local police and state Highway Patrol have a picture of your car taped to their dashboard. - You spend more time polishing your exhaust tip every day than you do bathing. - Instead of pictures in your wallet, you have timeslips. - You would choose a rollbar over air conditioning if it were an option. - You enjoy driving through wet, empty parking lots and using the emergency brake to kick the back end out. - White smoke coming out from under your tires is a common sight. - You consider the redline a "conservative suggestion" and the rev limiter "a fun limiter" - You spend more on pit passes than on food. - Your idea of a good time is sitting around figuring out gear ratios and the ideal final drive ratio for given situations. - When someone refers to "The Good Book", you think of "The Auto Math Handbook" - When someone asks where you went to school, you reply, "Talladega". - You have racing shops programmed on on your speed dialer. - You own five cars and only one of them is street legal. - You know the 1/4 mile times and skid pad numbers of your riding mower and want to improve them. - You've embarrassed your wife at least once by insisting on wearing your full face helmet while driving. - You know the "racing line" of every turn in your daily commute, including your alternate routes, and practice hitting them every day. - You quote your street tire wear life in weeks rather than miles. - You regularly live test your rev limiter on that straight that's a little too long for 2nd but not worth going into 3rd for. - You've started looking for sponsors for your daily commute. - You've slalomed in a construction zone, and counted your penalty time in the rearview afterwards. - After you tell your wife where you'd like to go on your vacation she answers: "Why... is there a race there?"
- People think your kids are retarded because they can be seen at Sonic in the middle of summer strapped into your backseat wearing monster-sized helmets.

~Jayme's iPod~

2009-01-21T13:04:00.001-08:00
I did this for my myspace page months ago and got great feeback, so I thought I'd drop it here, too, in case ya'll wanted to suggest some songs...

All-ritey, peeplez.
I'm trying to make the best playlist I ever had for my i-Pod.

Your homework is to leave me a comment with at least 10 songs that I should download. You can list as many as you want, but it's gotta be at least 10.

I anxiously anticipate listening to my playlist that will have been created by you. Then, if you're looking for download ideas, you can visit and check out all the comments, too.

Oops, I forgot the second part to your assignment...blog this so I can see what YOUR peeps suggest.

~I would NEVER want to 'imagine a world' without God~

2009-01-21T13:01:00.000-08:00

This picture stunned me before I ever read the caption beneath. I realize this is a attempted stab at Christianity, but I wanted to post this for you guys because when I look at this photo, I think "Imagine how much worse it would be if there were, in fact, 'no religion.'
This saying, nothing more than a tiny, poisonous seed of spiritual doubt, was instantly destroyed by the sowing of God's presence in the gardens of my mind....instead of a blasephemous weed, a beautiful flower grew, its bloom a short meditation, reminding me of God's perfect beauty and timeless protection in this world of murderous 'religion.'

~Bad Predictions~

2009-01-21T12:59:00.000-08:00
"When [the housewife of 2000] cleans house she simply turns the hose on everything. Why not? Furniture-(upholstery included) rugs, draperies, unscratchable floors- all are made of synthetic fabric or waterproof plastic. After the water has run down a drain in the middle of the floor (later concealed by a rug of synthetic fiber) [she] turns on a blast of hot air and dries everything."-Waldemar Kaempfert, Popular Mechanics, 1950.

Who I am

2009-01-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't know about all that, but....

2009-01-21T12:40:00.000-08:00
As Waylon Jennings said in "I've always been crazy"...."I've never intentionally hurt anyone..."

The results of a lil personality quiz...

My Values Profile
Loyalty: You value loyalty highly. You're completely devoted to your friends and family. Even if they totally screw up, you're still there for them. Just make sure they're equally loyal to you!

Honesty: You value honesty highly. You're unflinchingly honest, even when it's not easy. For you, integrity is very important - in yourself and others. People may not always like what you say, but they know they can trust it.

Generosity: You value generosity highly. So much so that you often put your own needs last. There's nothing wrong with having a caring heart...But you may want to rethink your "open wallet" policy.

Humility: You value humility highly. You have the self-confidence to be happy with who you are. And you don't need to seek praise to make yourself feel better. You're very modest, and you're keep the drama factor low.

Tolerance: You value tolerance highly. Not only do you enjoy the company of those very different from you...You do all that you can to seek it out interesting and unique friends.You think there are many truths in life, and you're open to many of them.