Chrissy Adventures: adventures

Showing posts with label adventures. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

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?

Thursday, July 11, 2013

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

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

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!

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!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Who Left Me By Myself?

Who Left Me By Myself
This article was originally published on April 25, 2012 on the

Kids up - check
Coffee made - check
Commute - check
Kid 1 dropped off at school - check
Commute - check
Kid 2 dropped off at school - check
Commute to mountains - check

Wait...huh?

How did I get on this Mountainside? The mountains call my name. I've always had an "escape" from the kids dramatic lives, bosses that pride themselves on X# years with a company as they throw "underlining" under a bus, family, friends, neighbors... everyone!!

I had always found solitude in the Appalachian mountains, until we began staying on the other end of Knoxville. Now, I'm pulled toward the Smoky Mountains :-)

Welcome to my new hide-away :-)

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Country Girl in the City

Country Girl in the City
This article was originally published on April 15, 2012 on the old blog

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a country girl born & bred. Where I live in east Tennessee, our city life isn't exactly "big city", but there are so many differences in county (country) life & city life. Although, I'd listed #102 on my bucket list, I never really thought I'd accomplish it. Yet, here I found myself living away from the swamp. #102 was: move away from the swamp.

Living in the county, I wouldn't be woken up after midnight to the sound of sirens nightly. Actually, I very rarely ever heard sirens in the suburbs. Tonight though, I am awake listening to the sounds of sirens. A neighboring home or apartment has had an emergency again after midnight...again. I pray for the people, hoping all will be well...again.

This episode does make me draw a few comparisons. In the city, we are no more than 5 minutes from many national retail stores, businesses, local rescue services, and big name eateries. In the county, we have these things as well, but they are mostly mom & pop owned & operated eateries or fast food, and the emergency services are located in the city about 20-30 minutes away. So, everyone knows if you need serious help quick, Joe Bob can drive like Earnhardt...call him instead! Why else do you think NASCAR is so popular in the south? To get to the hospitals we drive 100 MPH around the base of a mountain, making only left hand turns ;-)

There are several luxuries to city life though. Instead of loading the car with trash once a week and driving it off to the local dump, we get to carry our trash to the curb! How cool is that?? In the county, if we put our trash outside on the curb, 20 wild dogs would rip into the bags, no one would pick it up, & the neighbors would call the beautification board on us!

In the city the parks are small, quaint, clean and hidden. In the county, the parks are littered with trash, large, and right off a main
road.
In the county, everyone has a septic tank & neighbors pull up a chair to watch someone dig up their yard to have it pumped when the toilet stops flushing. It's neighborhood entertainment & occasionally, someone pitches in a helping hand to dig. In the city, toilets flush with no issue!! Everyone has sewer. It's a fascinating thing that uses gravity and suction to grab ones mounds of toilet paper and shoot it into the underground abyss of the unknown!

Then there are garbage disposals. In the city, there's no dog in the back yard to eat dinner scraps. (Dogs are like people, they live inside.) After dinner, the scraps are raked from plates into the sink. A Langolier type monster that lives in the drain pipe chews all the left over stuff and burps when it's done! If we had garbage disposals in the country, could you imagine all the starving K9s?

Another difference is the yard. A yard in the country can take anywhere between an hour & all day to mow. Country yards are much larger & hilly. One can easily entertain the neighborhood by attempting to push mow the side of a mountain sideways or by dangling vicariously from a riding mower while holding on for dear life shouting "I Will Win!". In the city, the yards are so small & level they can be easily trimmed by using an electrical appliance in as little as 5-25 minutes! Where's the entertainment in that?

There are many more differences, but I'll have to tell y'all bout 'em later. The sirens have stopped now & I may be able to go back to sleep.

Night :-)

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Neighboring Conversations

Neighboring Conversations
This article was originally published on March 28, 2012 on the old blog

Yesterday while working in the Oasis I was approached by 2 neighbors, but at separate times. I had been mowing the lawn for about 90 minutes and needed a little break. (I refuse to use a riding mower, it's only an acre.) One of my very sweet neighbors yelled a friendly "Hey" and walked to the end of his fence.

Say, what in the world are you doin' to your house, if ya don't think me nosey?

Smiling, I said "Repairs."

Well, my wife wanted to know. She done told me that you'd been swindled time or two on your roof & I oughta ask ya. Now she'ain't nosey or nothing like at. But she says to me yesterdee that she's mighty concerned and all, 'cause they's been guys over here work'n and she done said you's out here work'n like a man.

(He let out a small chuckle.) My wife, she said you's over here lifting really heavy stuff, dragging big 'ole boards around, grunting & sweating and that you ain't afraid O' work.

After my head stopped spinning, I answered, "Yes sir. I want my home completed so I do what I can to help when I can. But,..."
Quickly, he interrupted,

Yep, that's what my wife told me and she's not nosey or anything. Not to get in your business, but why are you doing all this?

"Well sir", I answered, "this is my home & I couldn't just walk away from it. I..."
A burst of laughter shocked me & I didn't finish my thought.

Well, I just pittle round here and there some and keep myself busy during da day, so I ain't seen you a work'n like she says. But I figured something must be going on since she done said all that and all. You know. Well, I guess I'll letcha get back ta what choo'sa doing.

And with that he waved a howdy-do and off he went.
I started the mower up and mowed another 15 minutes or so. From the corner of my eye I noticed a figure approaching me. I saw another neighbor coming toward me. From the distance I heard,

Hey! Are you mowing?

He was much closer now, so I didn't have to yell to answer him. I looked down at my green grass stained hands, legs, and clothes. I was covered in grass and drenched in sweat.
A thought occurred to me: Never assume the obvious is obvious to everyone.

: Obviously Mowing

I answered, "Yes. I kind of am mowing. What could I help you with?"
He was standing beside me now, looking down at his shoes, hands in his pockets, and appeared confused.

Okay, I was just checking.

He walked away, back to his yard.
I love my Oasis & my neighbors :-)

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Peaks and Valleys - part 2

This article was originally published on February 18, 2012 on the old blog

Week Eight of home repairs ends in many huge Thanks. The Lord has blessed us once more with progress and much needed hardware :)

Last week & this week I spent much time at the swamp tearing out more walls and dividing salvageable items from ruined. Being able to borrow my dad's truck to haul off demolition material & trashed possessions was a huge blessing. The gratitude I have for my health increased greatly when I realized how much was getting accomplished :-)

With the largest majority of the walls stripped to studs, the guys working can get to the additional areas that need repair and the electrician can continue to rewire the house.

On Monday, I was blessed to meet some kind-hearted people at my son's school. On Wednesday, I found a cute little bathroom vanities at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Maryville. For under $70 we have vanities, Praise God!

When I left that location, I stopped by another location on the chance there may be affordable kitchen cabinets. I had never realized how expensive kitchen cabinets were until I attempted to locate some that would fit our tiny budget. God blessed us again though :-)

At the other location, I found a set in decent shape for a more than reasonable price. I walked out of there a happily blessed owner of cabinets for less than $340 (tax included)!! Overcome with thanks and praise to God, I happily drove to pick the kids up :-)

After acquiring my oldest son, I drove to pick up my youngest. He had an envelope for me. When I opened it, my oldest son began to cry & I teared up also...there was a gift card from a local grocery store inside the envelope with $100 loaded onto it!! Yet again I was praising God for loving us so sweetly. My hope increases!

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My Amazing Stranger

This article was originally published on January 28, 2012 on the old blog

Occasionally through life, we are granted the gift of meeting extraordinary people.

: Smokey's Baseball Game 2010

As we sail through life, it's easy to forget some of those people who made an impression on our lives in a small way. Like an amazing stranger that you never see again. Life gets busy, booked up, full of working hours, too many things on our "to-do" lists, people go home (busy) each evening and watch TV for several hours...until they retire for the night. We simply just do not have the time to think about someone we met briefly many years ago that made a tiny impression on our day. I am guilty of this as well as others are. So, this morning I have thanked God for several chance encounters I've had with people over the years. (I've been working on my memory since July of last year and recovering those lost memories has been progressing as I sift through pictures. I take pictures so often, there are many to remind me about specific days. Especially if there was an emotion attached to a photograph...and, I'm a chick...so their's ALWAYS an emotion.)

: In the "Fan" section directly above the players.

I remember the first baseball game we attended. I didn't know the real rules of the game, so I kept asking a friend (who sat 4 seats away with 2 empty seats in-between us) why different things were happening. He was frustrated, frowned a lot, and finally said, "Look, I came here to WATCH a game. Okay"? I smirked and thought to myself, "Fine, I'll ask someone else :-P ". I looked around, observed most of the women were melting in multiple layers of make up, stumbling up and down the stadium steps in high heels, and only talking to other women. The men that sat near or next to them were holding a beer, hot dog, or pop and staring straight ahead at the game. The men were focused and the ladies were socializing in the sweltering heat. The men occasionally gave a head nod or fake smile to the women. This seemed to make those women very happy (or at least they smiled big and chuckled loudly).

So, I turned to my oldest son & told him I'd be back in a few minutes, stay put. He nodded. You see, both of my boys had asked me questions about the game, trying to learn it as well & I couldn't answer their questions! :-( My dad never really watched sports or played any, so my brother wasn't into any sports either. My mom... Are you kidding? I had to learn them on my own. I squeezed out of the row of seats and went up the steps to the vending areas. I walked around for a few minutes, watching people interact with each other. Most of the men were in their own world's. As they walked, went in & out-of-doors, ordered food, or were going up & down the steps... their minds were on the game - I mean like total game zombies.

That's not a bad thing either, but I needed to find someone who was into the game enough that they could answer some simple questions, yet, I wouldn't be dangerously snapping them out of another reality into mine so sudden it resulted in brain damage or a scream at me! :-) From observation, I could already tell the other women had already scarred the men's mindset: "Will she ever shut up? I just wanna watch this game. Why does she come with me? I'm not flirting with any one. Geez!!"

I found one!! A very slender older man wearing a green shirt was standing in the 2ft X 3ft smoking section. He was staring at the field, but there was nothing going on down there. The game had like, paused. I lit a cigarette and stirred up the courage to say, "Hi, would you mind if I asked you some really dumb questions before the game gets started back?" He looked at me oddly and answered, "I guess." I said, "Great! Thank you. Can you keep up with me if I go really fast- so you can watch the game?" He looked at his shoes, took a deep breath & said "Sure."

So, off I went:
Me: "Why is that guy on the mound throwing the balls away from the guy with the bat? Doesn't he want the guy to hit the ball?"
My Amazing Stranger: "Strikeout. Pitcher wants to only barely stay within boundries...wants batter to swing & miss."
Me: "Oh... Why Are the guys waaay out in the field running so far & hard to catch balls that going to land near their own players closer up the field? Why doesn't the other player just get or catch it?"
My Amazing Stranger: "guard the base. don't leave it" ...taps finger on chin... "Or lazy player and over compensating player."
Me: "hmm, okay...why so many intermissions?
My Amazing Stranger: "Drink Beer, gotta pee"
Me: "Thank you! Am I bothering you?"
My Amazing Stranger: "No"
Me: 'Why are there so many people over on that bank past the outfield?"
My Amazing Stranger: "It's free. You can't see the game."
Me: "What's an inning?"
My Amazing Stranger: "the # of times a team is in the field/at bat"
Me: "How many are there?"
My Amazing Stranger: "9"
Me: "Tired of the questions yet?"
My Amazing Stranger: "No, but the game will start soon."
Me: "Okay, Who are the good guys?"
My Amazing Stranger: a got a chuckle out of him.."There are no good or bad guys. The Smokies are in white shirts and pants."
Me: "hm, yeah that's what I meant to say."
***Queue the Awkward silence***
Me: "Will you be back to smoke soon?"
My Amazing Stranger: "In 2 more Innings."
Me: "Could I come ask you more questions as my kids ask me?"
My Amazing Stranger: "Yes"

And with that, he put out his cigarette and went away. We met two more times and I asked probably 30 more questions about the game, players, and things they did on the field. Each time he didn't seem aggravated or bothered by my questions. I think that he understood that I really wanted to learn the game we were watching and that the questions he answered, I told my boys when we parted. That was when I added the Reds to my bucket list. My Amazing Stranger was from Cincinnati :-)

Mark that off the List

Mark That off the List - Bucket list items completed

I decided to move our completed items off the Original Bucket list. These items were mostly completed in 2010, 2011, & 2012. We had some very productive and enjoyable years. Even among the chaos that life threw at us, we had a ton of fun!! Some of our adventures included my step daughter(s), grandbabies, the boys, friends of mine, and total strangers that we pulled into our moments as they occurred :-)

1. See a beach on the east coast of the US. ---Complete
2. Walk on sand barefoot ---Complete
4. See a sun set at a beach on the east coast ---Complete
5. Take the boys to the Pinnacle overlook in TN,VA,KY. ---Complete
8. Be a tourist in our own home town ---Complete
9. Eat authentic German food ---Complete
10. Eat Sushi ---Complete
13. Ride on a train---Complete
18. Eat sushi again...incase I didn't like it the first time! ---Complete
19. Touch the clouds with my boys. (Did it on Clinch mountain) ---Complete
20. Stay in a hotel ---Complete
22. Go to Virginia. ---(Complete) Visit the ARE Museum.
23. Pet a rabbit for an hour ---Complete
24. Lay in the middle of the road, stare at the stars during Autumn, with my boys. ---Complete
25. Take the boys to Gatlinburg, TN around Christmas time. --- Complete
26. See Cades Cove - complete
28. Rent a cabin in the mountains for a weekend. - Complete
29. Go Hiking --- Complete
31. Teach the boys to properly fish. (So I don't spend all day untangling lines, baiting their hooks, etc) - Complete
32. Attend a live concert ---Complete
36. See a live dog race ---Complete
37. Learn to play poker - Complete
38. Learn plumbing ---Complete
43. Travel to Ohio ---Complete
47. Go to a casino & gamble a tad. ---Complete
48. Play a slot machine! ---Complete
50. Eat real Italian food ---Complete
51. Go to Disney World ---Complete
53. This one is private, but has been accomplished. - Complete
55. Tour a Naval base. ---Complete
56. Touch a tank!!! ---Complete
57. Eat authentic Korean food ---Complete
61. Take the boys to see the Iron Furnace and Warriors path in Cumberland Gap, TN ---Complete
67. See the ocean from the gulf coast. ---Complete
73. Understand Buddhism. -- Complete (I have a good understanding of it although I do not practice this faith. I am Christian. I added this goal to my list after a very good friend dying of cancer converted to this faith. I spent some time with him as he educated me on his new faith and an "understanding" is all I have.)
74. Swim in the ocean. – Assateague Island Beach/Chincoteague Island /Ocean City Beach - Complete
75. Touch an American fighter jet.--- Complete
76. Clear the clutter out of my life once a year. 2009 complete, 2010 complete, 2011 complete, 2012 complete
81. Drive underwater while having lunch in a car ---Complete
83. Have a picnic on a grassy green medium in the middle of 2 roads.---Complete
87. Ride in an airplane both small and large. FLY!! ---Complete
88. Travel to & spend the night on an island. - Complete
89. See Norris Dam ---Complete
90. See a live horse race ---Complete
91. Ride on a monorail ---Complete
94. Go to the Rossini festival in the Spring ---Complete
95. Dance in public ---Complete
96. See a waterfall.---Complete
100. Be a prissy, fake, uptight, too good for anyone girl - wearing makeup, dress, high heels, and hair all done up for one day. THIS ONE MAY NEVER HAPPEN!! ---Complete! I did it :-)
102. Move away from the swamp --- complete (Moved away for 1 year, then moved back home to the swamp again.)
104. Kiss in the rain -- complete
106. Visit a metropolis --- Complete
117. See a lighthouse up close, touch it, climb it - Complete
118. Wear a bathing suit in public - Complete!!

Exploring Indy - Part 2

This article was originally published on Jan 5, 2012 on the old blog

: Replica of the Washington Monument?

This post Exploring Indie part 2 is the continuation of the earlier post titled "Exploring Indie part 1 – Another Adventure :-)".

Driving all the way up the Cumberland Gap Parkway was a nice and scenic trip as opposed to traveling Interstate 75 the entire trip from Tennessee to Indianapolis, Indiana. We drove around and up the mountains in Kentucky and when we entered into Indiana, there were still a few hills there as well. At first, I thought perhaps Indiana wasn't flat after all, until we drove about 15 more minutes into Indiana.

The hills seemingly disappeared. Out of nowhere, corn popped up and the land flattened out! I saw corn, Irrigation piping, and more corn :-) This was pretty awesome. The corn fields I saw from the highway were not like the corn fields in Tennessee. These fields went on for what appeared to be miles and miles. (Without my glasses I couldn't really tell, but there was no end to the fields visually.)

In Tennessee, many farmers plant corn and hay to mix and feed their cattle or they plant tobacco. Not many people still plant tobacco anymore now though :-( Anyway, the corn fields and hay fields are planted on hills and they wave at the viewer from the roadside as the fields roll. Some are planted on the flattest land owned, which is still a hill or a swerving plot of land. The cattle even learn to graze while standing on a constant tilt. That's why all the cattle produced in East Tennessee is lopsided laying on your plate at dinner time!

Back to the trip, we drove closer to the city of Indianapolis and the land became more flat. The city buildings could be seen for what seemed to be many miles before entering it. I loved the old and new buildings in the city. Here are a few more snap shots of the awesome experiences and sights I saw: