Monday will be a year since our lives stopped in their tracks. Monday will be a year since I heard the terrible news.
Two of my best girl friends witnessed 2 of my best guy friends have a terrible wreck. A man ended up dead. One of my friends is now paralyzed from the chest down and the other, scarred with terrible memories and weighed with loads of guilt.
I've lost some dear friends over something I had no control over. I've also come to the realization that no matter how much you love or care about someone, sometimes you are just not as important to them as they are to you.
I've seen what tragedy can do to friendship. It can bring you closer, or it can tear you apart.
And why did it tear us all apart...I will never know.
I know with God there is purpose in all things and to all things there is a season.
I've already seen many positive things come from this tragedy. I know people who no longer drink and drive, people with drinking problems who have stopped drinking all together. I've even seen someone find her soulmate as part of the aftermath to this tragedy.
But this also caused heartbreak, loss, pain, anger and more. A man lost his life - he had a wife & children. Two life long friends will most likely never speak again. My husband and I got stuck in the middle of things and lost our dear friends over something we do not understand, nor did we have any control over. People have lost sleep, cried tears, questioned their life on this earth, etc. There has been so much pain that I will never know or understand.
I know I was not the only person hurt by this. I was not hurt more than any one else. I know this broke so many hearts and changed so many lives. I know families were broken and friendships crushed. I know lives were changed forever. I don't write this post thinking only of myself...but all I can do is feel what I feel, not what someone else has felt.
All I can know is the pain I have felt, and the pain I've seen my girl friends go through - being called liars, being witnesses to their friends' terrible accident, being questioned, investigated, interrogated...all I can know is my sleepless nights. My tears I've cried for my friends. My tears I've cried for that man's family. The tears I saw in two mothers' eyes. The pain in two fathers' faces. The sadness in a girlfriend's eyes. All I can know for sure is that day, my heartbroke. And the day they quit speaking to me for whatever reason it was, my heart broke again. And it breaks every time I see them and they look away. It breaks everytime I hear their names.
I do not give up on people easily. I love them to a fault. This is something that will never change. I hope someday, with time, all this will settle down and become a faint memory - one strong enough to keep our minds on point, but never strong enough to hold grudges or hold on to pain.
You will never know just how many lives a person has touched until tragedy strikes. And you will never know where you rank in someone's life until they choose. 3 of them chose me, even though I would not choose. And the 2 I thought would always love me, pushed me away and I can only assume it was because I would NOT choose.
And me? I will love all of them forever. Because that is how I am. That is how I was raised. And that is how my God made me.
They say the truth shall sat you free...some truths are lost forever, some are hidden behind pain, some were told and not accepted. I pray for peace and an ending to all of this misery for all parties involved in this sadness.
And I am forever thankful for my 2 best girl friends. They are strong, independent women who stood up and told the truth, despite what other's believed. They will forever be "those girls" to some people, but they will always know that truth really can set some parts of you free......
I hope someday to have my other friends back in my life. I know Kam misses them too, but life moves on and we can't fix something we ourselves did not break. Until then...I'll just keep praying for them just like I always have & always will.
Sorry for the somber tone....I'm weighed down pretty heavy today.
LOVE...
Whit
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Adventures of a Ranch Watch Babe in The City (Part 1)
I use the term "City" lightly, mind you. Post is a town, but to me it is a city...any thing more populated with humans than wildlife and/or livestock automatically becomes a city in my book. Now...on to my adventures!!
There are many similarities between my mother and I, one of these things is our insane sense of smell. Most times, I consider this trait a curse, but two nights ago it was this ranch watch babe's saving Grace.
It was a late night in the Baker house. We tossed and turned like normal, visited about random uninteresting topics and of course harrassed each other mercilessly with tickling, wrestling and pinching (it's a nightly routine - leave us alone!) There was nothing strange about this night until we settled down to fall asleep and that's when it happened! My deranged sense of smell kicked in!
Time: Midnight-Thirty
"I smell something hot." I said calmly to my snoring husband.
"Just go back to sleep, it's probably outside," Kam uttered.
"Seriously, Kam. Something is burning. It smells electrical! Get up!" I yelled as I jumped out of bed and headed toward the light switch.
"You smell everything."
"It's probably nothing."
"Stop worrying."
"Turn the stupid light out!" were phrases I heard as I went in to the kitchen to check the oven.
I found nothing in the front of the house so I began sniffing the air. I reminded my self of a blood hound. I'd picked up my scent and noone would break me from my trail! As this vision of me on all fours, sniffing the air laughingly played through my mind, I heard the familiar tumbling of our old faithful dryer...
"THE DRYER!" I exclaimed as I made a run for the laundry room door.
By this time, Kam had dragged ass out of the bed and was half-heartedly helping me in my search for the mystery smoke smell. We opened the laundry room door and there it was! Smoke billowing out of our dryer. Our clothes were tossing in a pool of hot, smokey steam. Kam shut the breaker off and we began airing out the dryer. I'm telling you, the entire dryer was smoking, the wall was smoking...it was crazy!
As we tried to rescue our clothes, I was praying my only pair of decent jeans weren't ruined and thanking the good Lord above for protecting us from what could have been an absolute disaster while Kam began cussing the P.O.S. dryer to which I responded..."don't hurt it's feelings, it might explode!"
You know, when a dryer catches on fire there are several things that could cause it. Despite the huge burn marks on the wall behind the dryer, we ruled out our first suspect, the electrical outlet itself. We then moved to the lint trap, which I clean out religiously before EVERY load of laundry, so of course it was ruled out.
Then we decided to mosey outside and check out the vent. I was standing on the porch in my jammies and Kam was standing barefoot in the grass with a flashlight looking up the vent to see if it was clogged when we heard "BANG! BANG!"
Gunshots!
Now, where I come from, gun shots are a sign of the current hunting season - you hear a rifle, it's deer season - you hear a shotgun, it's dove/quail/turkey, etc. season. They are also heard when you're feeding cows and a poor misguided coyote comes in to your sites as you tire of waiting for your cattle and find more amusing things to do than check the horizon. Spot lighting for hogs and shooting rabbits are also reasons for gun shots. Other purposes include the priviledge of ending a rattlesnake's life, protecting the homeplace, trap/skeet shooting or just sheer boredom.
However, on this unfortunate evening...I am pretty sure NONE of the aforementioned purposes were part of the plan.
After the gunshots, which I'm sure ended in some form of death, mutilation or bodily injury for some thuggy dope headed Post Toasty, my lady-like self hollered "#$*^ this!" and shot back in the house. My dogs were barking, Kam was laughing at my cat-like reflexes....we locked the door, turned out the lights and went back to bed to battle the burned up dryer another day.
Now, two days later, we have a new dryer. But somewhere in the night an episode of First 48 occurred and noone saw it but Kam, Snowny, Penny & me...
Peace.
There are many similarities between my mother and I, one of these things is our insane sense of smell. Most times, I consider this trait a curse, but two nights ago it was this ranch watch babe's saving Grace.
It was a late night in the Baker house. We tossed and turned like normal, visited about random uninteresting topics and of course harrassed each other mercilessly with tickling, wrestling and pinching (it's a nightly routine - leave us alone!) There was nothing strange about this night until we settled down to fall asleep and that's when it happened! My deranged sense of smell kicked in!
Time: Midnight-Thirty
"I smell something hot." I said calmly to my snoring husband.
"Just go back to sleep, it's probably outside," Kam uttered.
"Seriously, Kam. Something is burning. It smells electrical! Get up!" I yelled as I jumped out of bed and headed toward the light switch.
"You smell everything."
"It's probably nothing."
"Stop worrying."
"Turn the stupid light out!" were phrases I heard as I went in to the kitchen to check the oven.
I found nothing in the front of the house so I began sniffing the air. I reminded my self of a blood hound. I'd picked up my scent and noone would break me from my trail! As this vision of me on all fours, sniffing the air laughingly played through my mind, I heard the familiar tumbling of our old faithful dryer...
"THE DRYER!" I exclaimed as I made a run for the laundry room door.
By this time, Kam had dragged ass out of the bed and was half-heartedly helping me in my search for the mystery smoke smell. We opened the laundry room door and there it was! Smoke billowing out of our dryer. Our clothes were tossing in a pool of hot, smokey steam. Kam shut the breaker off and we began airing out the dryer. I'm telling you, the entire dryer was smoking, the wall was smoking...it was crazy!
As we tried to rescue our clothes, I was praying my only pair of decent jeans weren't ruined and thanking the good Lord above for protecting us from what could have been an absolute disaster while Kam began cussing the P.O.S. dryer to which I responded..."don't hurt it's feelings, it might explode!"
You know, when a dryer catches on fire there are several things that could cause it. Despite the huge burn marks on the wall behind the dryer, we ruled out our first suspect, the electrical outlet itself. We then moved to the lint trap, which I clean out religiously before EVERY load of laundry, so of course it was ruled out.
Then we decided to mosey outside and check out the vent. I was standing on the porch in my jammies and Kam was standing barefoot in the grass with a flashlight looking up the vent to see if it was clogged when we heard "BANG! BANG!"
Gunshots!
Now, where I come from, gun shots are a sign of the current hunting season - you hear a rifle, it's deer season - you hear a shotgun, it's dove/quail/turkey, etc. season. They are also heard when you're feeding cows and a poor misguided coyote comes in to your sites as you tire of waiting for your cattle and find more amusing things to do than check the horizon. Spot lighting for hogs and shooting rabbits are also reasons for gun shots. Other purposes include the priviledge of ending a rattlesnake's life, protecting the homeplace, trap/skeet shooting or just sheer boredom.
However, on this unfortunate evening...I am pretty sure NONE of the aforementioned purposes were part of the plan.
After the gunshots, which I'm sure ended in some form of death, mutilation or bodily injury for some thuggy dope headed Post Toasty, my lady-like self hollered "#$*^ this!" and shot back in the house. My dogs were barking, Kam was laughing at my cat-like reflexes....we locked the door, turned out the lights and went back to bed to battle the burned up dryer another day.
Now, two days later, we have a new dryer. But somewhere in the night an episode of First 48 occurred and noone saw it but Kam, Snowny, Penny & me...
Peace.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Spring has Sprung a Leak in My Mind...
I'm dreaming about my yard. My bleak, boring, pitiful yard. I'm sure the sweet little old lady who originally owned our house had the yard all spiffed up in old lady yard fashion, as it's full of ground cover and random piles of rocks that I assume once held purpose, but now...now it's drab.
I want flowers. I want color. I want TIME to do the things I want to do to my yard. And I declare I shall make time!
I did buy a fabulous metal pink flamingo - in old school WHIKISU fashion! And I just got my stellar deal-of-the-day swing/bench. (I'm sorry but 25 bucks for an old school metal bench in good condition is what I call a STEAL!). It's yellow right now, but by the end of next week it shall be red. WHORE RED!
I envision two small tables next to my swing - turquoise in color, with a beer on one and a margarita on the other as Kam & I swing together and dream...
Is it grotesque to spray paint plastic flower pots? I hope not, because all my cheap-o dollar store delight pots are getting a make over this year. Bright colors! All colors! It's going to fun and bright and verging on slightly tacky! And I'm going to be in town-yard Heaven, if there is such a thing.
I'll soon be making stepping stones. I'm going to do some mosaic magic to the tops of them, of course. I'm way excited!
Stay tuned for progress on my rather ambitious ideas for transforming my granny-style yard in to a gypsy inspired , wildwood hide-a-way! :)
Check ya later!
~w
I want flowers. I want color. I want TIME to do the things I want to do to my yard. And I declare I shall make time!
I did buy a fabulous metal pink flamingo - in old school WHIKISU fashion! And I just got my stellar deal-of-the-day swing/bench. (I'm sorry but 25 bucks for an old school metal bench in good condition is what I call a STEAL!). It's yellow right now, but by the end of next week it shall be red. WHORE RED!
I envision two small tables next to my swing - turquoise in color, with a beer on one and a margarita on the other as Kam & I swing together and dream...
Is it grotesque to spray paint plastic flower pots? I hope not, because all my cheap-o dollar store delight pots are getting a make over this year. Bright colors! All colors! It's going to fun and bright and verging on slightly tacky! And I'm going to be in town-yard Heaven, if there is such a thing.
I'll soon be making stepping stones. I'm going to do some mosaic magic to the tops of them, of course. I'm way excited!
Stay tuned for progress on my rather ambitious ideas for transforming my granny-style yard in to a gypsy inspired , wildwood hide-a-way! :)
Check ya later!
~w
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Uninspired Inspiration
I need a little inspiration, so in true McNeely girl fashion, I'm going to make a list of things that make me smile...here goes nothing!
~Every day when the sun rises & sets
I am in awe of the colors, designs...the magnitude. I am in awe of our Awesome God!
~My big sister
She's the most quirky, original, talented, intelligent, silly, weird, rockin' cool chic EVER
~Holly's Drive-In
I mean really! You can travel far and wide, but you'll never find a better Cherry Lime!
~Hearing Robert Earl Keen sing "I'm Comin' Home To You" (& pretty much any other song he chooses to sing)
~Dancing with my husband
~Reminscing about my college days
~Quoting movies (even though I screw em up!)
~Dancing in general
~Long walks & deep talks with my free-spirited home gal, Callie Myrell
~Sippin on a cold one, floatin in my "chair" at the lake
~Seeing the Bubble Gum man
If you grew up in or around Garza County, you know who I'm referring to
~The fact that it's March 18th & my Christmas tree is still up! :)
Think about it, Christmas never lasts long enough! Besides, my tree is fabulous. hehe
~Looking through pictures
~Being outside
~Relaxation
~Margaritas
Except for when I have allergic reactions to them (darn real strawberries err)
~Sitting around a fire visiting with friends
~ALL of my family
~Sun shine & SON shine
~Kam's smile
~Our little pop-up crew
~Pitchin horseshoes
~Backroads
~Silly texts from Holly that make me remember the good ole CEV trailer park days
~Handmade boots
It's a love-love relationship & my addiction is crying out for a fix, I mean a new pair!
~Seeing Rylie Roo
~Playing with Ethan Ray & Mack
~Texts/phonecalls/emails from old friends
~Penny when she's being sweet
~Snowball acting like a macho dog
~Hangin' with Nicole
~Butt-fluffing with Courtney
~Old school cherry Slush Puppies
~Hearing Boogie Shoes on the radio
~Random phone calls from my B-renna
~Flowers
~Finding quotes that perfectly explain how I feel, or long to feel
~My gangly old man of horse, Uncy
~Hearing my Momma sing
~Simplicity
~Good music
~The color turquoise
~Stan the Man
Seriously, my dad's a cool cat. Someone once called him the 'Happy Cowboy'
~Hanging out with the coolest 2 year old girl EVER (aka Kyndall Wyndall)
~Listening to coyotes howl
...it makes me feel like HOME
This is all for now...although, there are a million things on this earth & in my mind that make me smile daily...
Peace.
~Every day when the sun rises & sets
I am in awe of the colors, designs...the magnitude. I am in awe of our Awesome God!
~My big sister
She's the most quirky, original, talented, intelligent, silly, weird, rockin' cool chic EVER
~Holly's Drive-In
I mean really! You can travel far and wide, but you'll never find a better Cherry Lime!
~Hearing Robert Earl Keen sing "I'm Comin' Home To You" (& pretty much any other song he chooses to sing)
~Dancing with my husband
~Reminscing about my college days
~Quoting movies (even though I screw em up!)
~Dancing in general
~Long walks & deep talks with my free-spirited home gal, Callie Myrell
~Sippin on a cold one, floatin in my "chair" at the lake
~Seeing the Bubble Gum man
If you grew up in or around Garza County, you know who I'm referring to
~The fact that it's March 18th & my Christmas tree is still up! :)
Think about it, Christmas never lasts long enough! Besides, my tree is fabulous. hehe
~Looking through pictures
~Being outside
~Relaxation
~Margaritas
Except for when I have allergic reactions to them (darn real strawberries err)
~Sitting around a fire visiting with friends
~ALL of my family
~Sun shine & SON shine
~Kam's smile
~Our little pop-up crew
~Pitchin horseshoes
~Backroads
~Silly texts from Holly that make me remember the good ole CEV trailer park days
~Handmade boots
It's a love-love relationship & my addiction is crying out for a fix, I mean a new pair!
~Seeing Rylie Roo
~Playing with Ethan Ray & Mack
~Texts/phonecalls/emails from old friends
~Penny when she's being sweet
~Snowball acting like a macho dog
~Hangin' with Nicole
~Butt-fluffing with Courtney
~Old school cherry Slush Puppies
~Hearing Boogie Shoes on the radio
~Random phone calls from my B-renna
~Flowers
~Finding quotes that perfectly explain how I feel, or long to feel
~My gangly old man of horse, Uncy
~Hearing my Momma sing
~Simplicity
~Good music
~The color turquoise
~Stan the Man
Seriously, my dad's a cool cat. Someone once called him the 'Happy Cowboy'
~Hanging out with the coolest 2 year old girl EVER (aka Kyndall Wyndall)
~Listening to coyotes howl
...it makes me feel like HOME
This is all for now...although, there are a million things on this earth & in my mind that make me smile daily...
Peace.
Friday, January 8, 2010
randomness
If you know me at all, you know my mind goes in 100 directions at once nearly all the time. You see, I have a dreamer's mind and a gypsy's soul...but practical, boring feet.
~Sometimes I feel like the lyrics from Nanci Griffith's song, Late Night Grand Hotel, "It's not the way you'll say you hear my heart when the music ends, no... I am just learning how to fly away again...and maybe you were thinking that you thought you knew me well, but no-one ever knows the heart of anyone else."
~I wish I could throw my saddle on my old paint horse and ride to where ever the wind blew me...too many fences and highways to really enjoy it though. Man, what a view this part of the world must have been back before the towns and rail roads and the highways...and before fences held everything in...or out. When I was a kid, I'd ride below the Cap and imagine the Indians were watching me from every rock or tree. I always thought how easy it would be for some of them to still be out there undetected, undisturbed. I've always sort of hoped and dreamed it in to being.
~2009. What a year that was! There were some really, really rough roads and some really great ones too. Amazingly enough, the rough ones hang in my memory the clearest - like losing our friends over something beyond our control, but not understanding why it was us who got the shaft. It's been a hard road to let that go, somedays I haven't at all, other days I'm quite num to it all and other days I do what I should do and give it to God...why is that so hard to do when it's the easiest, clearest & smartest choice of all? Why do we as humans insist on hanging on to everything?
~2010. Well, here we go! Let's hope & pray this is the best year yet! I have a few resolutions - nothing major, but of course, I'd like to lose some extra baggage, i.e. junk, fat, stray thoughts, etc... So here's hoping! :)
Much Love To All.
Peace.
~whit~
~Sometimes I feel like the lyrics from Nanci Griffith's song, Late Night Grand Hotel, "It's not the way you'll say you hear my heart when the music ends, no... I am just learning how to fly away again...and maybe you were thinking that you thought you knew me well, but no-one ever knows the heart of anyone else."
~I wish I could throw my saddle on my old paint horse and ride to where ever the wind blew me...too many fences and highways to really enjoy it though. Man, what a view this part of the world must have been back before the towns and rail roads and the highways...and before fences held everything in...or out. When I was a kid, I'd ride below the Cap and imagine the Indians were watching me from every rock or tree. I always thought how easy it would be for some of them to still be out there undetected, undisturbed. I've always sort of hoped and dreamed it in to being.
~2009. What a year that was! There were some really, really rough roads and some really great ones too. Amazingly enough, the rough ones hang in my memory the clearest - like losing our friends over something beyond our control, but not understanding why it was us who got the shaft. It's been a hard road to let that go, somedays I haven't at all, other days I'm quite num to it all and other days I do what I should do and give it to God...why is that so hard to do when it's the easiest, clearest & smartest choice of all? Why do we as humans insist on hanging on to everything?
~2010. Well, here we go! Let's hope & pray this is the best year yet! I have a few resolutions - nothing major, but of course, I'd like to lose some extra baggage, i.e. junk, fat, stray thoughts, etc... So here's hoping! :)
Much Love To All.
Peace.
~whit~
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A Day of Many Thanks!
So, I'm sure there are going to be a million blogs about being thankful, but I figure I will be #1,000,001! So...here goes my list! I know I'll leave some out because my life is so full of things to be thankful for, but I'll do my best to cover them without being too wordy or sappy (okay, I'm both...so sue me!)
1. My husband. He is my best friend and my soulmate. He brings a smile to my face just thinking about him. He's tempermental, he's obnoxious and he is a worry-wart; but he is also kind, loving, thoughtful, hilarious, quirky, silly and full of warmth & charm. He tries to cover up his big heart with a tough exterior, but he can't hide it from me. When I found Kam, I found the rest of me and I am beyond blessed to be riding this crazy rollercoaster of life with the man who stole my heart right after he became my best friend! After all, where would Johnny be without his June?! ;)
2. Lizzie (aka my car). I gripe about my poor little minnie-me car, and in all reality if I'd gotten what I wanted I'd be in a gas guzzling pickup or SUV, so here's my thanks for little minnie-me, Lizzie- - I love that you are zippy & speedy. I love that you get between 29 and 36 miles per gallon depending on how fast I'm driving. I am thankful for your good breaks, your A/C that actually works, your auxillary outlet for my Ipod and the fact that I do not have to be concerned about whether or not I'll make it to or from work that day...I am thankful for my reliable, affordable car. Ole Lizzie serves her purpose and serves it well. :)
3. Nicole. Who would have thought that two people could be so different and yet so perfect for one another! I am thankful for my best friend, Nicole. I am thankful for our talks, our laughs, our randomness, our shopping trips, our margaritas before meals and our honesty. I am thankful for her height (she reaches stuff for me! LOL). Who else would write me a song about my body being a wonderland? Or flash their lights at me while I tap my brakes to the musical stylings of GREASE! Or 'Bop' a little to hard...or of course, play the air saxophone for a passing trucker while driving down I20...some friends are meant to be. There isn't a doubt in my mind that I have found a forever friend in Nicole! For that, I am grateful!
4. My family. Not just my parents or my sister or my grandparents - my WHOLE family. You see, my "in-laws" aren't in-laws to me, they are simply more family to love & be loved by! I have been blessed beyond measure to have parents who love me and raised me to be me and I am also blessed to have married in to a family who love me and accept me for me. I feel so loved and blessed to be a part of such an amazing FAMILY - whether by blood, by marriage or by choice, family is a blessing. But here's a few I'll expand on: I am thankful for my Gran Gran's kind nature, my Pa's eyes that sparkle when he smiles, for my mother's heart and my daddy's hands. I am thankful for Tataw's random stories and the memory of Nanaw's crackerjacks. I am thankful for Mid & Dickie's honesty & humor, for Kelly's strength and Donna's laugh. I am thankful for the unique Mr. Klent and the audacious WendyBob. I am thankful for family.
5. My house. It's not where I want it to be, but it's a blessing just the same. It's peaceful, it's comfortable and it's a home.
6. The pups. I am thankful for Penny and Snow- for their unconditional love.
7. Our friends. Where would we be without true friends? We are blessed.
8. Cody, Hannah and Kyndall ~ I am thankful to have friends like Cody & Hannah who accept Kam and I for who we are and am thankful to them for allowing us to be a part of their lives and the lives of their precious daughter. What a joy it has been over the past "year" to be able to watch her grow and change and laugh and love. I am honored to be a part of yalls lives. My heart melts each time I see her and she smiles and says "NITNEY!" I thank yall for the blessing of friendship. Kam and I are thankful for y'all. :)
9. Change. O my, so much change has happened in Kam & I's lives this year. We've become "the old married couple." We've gained and lost friendships. Our lives have been severly altered this year by things beyond our control, but no matter how painful, somethings are for the best, even if it still doesn't feel that way. I am still trying to find the silver lining on this, but to everything there is a season - this was just one of those seasons that ended. So, I am thankful for change. If life were to never change, our lives would be stagnant and joyless.
10. Hope & dreams. A dreamer's gotta dream!
11. Passion & curiosity. ;)
12. Jewelry & hair color. You make me feel pretty. :)
13. SONrises - - I love to see the amazing paintings God puts on display for us each morning - each one unique, each one the same. What an amazing artist our God is! I am thankful for his art - I am thankful for His love, His grace, His understanding, His forgiveness, His shield of protection that covers me each day on my drive to & from work. I am thankful for prayer, hope & joy. I am thankful for SONshine...I am thankful for the little things I see and hear that remind me to look up and be in awe of what an amazing God we serve.
14. Work. Amazingly enough, these days I love my job. I am thankful for the great group of people I work for and with. It's been a bumpy road to get to where I am now, but wow, I do love my crazy world of brown!!
15. Life. I'll end with this one, because I am thankful for all the crazy, quirky, hard to understand up and down moments of this life we live. I am thankful for the chance to wake up each morning next to the man I love and to drive to a job where I get to see my very best friend 5 days a week. I am thankful for the hard times because they make us appreciate the good times. And I am thankful for the good times because they make the bad times worth while. I am thankful for hugs and tears and good music. I am thankful for movies that make you lose yourself in them. I am thankful for my beautiful horses even though I don't ride them near enough. I am thankful for memories - good and bad. I am thankful for life. :)
God Bless you all! May your thanksgiving be filled with good conversation & great eats!
peace.love.
whitterbree
1. My husband. He is my best friend and my soulmate. He brings a smile to my face just thinking about him. He's tempermental, he's obnoxious and he is a worry-wart; but he is also kind, loving, thoughtful, hilarious, quirky, silly and full of warmth & charm. He tries to cover up his big heart with a tough exterior, but he can't hide it from me. When I found Kam, I found the rest of me and I am beyond blessed to be riding this crazy rollercoaster of life with the man who stole my heart right after he became my best friend! After all, where would Johnny be without his June?! ;)
2. Lizzie (aka my car). I gripe about my poor little minnie-me car, and in all reality if I'd gotten what I wanted I'd be in a gas guzzling pickup or SUV, so here's my thanks for little minnie-me, Lizzie- - I love that you are zippy & speedy. I love that you get between 29 and 36 miles per gallon depending on how fast I'm driving. I am thankful for your good breaks, your A/C that actually works, your auxillary outlet for my Ipod and the fact that I do not have to be concerned about whether or not I'll make it to or from work that day...I am thankful for my reliable, affordable car. Ole Lizzie serves her purpose and serves it well. :)
3. Nicole. Who would have thought that two people could be so different and yet so perfect for one another! I am thankful for my best friend, Nicole. I am thankful for our talks, our laughs, our randomness, our shopping trips, our margaritas before meals and our honesty. I am thankful for her height (she reaches stuff for me! LOL). Who else would write me a song about my body being a wonderland? Or flash their lights at me while I tap my brakes to the musical stylings of GREASE! Or 'Bop' a little to hard...or of course, play the air saxophone for a passing trucker while driving down I20...some friends are meant to be. There isn't a doubt in my mind that I have found a forever friend in Nicole! For that, I am grateful!
4. My family. Not just my parents or my sister or my grandparents - my WHOLE family. You see, my "in-laws" aren't in-laws to me, they are simply more family to love & be loved by! I have been blessed beyond measure to have parents who love me and raised me to be me and I am also blessed to have married in to a family who love me and accept me for me. I feel so loved and blessed to be a part of such an amazing FAMILY - whether by blood, by marriage or by choice, family is a blessing. But here's a few I'll expand on: I am thankful for my Gran Gran's kind nature, my Pa's eyes that sparkle when he smiles, for my mother's heart and my daddy's hands. I am thankful for Tataw's random stories and the memory of Nanaw's crackerjacks. I am thankful for Mid & Dickie's honesty & humor, for Kelly's strength and Donna's laugh. I am thankful for the unique Mr. Klent and the audacious WendyBob. I am thankful for family.
5. My house. It's not where I want it to be, but it's a blessing just the same. It's peaceful, it's comfortable and it's a home.
6. The pups. I am thankful for Penny and Snow- for their unconditional love.
7. Our friends. Where would we be without true friends? We are blessed.
8. Cody, Hannah and Kyndall ~ I am thankful to have friends like Cody & Hannah who accept Kam and I for who we are and am thankful to them for allowing us to be a part of their lives and the lives of their precious daughter. What a joy it has been over the past "year" to be able to watch her grow and change and laugh and love. I am honored to be a part of yalls lives. My heart melts each time I see her and she smiles and says "NITNEY!" I thank yall for the blessing of friendship. Kam and I are thankful for y'all. :)
9. Change. O my, so much change has happened in Kam & I's lives this year. We've become "the old married couple." We've gained and lost friendships. Our lives have been severly altered this year by things beyond our control, but no matter how painful, somethings are for the best, even if it still doesn't feel that way. I am still trying to find the silver lining on this, but to everything there is a season - this was just one of those seasons that ended. So, I am thankful for change. If life were to never change, our lives would be stagnant and joyless.
10. Hope & dreams. A dreamer's gotta dream!
11. Passion & curiosity. ;)
12. Jewelry & hair color. You make me feel pretty. :)
13. SONrises - - I love to see the amazing paintings God puts on display for us each morning - each one unique, each one the same. What an amazing artist our God is! I am thankful for his art - I am thankful for His love, His grace, His understanding, His forgiveness, His shield of protection that covers me each day on my drive to & from work. I am thankful for prayer, hope & joy. I am thankful for SONshine...I am thankful for the little things I see and hear that remind me to look up and be in awe of what an amazing God we serve.
14. Work. Amazingly enough, these days I love my job. I am thankful for the great group of people I work for and with. It's been a bumpy road to get to where I am now, but wow, I do love my crazy world of brown!!
15. Life. I'll end with this one, because I am thankful for all the crazy, quirky, hard to understand up and down moments of this life we live. I am thankful for the chance to wake up each morning next to the man I love and to drive to a job where I get to see my very best friend 5 days a week. I am thankful for the hard times because they make us appreciate the good times. And I am thankful for the good times because they make the bad times worth while. I am thankful for hugs and tears and good music. I am thankful for movies that make you lose yourself in them. I am thankful for my beautiful horses even though I don't ride them near enough. I am thankful for memories - good and bad. I am thankful for life. :)
God Bless you all! May your thanksgiving be filled with good conversation & great eats!
peace.love.
whitterbree
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
hands
Have you ever noticed just how much you can tell about a person from their hands?
This thought came to me because as of right now, my hands smell like horses - dirt is caked under my nails from scratching the coarse white and yellow hairs just above Uncy's tail. It's his favorite spot, he backs slowly up to me with his head cocked to side so he can make sure I understand EXACTLY what he's asking for...
My nails are rarely groomed, all a different shape with haywire cuticles. If I paint them, I let the paint chip away at its own pace rather than using fingernail polish remover. I have calluses, which I am proud of - I earned them, but I don't have as many as I use to, so the few that are left are oddly important to me.
My daddy's hands...o my daddy's hands. His hands are rough and weathered from years of being horse back, years of working with his hands. Cuts and scratches are always evident - after all, he is a silversmith. Now of days, there is a hint of tar from hours working on highways. Calluses, deep cracks and creases. Bear paws - full of so many talents, full of love, full of stories, full of character.
My great grandmother's hands - twisted and knarled from the wrath of arthritis. Years of sewing, farming, knitting, gardening, cooking are hidden in those hands. Hands that held those of my Grandaddy's; hands that held my sweet Pa as a child. Those hands, those swolen, hurting hands - they speak volumes. 97 years on this earth, my Great Grandmother's hands...
So much can be told from someone's hands...from their marital status, to their work ethic, from their age to their passions. It's amazing what can be seen and heard by simply looking at someone's hands and we all know a person's handshake is a telling tale of character, strength and respect.
~peace & love~
WHIT
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