Day 62 - March 31
Listening to: Everlasting Love
Thought for the day: Do you realize my children won't know what a video store is? ~Christian Brummett

It's Thursday…..the day before Friiiiday………….. Back when Christian and Wesley were tykey tots, Thursdays were known and Happy Meal Night. We would go to a fast food restaurant (usually McDonald's), tear up their playground, eat some junk, and take the miniature toy with us. Afterward, we would go to either Blockbuster or Hollywood Video and rent movies to watch over the weekend. It was a big deal. The kids were always excited and I was soaked with relief for not having to cook or entertain for a night. Interestingly enough, Christian said to me last night, "do you realize my children won't know what a video store is?" hmmmmmm.......

We obviously don't do Happy Meal night anymore, but I thought about it tonight while Christian and I were in Subway. I originally was going to use a photo of Christian when she was 3 with a Happy Meal box on her head, but I value my life. As I was waiting to pay I looked out the window and saw these birds munching on what looks like a smashed McDonald’s bag. Who knew birds had Happy Meal Night too!!!

Day 63 - March 30
Listening to: Can’t Help Myself
Thought for the day: Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were thought up only a little more than a century ago?

As I've mentioned before, I am the caretaker of a vast collection of photographs and memorabilia dating back to 1918 where I work. This week I received three photos in the mail, one of which I am sharing with you. The women in this picture belonged to a division of the Old Hickory DuPont Rayon women's industrial league basketball team circa late 1920s.

One thing that several of my coworkers and I noticed about this photo was the shoes. There are no distinguishing characteristic to define what brand they are. One coworker suggested the shoes were Chuck Taylor's. I did a bit of digging and found that the first pair of white Chuck Taylor's wasn't revealed to the world until the 1936 Olympics, so no Chuck Taylor's here. A few of the pairs do look similar to shoes produced in the 20s called Ball-Band Sport Shoes. My guess is shoe choice was slim in those days. Oh how things have changed!

Day 64 - March 29
Listening to: What if God Was One of Us
Thought for the day: If you must smoke, take your butt outside.

I am getting ready to share something that I'm not keen on talking about publicly. I feel like I have failed at protecting my daughter from something that could kill her. I think you’ll understand why I’m willing to talk about it today. So here goes................ Christian smokes. I've tried everything to get her to quit. Now that she is 18, I feel like all have left is prayer............. or inserting little explosives into her cigs any chance I get.

On the way to school this morning we stopped at a gas station. She got out of the car to smoke. A man in a truck next to us randomly rolled down his window and said to her very gently, "You do know those things will kill you right? I know it's tough to quit. It took me two years to do it, but I did and you can to." He smiled and then rolled his window up. That was that.

When she got back in the car, I said "if you ever wondered if God was in your life, you just saw him speak to you via a stranger." I'm sure she rolled her eyes. I didn't see it, but I felt it. My words were still hanging in the air when the song "What if God Was One of Us" came on the radio. I haven’t heard the song in months. I pointed out the god-incidence of it all to her. She laughed and said, "MOM........do you know how many people tell me each week that I need to quit?" I just smiled. I'm glad there are a lot of people on the Get Christian to Stop Smoking Team.........including capital H-i-m.

Photo: a natural ash tray found in my yard. Yuck.

Day 65 March 28
Listening to: I think I’m in love
Thought for the day: Love waits for one thing, the right moment………….and a glass of water.

Twas the morn of Monday and all through the halls, not a creature was stirring except for two giggling girls.....

A genuine show-n-tell unfolded in the hallway this morning where I work. I'd like to say my dear friend and coworker brought this gem back from her trip to Gatlinburg this weekend as a souvenir for me, but she didn't.


Here are the instructions:

Place your GROW a Boyfriend into a glass of water and watch as it grows to 6 times its original size.

Boyfriend will begin to grow after 2 hours and will reach full size in 72 hours

Boyfriend will slowly shrink when removed from water. Then you can grow him again and again.

Warning: Choking Hazard

Day 66 - March 27
Listening to: Leader of the Band
Thought for the day: Human life is a story told by God. ~Hans Christian Anderson

(photo: 1972 - Jaw Dawson and Kenton J. Hull)

Today I attended a memorial to help friends and family say goodbye to Kenny Hull, a father, friend, and music educator whose reputation was larger than life. The memorial was a celebration of life rather than an occasion for mourning which says a lot about the man he was. Though he had many accomplishments, the one that affected me the most was that he was responsible for laying the foundation of the McGavock High School band. It has been 34 years since he was the band director at the school, yet the expectations and traditions he established are still evident today. His legacy had a tremendous impact on my life as well as the lives of my children. I almost missed the opportunity to get to know Kenny as a friend, but fortunately that changed about five years ago. I can honestly say that he was one of the kindest people I have ever met.

Hans Christian Anderson once said that a human life is a story told by God. God’s story in Kenny Hull is one that left the world in a better place. I am grateful for his story.

Day 67 - March 26
Listening to: Give a Little Bit
Thought for the day: If I eat one more Hershey’s Chocolate Kiss, I’m going to sprout a little white Kisses banner out of my head.

Today, my body was tired and my soul weary, so I took the day off from the world and didn’t do much. It was heaven. I did have one little chore to attend to. You are looking at my working list of Vietnam veterans from the 37138 zip code. The Old Hickory Veterans Memorial Park Committee will be installing a plaque in tribute to the Vietnam veterans this Memorial Day. The process makes me an absolute wreck and I constantly fight the desire to run away from 37138. I am the president of the committee and am therefore responsible for any name that inadvertently doesn’t make the list. Our group has installed plaques for WWII and the Korean War. In both installations names were unintentionally excluded. It is so difficult when a veteran confronts me and tells me his/her name is not on the plaque. I hate it. It doesn’t matter that hundreds of veterans who do find their names cast in bronze praise me…………..it just takes one left-off veteran to sink my emotional battle ship. So………… I spent time going over my Vietnam notes for the tenth time today...............and drowned my worries in the comforting silverness of Chocolate Kisses.

www.ohvmp.org

Day 68 - March 25
Listening to: Moonlight Feels Right (heard it in Kroger – elevator style –giggling as I listen to it on Youtube right now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnB_X_O9zyc)
Thought for the day: Why oh, oh why, oh why do I NOT HAVE A FIREPLACE? @A*$% !!!!

Note: The coworkers mentioned are all men. Their names are withheld for obvious reasons.


Before I left for California, I got myself a real professional ped-eee-cure. My toes looked good…………… so good that I wore sandals to work when I returned on Wednesday (it was still warm).

As I was making my rounds to say hello to everyone, I stepped boldly into Coworker #1’s office. Without hesitation, he said, “KB – YOUR TOES ARE BEAUTIFUL.” I giggled and made some negative comment in attempt to negate his compliment.

Five minutes later I bumped into Coworker #2 in the hallway. “KBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE………….

woahhh………….look at your toes.”

Today, I ran into both Coworker #1 and #2 co-mingling in Coworker #1’s office. The topic of my pampered feet was mentioned, so I asked: “DO GUYS, in general, HAVE FEET FETISHES………… or are you two coincidentally just freaky feet fetishy?” Coworker #1 said, “I don’t know, let’s go ask Coworker #3.” So we walked across the hall to Coworker #3’s office.

Coworker #1: “Do you like women with painted toenails?”
Coworker #3: “Why yes, yes I do.”
Coworker #1: “Why?”
Coworker #3: “When a woman takes care of her toes/feet, it’s usually a good indicator that she takes really good care of the rest of her body.”

There you have it! No fetish, just logic. Three out of three men surveyed like it when women get pedicures. PEDICURE AWAY YEE WOMEN!!!!