I'd Love To Pin You!

I love the blogging community. I visit your sites dear followers and I pin your articles on Pinterest (if you have that sharing button available).

I also share your posts on other social networks, but I've noticed that Pinterest draws more reposts (repins) for you (and hopefully more interest) than Facebook or Twitter.

So that this can be a more collaborative event, I would like to begin anew. I've added a new Pin Board to Pinterest named Let's Pin Each Other


If you were already following me on Pinterest, I've sent you an invite to be an admin on this Pinning Board. Having admin rights allows you to also pin pages, sites, and pictures to this board so you too can promote your own business, interests, blogs, and causes near and dear to your heart.

If you have not received an invite, be patient. Pinterest will only allow me to grant 5 admins every 30 minutes it seems (so I am not marked as spam). Also, please know that if you are not following me on Pinterest, I cannot send you an invite to become an admin.

Let's support each other and pin way.  After-all, I'd Love to Pin You!!
Not sure what to do? Take these steps:

1. Set up an account on Pinterest (if you have not already).  You can use this link to get to Pinterest and will be promted to set up an account if you do not have one: http://pinterest.com/csachb/lets-pin-each-other/
2. Follow me - You'll see a button to Follow All boards, but you really shouldn't have to do that if you do not want to. It is important that you Follow that board named Let's Pin Each Other though. If you do not follow this board, I can not invite you to be an admin.
3. Add the Pinterest sharing button to your blog if it is not already there. If you need help doing this, WordPress offers assistance on this help page: http://en.support.wordpress.com/sharing/
4. Start Pinning your favorite articles :-)  I would recommend that you only pin 3-4 of your own personal articles a month for the board to be successful. If you only write once a week, this should be easy for you. If you pin to many too often, it may turn off others as they scroll through the board looking for articles to read.  So, scatter your pins on this board to be more effective :-)
5. Any SPAM pinning will be removed and admin privileges provoked.

So, what are you waiting for? Let's pin each other dear writers, business owners, and heartfelt causes or charities!!

Happy Pinning :-)

Things that Fell out of the Sky in Kentucky

For many years I've heard stories of objects falling from the sky in Kentucky, meteors landing and other unexplained phenomenon. Take Middlesboro for example. The town was developed inside a giant crater that was left in the earth after a bog ole' meteor hit the earth there.

After the event that my husband lived through the other day, I thought I'd see what I could find online about Kentucky and crazy stuff just ...falling out of the sky.

Here, I found an article about a UFO that police couldn't explain in Kentucky.  And, here is another UFO sighting report, Fire ball sightings, meteors taking out power,  chickens falling from the sky on I64, Grackles, red wing blackbirds, robins and starlings falling from the sky dead, airplane falling from the sky, and a four-thousand pound aluminum storage building that fell from the sky on Pine Grove church in Kentucky on a clear and lovely day! I found reports of tree limbs falling and killing people. Needless to say, I was a little freaked out and wishing I lived even further away from this strange state!

Are you noticing anything strange? Why do things just fall out of the sky in the Bluegrass State? And while I'm asking questions, why is their grass blue? Radioactive material from the UFOs? I digress.

While researching falling objects from the sky in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, I found this article along with some other cool stories in other areas of the world.

One of the strangest stories of this sort took place on March 3, 1876 when flakes of meat fell over an area 100 yards long and 50 yards wide near the Bath, Kentucky home of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Crouch. The sky was clear at the time of the fall and the flakes of meat were described as being one to three or four inches square and appeared to be fresh beef. However, according to two gentlemen who (for some reason) decided to taste the meat, it was neither mutton nor venison.

Or perhaps it wasn’t meat at all - wrote Mr. Leopold Brandeis, whose article appeared on the strange fall in a July issue of the Sanitarian. He explained that the so-called “meat” was really nothing more than “nostic” - “a low form of vegetable substance”. He did not however, explain how this substance managed to fall from the sky. His opinion on the matter did not last for long for he was soon contacted by Dr. A. Mead Edwards, president of the Newark Scientific Association, who asked for a sample of the material that had been collected from Bath County. Brandeis was kind enough to give him the entire specimen, along with the information that he had obtained it from a doctor in Brooklyn, who had in turn been given it by a Professor Chandler.

Shortly after this, a letter from Dr. Allan McLane Hamilton was posted to the Medical Record, saying that he and Dr. J.W.S. Arnold had examined the material from the Kentucky meat shower under a microscope. The material, which had been given to them by Professor Chandler, was identified as being lung tissue from a human infant or a horse. According to the letter, “the structure of the organ in these two cases” was apparently “very similar”.

To read more click here
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That crazy piece of iron that hit my husband came at him between Corbin and London, Kentucky on I75N. As if this was not strange enough, I also found a site dedicated to people who see strange objects falling from the sky in Kentucky. You can check it out here. In fact, objects falling from the sky in that area are so popular, Space.com wrote an article about a satellite falling from space and landing there!
So, in my crazy mind, I am thinking the earth's gravitational pull must come into play. So, I searched that. Here is a map:

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3666

The red areas indicate the strongest gravitational pull and the blue ares are the weakest. If you click on the picture and look closely, the earth's gravitational pull is much weaker in North America, and even more weaker in the area of Kentucky...maybe.  I don't know. My husband is still traveling, so I'm not sleeping and am seriously sleep deprived again! Isn't it odd how our mind goes from 1 thing to the next?

Then I found an article that says the earth's gravitational pull is affecting the melting of the western ice cap and that North America would be the most affected. I saw this predication map of America in the event the ice cap did melt in its entirety:

http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/environment/usanoice.jpg

After looking at this, my mind races and I attempt to locate Tennessee. Oh, I found it finally. I would live on a coast instead of in a valley between 2 lovely mountain ranges if this happened.

Anyway, I guess I'm putting together a theory here. I don't know. Maybe I should drink some night-time tea or take something to help me sleep. I would love to hear your strange "it happened in Kentucky" stories too. Leave me comments below or if you want to remain anonymous, email me your story and I promise, I'll keep your name out of it! 

I think I'm diving off the deep end of insomnia and I don't want to drown alone :-) All this craziness from me thinking about random objects falling from the Kentucky sky... hmm ...yeah, I'll go drink that tea now!

Night all :-)

The sky is falling in Kentucky! (True Story)

I must share with you the craziness that was yesterday. Since my husband met me, he has told me that he loved the adventure of everyday with us. He had read some of our adventures right here on this blog and had heard even more stories that the kids and I shared with him verbally.

So many oddities and yet, they were all very real and true. Our lives were a bit hard to believe until he joined us and has been able to experience some of his own crazy adventures daily ;-)

Yesterday was such a strange day, I just have to tell you about it. I normally only share my personal adventures, but this one ...is just really weird.

He travels a lot. His mother and other family live in Indiana and we live here in good ole' Tennessee. While in transit yesterday from Tennessee to Indiana, I gave him a quick call just to say "I love you" and ask how he was doing. While we are on the line briefly with one another, I hear his voice trail off as he begins to scream "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!!!"

He had dropped the phone (thus his voice sounding distant yet still very loud on the line).  I tried to get his attention, "Honey? Sweetie? Are you there?  Can you hear me?".  Finally he picks the phone up and says, "Chrissy!!! Something just hit me! It came out of the sky. What was that?". His voice is calm, yet excited. He sounds shaken, yet composed. I am not sure how else to describe it.

"Are you okay? What happened?" I ask. My heart is racing and I am imagining all types of things like Superman landing on earth...on the hood of his truck.

"It came from the sky Chrissy! Do you understand? It hit me. There is glass inside the truck. The dash is busted. My GPS is hanging from the cord. There's a HUGE gash in the hood of the truck. I think it hit more than just me. There's another car that pulled off the road and at least another one that just...kept driving." His voice is anxious.

I wanted to comfort him...but I didn't know what to say. So, I switched into emergency mode. "Praise God you are alright!!! Hang tight honey. I need to ask you some questions, so don't get frustrated with me. I'll call the insurance company immediately after you answer, okay?"

"Yeah" he replied.

"Where are you?" I asked.

He replied, "Just past Corbin."

"Oh...you're in Kentucky. Okay. Mile marker?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen one." He answered.

"Stay where you are, if you can, okay? I'll get you a tow truck and call you right back." And with that, we disconnected. I called our insurance company (which by the way is TOTALLY awesome) and they did a 3-way call to connect my husband. The lady from the insurance company pinned down the location as close as she could and sent a tow truck out, scheduled the adjuster to come view the truck damage in KY, and set up the rental car company reservation so he could continue his trip. (Major shout out to Geico here!)
During one of the transfers from roadside assistance to the claims area, I was lost from the 3-way call. I paced the floors, talked to the kids, wrung my hands, pulled up his location on Google Maps and worried myself silly until the insurance company called me again.

After speaking with the insurance company again, I called my husband back. I let him talk, vent and say anything on his mind so he could release some of that understandable anxiety I'm sure he had. He recounted the occurrence for me again and again..."it fell from the sky!"

One of the emergency highway people stopped in to check on him and showed him a huge piece of...metal?...iron?...or whatever it was to him. They said they had just retrieved it out of the highway to prevent other motorist from having an accident. (He took a picture of it, but he hasn't sent the picture to me yet so I can see.) He asked the people if he could keep it and they declined stating that their boss might need it for something.

The other vehicle that also pulled off the side of the road had a blown tire. They spoke with my husband as well. Everyone checked on everyone else to ensure everyone was okay and then the other motorist left.

Is this crazy or what?
So, the object that hit the truck took a gouge out of the hood in 2 places,  then it flipped up onto the windshield and made 3 huge splatters in the glass busting the entire windshield, last it flipped over the cab and took a chunk out of the snug cover on the back of the truck. As it rolled off the truck, it struck the car driving behind him and blew out their tire. Last it must have bounced off of 1 or 2 other cars that just kept on driving.

It fell from the sky. No dump trucks on the highway. No trucks hauling anything. No overpass nearby. No bridges to drive under. It fell from the sky on a clear and beautiful day!

Here it is. The strange object from the sky...

It fell from the Sky in Kentucky!

Later in the evening, I shared the day's events with my father over the phone. He asked if there was an airport near that portion of I75N. I couldn't locate one on the map, so I don't know. What if it came off an airplane? What if it fell from space? What if, what if, what if?

I'm just thankful that I still have my husband, he's alive, and he's safe & healthy.
What an adventure!!!!!!!!

Wanna see?

Round & Round - PTSD

Over the last month I’ve noticed the flashbacks coming more often. There’s nothing that provokes them that I can determine. With the increased frequency, each scene becomes more vivid & even if there are variances in them, it’s always his last few hours alive that play over & over in my head.

There are so many emotions in those last hours…mine…his…the kids. Thoughts about what he said to each child, reactions to his words to them. “You’re making too much noise. Daddy loves you. Go to your room & be really quiet.” Why?

Why won’t it stop? It’s driving me mad Each flashback brings sadness, worry, pain, tears, anxiety & anger.

Why? It’s been 3 years & 9 months since it happened! Why do I remember it more vividly than giving birth to our children? Why?

I have no answers. All why’s? are rhetorical. No one can answer.

I hate PTSD. I hate these flashbacks. I hate not remembering good things & just his death.
I’m struggling again I think I need to go see the doctor. I haven’t talked to him about PTSD since January of 2012. I should be better…I should be over the traumatic event.

Those last few hours…I hear his voice more now. I can see him in my mind clearly. He wants my daddy to baptize him. He waited until the end & now he wants to be baptized. His arm hurts, so he keeps raising it above his head to stretch it out.

He cried. It’s the first time in 14 years I’ve seen him cry & it’s breathtakingly pitiful. He didn’t want his mother to leave. He’s tired & lays down to rest. Unaware of his bodily state, he urinated in the bed. He asks me to help him move to the couch, but doesn’t tell me he wet the bed. He was 50. That would have embarrassed him. He’s so very tired. He says he’s going to nap & I go answer the phone. He didn’t want me to.
“Let the damn phone ring”, he says. I explain that I must. It’s his daughters. They’ve been calling for over an hour. They’re worried. I need to give them an update. “Take the battery out of it Chrissy”, he pleads. But, I couldn’t resist. I just had to answer that phone. Stupid me!! After a few minutes on the phone I hear him…he’s gurgling

Couldn’t breathe. The mass over his lungs burst. He was drowning in his own blood. Throw phone. Scream!!! Call 911. Idiot answers. The rest I’ve already written about before, so why rehash it?

Why remember it? Why can’t my mind rewrite the memory? I pray & God gives me peace. Jesus usually sends angles to rock me to sleep, but not tonight. I’m tormented.

I try to focus on how far God has brought us – the kids & I. We are blessed beyond measure, so why is this happening again? Why can’t I just hit ctrl-alt-delete & end task?

Why can’t I reboot? It’s stuck there…playing out in my head…over & over.

I’ve remarried. 3 years & 2 months after he died, I remarried. The kids are happy & thriving. I’m happy 98% of the time & then out of nowhere, BAM! It starts again.

Why?  I’m happy now, I remind myself. I’m safe. I’m secure. I’m loved. We’re all healthy.
I thought there were suppose to be triggers…identifiable triggers so I could avoid them. I don’t see a provocative pattern except night fall, bed time, alone with my thoughts while my new husband snores away.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is torture. Maybe it’s provoked by an underlying subconscious thought pattern I’m oblivious to. Maybe I’m one of the unlucky ones.

Maybe I’m all alone with this disorder. Maybe there’s just too many ...maybes

I’ve prayed for so many of you, whether we’ve met or not. Please keep our family in your prayers as I fight through this struggle. Please & ask the Lord to protect the children’s minds from such torment too. Theirs is a different scenario, but traumatic as well. They watched me attempt to save his life in front of them. They saw their daddy’s blood on my face as I blew into is chest in vain.

Oh Jesus, please take this from us

PTSD is an evil monster of the mind!

Scenic Chincoteague Island

Assateague National Shore, VA

2013

Finding Serenity

Chincoteague island Bay-side

Peace on the bay

An Explosive Adventure on Assateague Island

My family & I just spent another wonderful week on Chincoteague Island & enjoyed the Assateague Island National Seashore. I love it here! Life moves at a slow pace & the native islanders embrace their wildlife with care. It’s truly amazing how much peace and serenity can be found on the Virginia side of Assateague.
Family and friends alike questioned us as to why we would make such a long drive just to come to a beach. The trip took us over 16hrs from east Tennessee. The most popular beach destination for most east Tennesseeans is Myrtle Beach (a 6hr drive). Here’s why we drive so far for so long:
1. Commercialization – there is very little on Chincoteague! There are no skyscraper hotels, condos, or timeshares on the beach. There is no boardwalk consisting of stores & restaurants repeating themselves for miles.
2. Chaos – there is none here!
3. The best hotel on the small island is the Best Western where they cook a mean breakfast each morning!
4. I’ve only seen 3 franchise establishments! Ledo’s, McDonald’s, and Sunsation. That’s it! Everything else is mom & pop
5. It’s clean
6. My husband has no cell phone service (which means he can’t work).
7. The wildlife is abundant & protected.
8. The whole town shuts down by 10pm. There’s no worries of loud noises late at night.
9. It’s peaceful
10. There’s no pressure or stress. There’s no crowded beach!
We did experience a tad of excitement two days while at the beach while the bomb squad detonated bombs that appeared on shore on the Maryland side of Assateague. My husband & I discussed what the large booms could be. Later in the evening, we discovered it wasn’t a sonic boom, but bombs!! You can read about it here
What can I say? Adventure tends to follow us

Quick Test

I am testing the new-to-me app I downloaded from Google Play. The app is called blogger. This app is supposed to allow me to blog on the go from my android phone.

Also, we could use this test post to test any feeds that are linked to the blog. If you received notification of a new post, please comment below and let me know that the feed was successful.

On this new blogging forum that I am using, it is hard for me to know who receives notification of a new blog post. 

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure that I am satisfied with Blogger at this point or if I should keep the WordPress blog as the primary forum.

If you have any opinions, comments, or suggestions for me - please let me know. You can contact me through the contact form on the right side bar or by leaving a comment below.

I can assure you that no comments will hurt my feelings or upset me, because I am looking for honest feedback.

Thank you for reading!

Southern Prospective - Soapbox Time

This article was originally published on June 7, 2012 on my old blog

Recently, I've been engaged in conversations about the "north & south".  I'm not talking about the Civil War either! I don't like this subject, but will politely answer & comment. Well...it starts off politely anyway.  What makes these conversations intense is usually the opinions that are thrown into the mix. Very few people can carry on a conversation on the subject of differences of northern and southern people and produce only facts.

I'm from Tennessee - born & bred. I (like other people) am proud to be from the south. I would never say the south is the best, the end all-be all, or even the most preferred place to live, but it's home. I love it here, even though I can't breathe through my nose for the mass amounts of pollen and my car is constantly covered in a yellow film. Even though we have high taxes and very few people who correctly pronounce most of the English language. I still love it!!

East TN has become a melting pot of people from all over. Many folks from the western and northern states have moved here as well as people from other countries.  I'd venture to guess that the population is half native and half  "visitors". Many native folks here have never been too far from home and are not able to travel or are afraid to leave these mountains. I personally haven't traveled much, but I've been out of the state a few times. I've been very blessed to have met, worked with, and made friends a great deal of folks from all over the world while right here in Knoxville.

So, back to the "north & south" conversations...I commonly hear that:

• Southern people are backwards.           Hmm, I try to visualize this so I don't take offense.

I can honestly reply that I've never seen a southerner with their head screwed on backwards. They usually walk in a forward moving motion and many have not only been successful in life, but have led this country as presidents, congressmen, and senators. (Okay, you may think I'm being too literal here, but really, I'm being persnickety.

• Southern people are close minded.        Really? ...all southerners?? I am open to discovering why we are close minded. My rebuttal is that there are closed minded people everywhere, not just in the south. Some people here are incorrectly labeled as close minded because they are hesitant to repeat mistakes. What just happened there? Did I just present an open mind?

• Southern people speak funny.           People from all over the world speak with different dialects and there are places where you will hear a very think southern drawl. Southern drawls vary also. The southern drawl of a Texan will vary from a Tennessean, just as a Georgia draw will vary from a Carolina draw.  Don't 'at make us special?

• Southern people are uneducated.         This may be true with a passing generation of miners, farmers, and people that physically worked their fingers to the bone from youth through adulthood many years past, but school is not an option in the South. Somehow, we have several of the best schools in the country according to the president of the US. Besides, if we are so uneducated, why did you move your whole family here? You must be a bad parent if you truly thought that and enrolled your children in our schools!!

• Southern people are racist/prejudice.        There are racist people everywhere, not just in the south. Not everyone in the south is a racist.  I'm not!! Racism is not just white against black or black against white. People are prejudice in all forms everywhere on this planet! People that claim to be above reproach on the subject, accepting all people are prejudice in some form. Okay...I'll admit...I have one prejudice: People from Ohio driving their RV through TN, changing lanes on the main Interstates right on top of other drivers, without looking or signally burn me up! But that's pretty much it :-) I don't dislike people from Ohio and actually have Ohio on my bucket list. One day, I'm going there with MY RV and I dare any of them to say anything or blow their horns, hee hee...not!

Rich against Poor

Sinners against Saints

Poor against Rich

Saints against Sinners

Baptist against Methodist 

Methodist against Baptist

Women against Men

Men against Women

Believer against Believer

Geeks against Goth

Skaters against Nerds

White against Mexicans

Mexicans against Whites

Black against Whites

White against Black

 Republican against Democrats

Democrats against Republicans

Non Alcoholics against Alcoholics

Drug addicts against the World

Lower Management against Upper Management

Upper Management against Lower Management

Customer Service against the Customers

Customers against the Stock Clerks

People against Mosquitoes - They just want to suck your blood :-(

Northern drivers against Southern Roadways

Southern drivers against more than 5 lanes of traffic

There are so many prejudices that they cannot all be listed. People harbor prejudices against one another for countless reasons and because a prejudice is chalked up to "opinion" it's acceptable in some circles to have those opinions. That doesn't make it right though. Let's move on now.

• People from the South are Hillbillies.       Well, we do live in the mountains and hills. I don't care anymore, call us hillbilly if it makes your life better :-)

 

• Southerners are stubborn.        Isn't that true everywhere you go? Surely this does not only apply to southerners.

 

• People in the South walk around shirtless and barefoot.         Try to walk on asphalt barefoot and tell me how your feet feel. Kind of hot huh? Now, take off your shoes and walk on grass. Nice and cool huh? If you don't leave your yard, why do you need shoes? Men do work with their shirts off, but don't men in warmer climates do this? I saw people at the beach that were barefoot and shirtless. I even saw women that were topless and barefoot!  A person must wear shirt and shoes when in public though :-)

 

• Southern men spit.        Northern men do too!

 

• Southern women need to be rescued.          Really? You've watched waaaay too many daytime talk shows. There are women everywhere that dream of  being "rescued in life", not just in the South. There are also a great deal of women everywhere, not just in the south, that are hard-working and  independent, raising their family! They wouldn't dream of being rescued. I wasn't and am not looking to be rescued!!

 

• Southern people are rude.          This one blows me away, seriously.  Why do people come from all over to be in the heart of our "southern hospitality" if we are so rude? Why did people in the northern and western states label us with "southern hospitality"? Why did they start saying that?  Who coined that phrase? IT WAS A NORTHERNER!

 

• Southern women lie.         I'm pretty sure women and men every where lie. Not all women lie. I am sorry that you have that opinion. It's sad.

 

• Southern men don't take responsibility for their children, stick around to raise them, or pay child support.              I searched on-line and discovered the 9 states that have the largest percentages of deadbeat dads with the largest arrears are: Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Out of these 9 states, only 1 of these is a southern state. Click here for the case study analysis.

There are more statements about southern people I have heard lately.  I've not spoken to just one westerner or northerner.  Sadly, I have spoken to many. I don't bring the subject up, but somehow, it always ends up being brought into a conversation.

My thoughts are: People will always judge others by their own standards. If their opinions are that low of others, their opinions of themselves must be pretty low also.  It's sad :-(

No matter where you are from, have you had a short positive or negative experience you can share about people from the northern, western, or southern states? Personally, I have had wonderful experiences in every state I've ventured into :-) People have great hearts everywhere I've been and I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people :-)

Brother's Love - PTSD Check-In

This article was originally published on June 2, 2012 on my old blog

A brother's love is a strong, sensitive, and unfailing.

While we were on vacation earlier this week, I saw so much evidence of my boys' healing.  I noticed some changes in their interactions with one another over the last few weeks as we took in a new family addition. It is nice to see them bonding once more instead of being arch enemies with each other :-)

On vacation, we went to a small non-commercialized island where we had the beach practically to ourselves. This of course meant we also had the ocean to ourselves for the most part as well. Before the trip, both boys had concerns about safety. Neither could swim and were worried that I may not be able to save them.  They worried about the heat, the sand, the frogs,...practically everything. I think they were afraid of a new experience, but knew I was not going to leave them home - they were going to see the ocean, like it or not!

On day 1 we drove all day and each of us crashed on our prospective beds at the hotel late at night.
On day 2 we drove the short distance to the beach and they faced their fears. Nick coaxed them out into the water as he laid down a few ocean rules. He showed them how to get past the breaks, not to worry about the sand, what brushed against their feet, and showed them the tranquility of body surfing the gentle waves. I was truly amazed. They did it - with no reservations. They went straight into the water, conquered that fear. Later that day, I watched my oldest son write in the sand to his daddy. I guess he was showing dad that he hadn't forgotten him. Then, he wrote to his girlfriend (his name and hers in a heart) multiple times! It was sweet. I had a few minor concerns about their PTSD flaring up on this trip and wondered if they would reach out to my deceased husband. My concerns were confirmed, but not anything to worry about yet.
On day 3 they experienced the beach again, this time with stronger waves. We drove about an hour and 45 minutes to Ocean City Maryland. We went to the beach and the boys were awarded the opportunity to witness commercialization. They experienced mass traffic, city culture, saw what they thought were hot bodies (very little bathing suits and a lot of skin), odd people, live musicians, men and women flirting among the masses, and much more turbulent waters of the ocean.  We spent about three hours on the beach and in the ocean before we toured the boardwalk. The waves were crashing into the beach, the wind was stronger and people were elbow to elbow. The boys approached the water apprehensively. Nick went with them, but warned them about the undertow currents and told them how to make it back to shore if sucked out to sea.
I could see the fear written on their faces and I knew that I would run out there and save them if I could. They feared losing each other as much as they had feared losing their daddy. They feared losing me and were relieved that I stayed on the shore line this day. I stayed with the towels and our belongings. The honesty factor flew out the window when we left our favorite island on Chincoteague. This was wild, crazy, and chaotic.
 
I didn't interfere as they bonded together, encouraged each other "they could do it" and reassured each other that they'd be okay. I can't express how hard it was as a mother to watch and not jump in there and erase all of their fears.

They went into the ocean. Holding hands. Forming a chain of protection as they had vowed to save each other if the need arose. They stayed close to Nick in the water for comfort. Before long, my oldest was waaaaay out in the ocean on his boogie board. He was a natural. He took to the waves like a dolphin. My youngest was not far out though as he stood aside and watched his big brother adventure out into the deep.
They had learned to swim and hadn't realized it!! They had conquered a fear and were not aware. They were out there swimming with fish, crabs, jelly fish, sting rays, sand sharks, and lord only knows what else :-)
From the side lines, I watched. From the side lines I was proud of them and couldn't tell them. They've told me that they are fine if I just help them and not actually say "PTSD" or "Are you okay". My Momdar (mom radar) is supposed to go off at just the right time in their minds to save them from their own thoughts.
On day 4  we were back on Chincoteague Island and we went to the beach at Assateague Island. They were beginning to wear thin, tire down - like a tire going flat.  The hot sun, wind, and ocean water was beginning to take a toll of them. Irritable and grumpy, we promised them a break on day 5.  I saw more sand writing on day 4 to their daddy and they brought him up a time or two in conversation. No one cried, no one withdrew. They were healing nicely.
 
On day 5  Nick rented a bike for my youngest son and Josh to ride around town. My youngest conquered another fear. He learned how to ride a bike! He rode that bike all over the town while Nick and I went to the beach. He conquered a fear of independence and being alone also. He was rather happy with himself that he rode as long and as far as he did on the Island. By car, the entire island can be crossed in less than 10 mins if you obey the speed limit of 25mph. It was very small. My oldest also conquered a fear of being alone in a new place. He didn't tell me he was afraid with words, I read it on his face. He talked to his girlfriend all day (I'm guessing) as he walked around the island.  Both boys are still healing and growing on day 5 :-)

On day 6 the boys didn't want to go to the beach, they wanted bikes again. Nick rented bikes for them and they rode all day through the town. It was day 2 of a new-found freedom and they loved it! On this day all three boys had an argument blow out and they resolved it mostly on their own. Nick and I only had to intervene slightly. They were growing, bonding, learning each other and developing a new brotherly love (whether they realized it or not).
 
On day 7 we went back to the beach one last time for shell collecting. They had all formed a new bond and were unaware of it. Each of them I saw talk to each other, interact with each other, and show concern in a new way.
 
This vacation was a healing experience for them. Therapy could not have provided what this trip did.

Praise you Jesus for your Love, Grace, Peace, and Healing!!  :-)

Adventure in the Chincoteague Bay

This article was originally published on June 1, 2012 on my old blog

While on the Island, a popular question asked by tourists is "what is there to do on this small island?"  The answer to this question literally cracked me up: Catch crabs! What? The good news is antibiotics or other medications are not needed if you catch crabs here. :-)

On the bay side of the Island there are docks available for public use & a fishing license is not needed. Many forms of life thrive in the bay. There are crabs, birds, frogs, turtles, fish, billions of variations of snails, and much more.

A couple of mornings/evenings Nick & I watched the fiddler crabs perform their mating dance rituals. These dances are composed of the male, with his one oversized claw, waving it wildly in the air. He pranced back & forth waving this club claw to show his manhood for the females delight. Once he's caught the eye of that special female, he hopes she'll pick him over the hundreds of other males dancing. Childish delight swallowed me & I asked playfully, "Could I take one home?"



In Memorial Park on Chincoteague Island, fishing is bountiful and no license is required also. We bought a net, some raw chicken, a crab line and off to the park we went :-) This is where we went crabbing. While there, a boy came to us and asked us if we were trying to catch crabs just before the sun began to set. Nick answered him that we were & this young man wished us luck. He said he'd been trying to crab there for years & had not done well. He took his fishing pole and walked away from us along the small dock.

Within 30 minutes, the dock began to clear out. The other fishers began to leave and take their catches with them. Some people were drinking beer, some people were sharing a moment with each other, and other people were teaching their kids how to crab or fish. Steadily, they all left the dock except the boy we met and his 2 friends.

After dangling our chicken leg in the bay for a few minutes, the crabs started to swim by us. Even though daylight was leaving us, we could still see the crabs skimming the water nearby. We caught a few small crabs here and there.  It was peaceful and quiet. (Our boys did not go with us. They had other agendas for the evening. I think they were looking the island for girls.) There was one blue crab that we caught over and over again. We would admire him, take pictures, then send him back home to the ocean water in the bay. This little booger kept coming back to us. He was like an attention needy child wanting to be admired. Perhaps we flattered him? :-)

After all daylight had disappeared, the moonlight brought out the more unique and larger sea life. We saw a beautiful blue/green light in the water.  several times when bringing our net in, we had caught cute little jellyfish. They had no color when out of the water, but when the net was submerged again, the jellyfish began to light up. They were small and graceful. I was thankful I had not seen any of them while in the ocean. I knew they were out there, but not seeing them made the ocean water more enjoyable. I decided Jellyfish are show-offs. They wanted to be admired. The way they lit up for us, danced, and would not leave our area said it all...either that or they like chicken :-)
 
Nick called to me, "Chrissy!  You have to come see this!!" He was standing over near teenage boys. They had caught something very large. Through teamwork, they managed to bring the large thing across the water line of the dock and they were coming straight at me. I looked over. It was a gorgeous sting ray! Her underside was white and her top was a deep brown color. Her tail whipped and swung from side to side. The boy's rod was bent under the weight of such a large creature. They handed the pole from one boy to another as they made their way across the dock to the boat landing. She was too heavy to pull straight up out of the water.  Once she was docked, one boy stood on her tail/barb while the other boy gently removed the fishing hook from her back. They turned her over, checking to make sure she was okay and poured water from the bay into her breathing holes. We snapped some pictures and touched her. Then the sweet boy petted her and encouraged her back into the water safely.  I asked the boy his name: Jess.

"Jess, you did a great job with  that beautiful sting ray!!", I bragged.

Shortly after the stingray had been released, the boys were all calling out to me. "Hey, Hey lady. Wanna see?" They brought me an eel to admire that they caught on their line. It looked like a huge slimy earthworm snake thingy.  I took pictures and gave them another pat on the back. We ended our crabbing adventure not long after that.
 
It was a wonderful bay adventure!

Island Bliss

This article was originally published on May 31, 2012 on my old blog

We began our vacation travel by crossing over the Tennessee Valley, up the Appalachian Mountains, down & across the Chesapeake Bay, arriving on the most beautiful, non-commercialized, friendly, and natural Island.
This vacation was a learning experience for many reasons & I praise God for It.

This is where we crossed several items off our bucket list, including:

 1. See a beach on the east coast of the US
2. Walk on sand barefoot
4. See a sun set at a beach on the east coast
74. Swim in the ocean.
81. Drive underwater while having lunch in a car
83. Have a picnic on a grassy green medium in the middle of 2 roads.
88. Travel to & spend the night on an island
117. See a lighthouse up close, touch it, climb it
118. Wear a bathing suit in public

As on any island or shore line, Assateague Island has a Lighthouse. It's the pretty red spiral one I kept pictures of for many years. I never would've dreamed that I would travel & really see it :-) Seeing wasn't enough, I touched it too. :-) On the climb up, there are wide spaces made passable for 2-way traffic. Windows adorned those platform areas, each holding a piece of history & an independently gorgeous view. We paid a very small fee & climbed 198 steps to reach the top. Nick & Josh conquered a nervous fear of heights on that day as they made it to the top proudly. We received a sticker for our bravery & were awarded a lovely view of both islands. Wild ponies prance in the marsh pastures below and the birds shared their air space with us in the sky. Peace-tranquility-faith-honor-happiness flooded my being.

90% of the people we met were "back home" friendly. It was as though our southern hospitality followed us, yet the people were much nicer than back home in Tennessee. Every islander had a smile to share & was genuinely happy to see the new visitors in their home town (even on a holiday weekend). Amazing!!

The ocean was gentle and the beach was clean. Even the vast array of crabs were friendly, each one politely moving aside to allow sun seekers a place to lay their towel or step their foot where they trod. I had been warned about the sea gulls & how they would swoop down and borrow any sandwich in sight. But, even they were gentle & polite. They flew overhead & landed several feet away, watching for dropped food or discarded leftovers. From time to time they would get tired of food staring and take flight again, proclaiming "mine, mine, mine"! I was experiencing heaven on earth :-)

It seemed as though everyone had an Attitude of Gratitude for the serene setting on these two islands and I was very impressed by the honesty all over. Families of all sizes, back grounds, and states were present. Even though the beach seemed to fill up, there was still at least 25ft of space per family available each day & some days even more!

I absolutely loved Chincoteague & Assateague Islands!

Virginia's Only Island Resort

This article was originally published on May 30, 2012 on my old blog


Our first family vacation was taken on Virginia's only Island Resort. It's a beautiful township where the citizens take pride in their community. This island is small, yet has something to offer everyone (especially adventures). I will break up the resort descriptions into a couple (or more) post, because let's face it...no one likes to read an article a mile long :-)

The name of my two favorite Islands are Chincoteague and Assateague Island. A connector bridge takes would be sun-seekers from one Island to the other
.
On the way to this serene escape, we traveled across Virginia. We entered and exited some of the other popular beach get-a ways: Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Hampton, etc. 

We traded them all for another hour or more of driving to come to Chincoteague Island...and it was so worth it!

The Sport of Motherhood

This article was originally published on May 13, 2012 on the old blog

The Sport of Motherhood!







The definition of a Mother in my mind is a selfless, patient, observant, willful woman whom loves children; not just the fruit of her womb, but all. I get my definition of Mother from my mom's example in life.
There are no classes to enroll in that prepares a woman for motherhood. There's no fancy degree awarded once this position has been granted. There are levels that can be achieved, but there is no Final Exam, EOC, or ECA.

Here's my version of motherhood:

• LEVEL 1 (Preparation): mental roller coaster. Begins with conception. Part 1 First Trimester - either begins in absolute bliss & gratitude or anger & frustration with the male involved in the act.

Part 2 Second Trimester - acceptance and love. Love being pregnant. Loves the baby. Accepted the "baby shape" her body took on.
Part 3 Third Trimester - ends in absolute bliss & gratitude or anger & frustration with the male involved in the act.

• LEVEL 2 (Trial Run, warm-up, Beta phase)

This level is inevitable. All new mom's know everything, yet know nothing. Receiving unsolicited advice not acceptable, yet asking questions is. During this test run, babies are accidentally scratched, bumped, diapered too loosely or tightly, baby poops on the last clean outfit & is destined to hang out in the buff cutely, formula is mixed wrong, the blanket is forgotten in Spring/Autumn/Winter, and the bottle runs out before mom makes it back home for more. (Not everyone breastfeeds.) During all events, mom looks around to determine if anyone saw her & is deeply embarrassed even though each oops is private & unnoticed! She learns from each mistake and grows.

• LEVEL 3 (Dentistry & Theater)

During this level, use of recently acquired cry decoding skills are tested. Mom may think she's failing. Baby needs mom - clingy yet squirms when held. Many new acts & scenes are created to satisfy baby. New voices, faces, dancing & twirling, musicals are performed. Accents are developed & mom begins to speak baby to adults unknowingly. Once the culprit is discovered (evidence of tooth or fever, unsolicited advice is given, or grandma steps in) mom is determined to help the teeth make an entrance! Many dental therapies are attempted (gels, ice, rags, toys, massage, pacifier, etc). After 1st & 3rd tooth arrive, mom's an expert!

• LEVEL 4 (Case Study/Analytics)

Testing commences on food studies. New cereals/foods are introduced. Gag reflexes are studied and results are documented and shared. During Pediatric check-up results are proudly delivered. Poop Analytics begin. More unsolicited advice is administered.

• LEVEL 5 (Olympic Training)

Several new sports are mastered.
A. One hand hip hoist - picking up baby from floor with one hand free
B. Hurdels - running & jumping from one side of the house to the other while jumping gates, toys, or sippy cups to reach baby just in time before certain disaster.
C. Diaper Dash - changing diaper quickly in public before anyone notices...or smells it.
D. Clean Sweep - leaping, running, crouching, and reaching quickly to tidy the house when unexpected company or guests arrive
E. Spelunking - skill of saving baby from heights (cabinets, refrigerator, tables, stairs, or banisters at incredible speeds
F. CrossCountry Running - Running at gravity defying speeds to catching baby across a yard, field, park, or grocery/retail store.
G. Geocaching - locating a sippy cup/pacifier when dropped or thrown into a field, thicket of brush, driveway, park landscape, or retail store dump bin of merchandise.

• LEVEL 6 (Literature and Audiology)

Reading to toddler. Teaching new words & phrases. Baby learns to mock & repeat...everything. Embarrassing and unsolicited phrases acquired from other children & family members. Baby repeats said phrases in public or church. Mom buffers impact, apologizes & corrects baby.

• LEVEL 7 (Electrical Engineering)

Learns how to revive electrical devices after food, slobber, water, or impact damage. Items include VCR, DVR, DVD player, MP3, IPOD, cell phone, remote controls, PDA, etc)

• LEVEL 8 (Gymnastic Floor Exercise)

Lego high stepping, lil green army men dodge, baby gate hopping, toy reach, baby swing, and toy ducking.

• LEVEL 9 (Acceptance, Accolades & Admission)

This level occurs multiple times: Daycare, Preschool, Kindergarten, Middle School, High School, Driving, Graduation of any form, College, Engagement, Marraige, Grandchild announcement.


To sum it all up, mothers are a special breed of people. Any woman can morph into this status, if she is selfless.

Happy Mother's Day Mommy! I love you :-) 
*Photography by KD Photography 

Silence

This article was originally published on May 9, 2012 on the old blog


Without a word, you spoke to me.

Without a gesture, I understood.


You tried so hard, yet I was blind.


Every breath carries an explanation.


Do you hear?                     Silence caresses your ears and delivers a gift.


Peace, Love, and Grace.

What do you want for Christmas?

You gave it to me.

What do you want for Valentine’s day?

I have enough already.

What do you want for your birthday?

I already have it.

What would you like for Mother’s day?

I’ve had it all along. You’re love will do just fine