Thoughtful Thursday 48 years ago~

I was looking at the calendar a while ago and my mind drifted back to 48 years ago this week. I was only 20 years old and I was waiting to deliver my first baby. And when I say I was 20 years old, I mean a very YOUNG 20 year old:) I knew nothin about "birthin no babies!". But I was so excited and miserable but I could not wait to have my very own baby!

All my life I always wanted a baby to WANT me.. I loved babies so much and they loved me except when they saw their Mama's and then they didn't want me! I wanted to have that feeling that this baby was going to want me more then anyone else in the world!

I had every detail of this baby's room fixed up. It was freshly wall papered with Kitties all over it. I had a "Bathinet" and a "Bassinet" and a freshly painted chest with drawers and a little shelf with all sorts of wonderful potions that I was going to apply to this tiny baby that was going to only want me! The bassinet had a beautiful cover around it.. It was small kittens on a cotton print underneath and the top was mounds of beautiful soft yellow tulle that my mother had so carefully hand made and brought to me when she came from Arizona to help with the baby.

During that same week about 3,000 miles away a little boy was celebrating his first Birthday in Tennessee. This little boy was Lindsey and 18 years later these two babies met and got married. I can remember wondering when I grew up where my future husband was and how I was going to meet him and I can remember looking at all my three babies and wondering the same thing, and praying the perfect person was out there waiting.


At that time, in 1961 I was still living in Parkland Washington. In the home that my Mom had purchased after my Dad had passed away in 1955. I loved that big house and it was going to be the house that I brought that sparkling new baby home to.


My dear sister lived in Tacoma at that time and had two little boys of her own.. Stevie and Scottie. Now I loved and love them both dearly but Scottie was the closest time I'd ever come to having a baby really want ME.. We loved each other every day of his life.

This baby's Daddy was far more experienced with babies then I was because he was the oldest of 7, but this was going to be his first baby and he was very excited to. I kept teasing him about needing to learn how to deliver a baby since I might now make it to the hospital. Even now he blanches at the thought!

Every time I see this picture I hurt inside because all Scotty wanted to do was to touch that baby girl! She was less then a week old in this photo and we all screamed at him NOT TO TOUCH THE BABY! I wish I could take that back. I wish I could say, oh Scotty you can pet her head, you can kiss her face you can love on her all you want. I can see him holding his little hands in his lap as he had be hatefully told to :( I'm sorry Scotty :(

But to back track during this week in 1961, my dear darling sister would telephone me EVERY morning at the crack of dawn and several times through out the day.. She drove me CRAZY! It's funny now, so funny because she was just so worried and so excited and she just KNEW it was going to be a girl and she could not WAIT to fiddle with a girl and dress her up and do all things girly. And besides that I was her baby sister and until just a very few days before I gave birth my Mother was still in AZ. and Lea was worried that I was just going to have that baby and not know what to do with it!(she was right)

Also during that week, on Nov 2nd to be exact, my very best girl friend in the whole world, Kay, was getting married. Ever since we were in the 4th grade we had promised that we would be each other's maid's of honor at our weddings. Now she asked me if I could be in her wedding and it broke my heart but I had to decline. Not only did I not look the part :) I was afraid I would foul up her wedding and deliver a baby the night before or something. My due date was actually Nov. 2, so it was just not a good idea. I do remember going to her wedding and even what a wore, a blue checkered top and skirt..and my Mother took me. It was a lovely Church wedding.

So just 4 days after Kay's wedding I awoke with startling pain. I remember being worried that I would not know if I were in labor.. Oh you know, you really know! I awoke with this pain about 2 in the morning and a little more then 12 hours later I had my beautiful baby girl. She was born at Ft Lewis Washington during the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I know this because the National Guard had been called up and everyone decided to have a baby on the Army! At that time there were over 1,500 babies a month being born in Madigan hospital.

Having a baby in those days was no picnic~ It's not in these days either, but back then, your pain and your "birth experience" was of little or no concern to those Soldiers! Just wheel them in here and we'll get em out! She was born chin out with the assistants of forceps.. I know OUCH.. but that's how it was done. By the time the 3 doctors got her out she looked like she had been in a prize fight!

Before they would allow me to leave the delivery room I had to lay there in utter misery, with no baby in site while they ran blood tests. I was RH Negative and so was she so eventually they let me go to the recovery room. I will never forget the mean hateful Intern or doctor or maybe just a male nurse but he was so mean and I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep, I was exhausted, I was in pain and I hadn't even seen my baby!(except for the briefest of glance when she was born). I do remember her Daddy coming in and kissing me and he was so proud. My Mother was not allowed to come in but she peaked around the door to wave at me and I just burst in to tears! Nobody told me it was going to "HURT" hurt.. I mean really HURT and I could not have been less prepared.

Then a couple of hours passed and they wheeled me in to this enormous ward with about 30 other women, all of whom had babies in the foot of their beds! Do you think anyone slept?? But within a few minutes they wheeled my baby in and her Daddy was hot footing right along behind her. I wanted to tell him all about the horrible experience and he just wanted to get his hands on that baby!!!!!!!!

I think it was during this time that we decided on a name.. I always knew her middle name would be "Kay" but the Suzanne was decided after we saw her.. She looked like a Suzy and still does:)

Than something unbelievable happened! They left me to take care of that baby by myself!!! I was so scared I was shaking all over. I held her, I examined every part of her, I rubbed my cheek against hers, I petted her hair(heads were not covered then) Then I laid her on the bed and we had a conversation. I can't tell you word for word what the conversation ways, but it was to the affect that, I had her and she had me and we were off on an adventure. And I knew I was going to make mistakes and I knew I didn't know how to be a mother, but together we would make it! and we did.

This is Suzy about 6 years ago. She has not changed one bit since she graduated from high school except to get more beautiful.

So that's what I am thinking about this thoughtful Thursday.. This week 48 years ago I became a mother. What a wonderful week.

Thankful Tuesday/Fall Creek Falls

On This Thankful Tues. I am so thankful for our beautiful Tennessee State Parks. Most of all I'm thankful for "Our" Fall Creek Falls.


A paradise of more than 20,000 acres sprawled across the eastern top of the rugged Cumberland Plateau, Fall Creek Falls State Park is one of the most scenic and spectacular areas in America. Laced with cascades, gorges, waterfalls, streams, and lush stands of virgin hardwood timber. While Fall Creek Falls, at 256 feet, is the highest waterfall in the eastern United States, other waterfalls in the park are Piney and Cane Creek Falls and Cane Creek Cascades.

I wish I had all the photo's of the past nearly 50 years that I have taken while visiting that park. To me it's not just a "park", it's memories.

I remember the very first time my husband took me there was Memorial Day of 1964. I know that because Tina was just a baby and it was very cold on that May night in a tent with a toddler and an infant! :) I remember putting her in the sleeping bag with me and nearly smothering her because I just knew she was going to freeze. But we woke up the next morning to a beautiful wonderland!

Remember, for those that don't know, I was born and raised where Mountains are 15,000 feet high, jagged and have snow on top! So the first time I saw the Cumberland mountains I was quite confused! I learned to drive on hills steeper then those "mountains". But alas, time passes and I have totally learned to love the Cumberland's and the Smokey Mountains. They are mountains and they are beautiful and I'm so very grateful to our forefather for demanding that certain area's in our beautiful country cannot become subdivisions!

After that first camping experience in 1974, we went back time and time again to just drink in the beauty of that space and go camping with all of our children. We are 'tent' campers and for a few years we sort of got run out by the RV's with the AC and the TV's etc. etc. Which are FINE. just not us. And please please please all my friends and family who love to RV.. I get it, I do.. We were young! We went CAMPING.. and after a few years of refusing to go back we heard that they had designated an area just for camping and we went back time and again. One time we spent nearly 2 weeks when Daniel was just a little boy and made great friends with Rudy the Raccoon(much to Daniels distress) He and his Dad took their floats and went down the small falls on their backs.. I'm not sure how they survived but they must have gone down there a million times!

Daniel and his Dad have also climbed to the bottom of FCF and back. THAT is a long hike and a treacherous hike. I think I've been half way several times. Now I peak over the rocks!

Now we have noticed that there is an entire campground that no RV's are allowed and all you have is a hose with water:) Now back then that sounded just next to heaven, but today...... well...we go to the Inn and enjoy the beds, the view and the amazing food at the dining hall. In fact last Thanksgiving, after a lot of trauma in our family, we went there for Thanksgiving Dinner! It was wonderful, delicious, fantastic and I highly highly recommend it.

Over the years, many things have changed at the park. For one they built an Olympic Size Pool(which they now have partially filled in?). When we first started going there we swam in the swimming hole. The water was SO cold, I can still feel my bones ache! but also great fun and lots of jumping off rocks off the side and tubing down the little falls and the rapids.. Probably none of which is allowed now :)

Another memory that really sticks out for me is this one "Yellow" tree. It's probably a maple, I don't know, I just know it's yellow and I know where it is and it never disappoints me this time of year. I bet I have 20 years of pictures of it.

Any time we have company, for any extended time we take them to Fall Creek Falls. I have many memories of my Mother and Carl and then just my Mom.. Also memories of my Uncle Lyle on at least 2 occasions, my cousin Eloise and my sister Lea and brother in law Bob. Maybe some day I'll make a photo album of just our visits to FCF.

So this really isn't a commercial for our beautiful park...it's just very fond memories. Memories I cherish and I'm so thankful and so grateful that we have a place like this so close but not TOO close to get away and see some deer, squirrels, racoon's, chipmunks and all kinds of birds. Thank you to all those that preserved this magical spot for us.

A Sunny Sunday Stroll

A SUNNY SUNDAY AUTUMN STROLL!

What a beautiful day in our neighborhood! It was sunny and warm and Mom wanted Me and Dad to walk with her :) unfortunately "Annoying" pushed her way in the outing! Lil Bro Spike wanted to go so bad.. But when they tried his harness on him, he played "dead cat, flat cat" so he got left in the house.

We got to go to the fancy new subdivision across our busy road and I just LOVE that place.. It has 20 acres, and there are now 8 NEW HOUSE! only 3 people living there though~ But because there are a few people(and a couple of canines) living over there, we can't go exploring! And that was the most funnest thing we did!

I just love this picture, you can see Mom and Dad and ME! but NOT ANNOYING!

I've been in all over that subdivision and in all the houses, up the stairs, in the closets, basements..EVERYWHERE! I love doing stuff like that. And that was back in the days that I didn't have to have a leash on cuz no one was there~ Now they have to lead me around.. WHATEVER!!!!!!!

I Got a Pork Chop when I got back~

This is Mom's Oak tree she can see out her window!

GOOD OLE DAD'S amazing Watermelon!

Anyway it was a lovely walk and after we got home Mom and Good Ole Dad went to see Bitty for a few minutes

Bitty got a MONKEY SUIT!

and Annoying didn't get to go.. heh heh heh..

I love Autumn and I'm feeling GOOD!

This is "Grandma's Mountain" :)

THE SPA THE SPA~~~~

THE SPA THE SPA

OK.. EARLY Wed. morning, I just know.. I mean I KNOW somethings happening cuz Mom's up early and Good Ole Dad has the back of Mom's little car open and is stuffing stuff in! I'm excited, but then I realize, it just isn't going to happen for me~ sigh...it's OK, cuz if they are going I'm going to the SPA!!!!!!

So Lil Bro Spike decides to play "games" with Good Ole Dad and makes him run all the way to the mail box to tackle him! He gets him and shoves him in to the carrier, with some CHOICE WORDS. Lil bro is, of course, protesting.. GRRRRRRRRGRRRRRRRRRR.. It's really hard to get that sound down because it's really unique! But he does it quite well!

I of course happily jump into the back of Dad's truck, even though I have a sore neck!


Then just as Good ole Dad rolls out and Mom starts to line up her stuff, she looked out the window and here's what she saw.. Except when she first saw it Black Bill was in her front yard! and his silly owner was trying to lure him with a handful of food.. Actually he is very gentle and came right to Mr. Neighbor:) But it was a funny site~

So me and Lil Bro spent 2 days and one night at the Spa and Lil bro did not stop his mantra the entire time.. I think he sort of intimidates the girls there! HA ..they don't know him like I know him..

And Dr. Amy looked me all over and proclaimed me BEAUTIFUL.. oh and that I just had a sprain in my neck and I'd be all peachy keen in a few days.. Still have Yukky pills..(still know how to spit them out too) I got a beautiful new kerchief and I had a wonderful relaxing couple of days.. Most of my friends were not there, guessing cuz it's not a holiday~ sad

And of course you know WHO did get to go with them! Speaking of SPITTING.. I could JUST!

IS MOM KISSING HER????????????????? I may be ill~Home again Home again...... My Igloo, my family my neighborhood!!!!!!!

My Busy Week by Penny the WUNDERDOG!

OK it's me Penny from Emmett Stone Lane, back again.....sigh....stuff happens!

OK now people...listen up... I'm sorta embarrassed but I'm doing my job and sometimes involves a little more territory then I'm assigned to! So last Monday I'm off to check on my peeps at Schmiede's.. I KNOW it's not Emmett Stone Lane BUT it's in the vicinity! and I know these people, they have even given me my own visitors pass! So "Lady in the Office" gets all in a tither and looks at my tags and shuts me in the TOOL CRIB!!!!! EXCUSE ME! and then calls Dad.. Now this is where the embarrassing part comes in. She called Good Ole Dad.. I know..total humiliation! Dad told her to just let me loose and I'd come home, but OOOOOOOOO no this "Lady in the Office" is worried about me. So Good Ole Dad, had to come and get me and bail me out.. He even brought my visitors pass to prove I belong! Stupid woman! oooops sorry, "nice lady in the office"

So then things were just going a long swimmingly and I was sticking pretty close to home. I don't want someone calling and "tattling" again! Little Bitty even came and saw me.. He got the biggest blow pop I've ever seen.. I sure did want a bite of that but Brother Daniel snatched it away and put it somewhere Bitty and I could not find it! hmmph~~~

Then I got up and it was just a little on the Nippy side so I decided to go visit my friends, who don't have as much freedom as I have got and we played! Problem is they are "younger" notice I did not say "young" and sometimes when we play they do tricks I can't do and I seem to have strained a muscle!

Because it was cold, my poor muscles just got tight and sore:( and I had a hard time getting in a position I was comfortable and it started to rain and it was cold and oh MISERY!!!!! Mom saw me pacing around in the front yard and called me in to the house and I laid there most of the Day till Good Ole Dad called my Dr. Amy!

So off we go to my favorite Dr. but it hurts to move and sometimes I just cry and I feel bad cuz they all feel bad but it's cold and I'm not so young and it hurts! So Dr. Amy checks me over and I told her loud and clear where it hurt!!! She gave me a shot, which didn't really hurt and I started feeling better right away, but I sure wanted to go home. She told Dad to keep me quiet and warm all weekend :) I loved that part~

Of course "Annoying" is in the house so it's not all I wanted!

So all weekend I got totally babied..

Little Bro Spike is my buddy so he came to fuss over me too :)

I love it so much I cannot tell you! Cept I had to take yukky pills and they don't know it but I spit them out sometimes :)

Good Ole Dad fixed me and Lil Bro Spike clean beds and a heater! HOW GREAT IS THIS! of course brother would prefer to sleep on the top of his house but Mom doesn't allow that~


This is me on cold nasty Sunday..Does life get any better????????

Then on Monday the SUN came out and it warmed back up and I feel so much better.. Still got a bit of a kink but Little Bitty came.. And Good Ole Dad has been working on his Gator.. and OH MERCY DID WE HAVE FUN! We went all the way around the block and it took us an hour cuz Bitty has to check the air in the tires and under the hood and various other things, he thinks up :)




So here I am after a week of ups and downs.. Dr. Amy will see me tomorrow and maybe do an X-ray. not sure what that is??????? I love my little family and friends and my neighborhood!

Thoughtful Thursday WINNING THE LOTTERY:)

I love to watch the shows about people that win the lottery and all the stuff that happens to them. I really like when they are smart about it and do what makes them happy.

I know everything I would do if I won a kazillion dollars..and I don't want to win if I don't win a BUNCH! First and Foremost I would take half of it and hire someone very smart to put it away and help us to decide what WE want to do.

Then I would take 10% of the entire amount and give it to Charity. I know my Church would get most but there would be conditions.. I'd want it to go to the Preschool Program and have tons of scholarships for kids. I'd want excellent teachers hired also, but the children would have to be top priority.

I would then turn my attention to my 3 children. I would pay off all their bills( no I would not give them the money to do it) and I would let them choose a home they wish to live in for the rest of their kids growing up life and have it built for them, with all the bells and whistles. Then I would give each of them a percentage of the money with no strings. If any of them wanted to further their education(children or children in law's) we would pay for that~

Next I would move on to my Grandchildren. All of them would get a new car when they turned 18.. by this I mean brand new, whatever they wanted. I think I would give each of them a substantial amount of money but unless they finished college and pursued a career, the money would not be theirs till they were about 35. I think that would give them time. And I would also pay for all their education IF they made average or above grades.

After I took care of my 6 children and spouses and 4 grandchildren I would move to my sister's family. It would depend a great deal on how much is left over I suppose but I'd like to do the same for them as for my own. It would just have to be divided further.

I really believe in education education education! Doesn't have to be University college but education to prepare yourself. Just wandering thru life doesn't work. I think we were lucky that we grew up in a time that the draft was in effect because you HAD to go in!

Anyway..that's sort of my overview of my wealth that will never come my way because I never in my life have bought a ticket!

Maybe next week I'll think of what I'd do for my husband and me ......hmmmmm tummy tuck?????? for both :) Hair transplants?:) I wanted a home in Canada for summer, in Florida or the Islands in winter and be in TN during Spring and fall. Now that's a start!

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.................... that's my thoughts for this Thurs. Penny will be around tomorrow :)

Thankful Tuesday- My Daniel!

This would be my beautiful boy. My son, the one we waited for and longed for and finally after 10 years between kids we got!

In late Nov of 1972 I had( I won't say suffered) a miscarriage. I was very sad. We wanted so bad to have a baby boy. Two of my friends who were around my age or older had just had girls and another one older then me was about to have a boy. I was visiting one of the new babies and feeling sad. So Christmas came and went and I started to not feel so good and thought it was the stress of it all and Christmas etc. Remember back then you didn't roll out of bed and announce I'M PREGNANT :) But in Feb. I went to Dr. and sure enough, a baby was on the way :)

So on Sept 11, 1973 and 5:50 P.M. my littlest baby(6 pounds 18 inches) was born:) And we could not have been more thrilled... Well everyone except sister Tina, she cried cuz he wasn't a girl ! LOL and she has reminded him of that many times. Which is funny because she practically raised the boy the first 5 years! Both sisters fought over him.. I mean physically FOUGHT, pulling at him, until one time one let go and the other fell into the wall with him! They could not come in from school without shaking his bassinet and declaring that he was "awake"!

Daniel has always said he had "3 mothers" He also says he has the best Dad in the world too and his Dad thinks he has the best son.

If I had to give just one word to describe my son I would say "Sweet". There are lots of descriptions though.. Kind, gentle, polite, generous, devoted and fun loving.

People that didn't know Daniel very well thought he was bashful. Perhaps a little shy and unsure of himself but NOT bashful and he can talk your leg off if given the chance. He would come home from school and have to relate every single moment of the day, from the time he stepped out of the car to the time I picked him up!

When Daniel was a little boy he loved to be outside playing more then eating, seriously. He was a skinny little kid that was perpetual motion! He and his friends played from morning till night. I don't even want to know what all went on down West High Street in Manchester, but that was the joy of raising a little boy in a small Southern town in the 70's and 80's. Two of those little boys he played with were killed right after high school. Broke our hearts. But not in the neighborhood!

Daniel learned to ride a bike without training wheels when he was 4 years old. And he never looked back, he just rode and rode and rode. He wanted to get in to competitive riding but that just didn't happen. He also WON a bike one time at a ball game :)

I'm not sure when he started but I think at around 10 he discovered the skate board and after that he was known as the SK8 Boarder of Manchester. From then till he was into his early 20's he lived to skate and skated to live. He had really sweet friends and they had so much fun for so many years. They were hassled, oh boy oh boy oh boy were they hassled. Skating to a toll on Daniel's body, but I don't think he would take any of it back.. I am amused when people ask me if he still skates..hmmmm no he's 36 and has a family, he has grown up :)

We went thru SO many hair do's with Daniel, that I could do a whole album of just that:) He was a very blond Tow Head until he graduated from high school and then it started turning darker and now just the last few years it has gotten very dark, but I wish I had his hair, it's SO pretty!

Daniel started college at Martin Methodist...then Memphis State and finally home, hungry and humble he went to Middle TN State U and graduated! We were so proud of him. We know it wasn't easy for him, he always struggled in school, but he made it and he did it by himself. And we didn't owe a penny when he finished.

During his years as a student in Memphis, his Grandma Arizona died. It devastated him as it did all of us.. She had moved in with us when he was in high school and they adored each other. But also during that time his first and only little niece Caroline was born! and he was so excited over that he could hardly stand it. Although all of us have noticed that he was and still is slightly jealous of her:) he had been the baby in the family a long long time!

Now some where in those high school years he met his very best friend named Katherine :) He also had lots of girls friends, none of which were her! but they were good friends and stayed that way for all thru college until they were about 25 and started walking dogs together and working together and then next thing I knew they were married! :) I don't think they ever actually dated! But Katherine was always around~

During the next year they lost Aidan and we all wondered if they would make it, but they did. They have persevered and will never recover from the loss, but it has become bearable.

They bought the land that his Grandma had out in Beechgrove so they are "country folks".. Which is a good thing because of their love of animals and their desire to rescue them.

Then 3 1/2 years ago "Yum Yum" or Yummy was born. Jimmy named him that because he couldn't say Liam and I tried to teach him by saying LEEEEEEEEE YUMMMMMMMM and it came out YUM YUM.. But his name is Liam Eamon and he was this absolutely adorable blond sweet thing. I think he was the first baby I've seen with genuinely blond hair. He was SO cute and he just wrapped himself around his Da Da's heart.

Daniel is such a very good son and I mean that in every way. He comes when I need him, he helps when it's needed and he's always kind and loving. He's a devoted husband and father and works very hard to support them. Above anything else he is truly is a good person. Daniel has never missed an April 22 to call me to tell me he loves me on the anniversary of my Mother's passing.

If I could pick any son to have, I would pick my Daniel Lyle :) I love him and I'm so thankful for him. I love you Danny Boy~