Dogs are so good for our egos

There is nothing like coming home and being greeted by your dog. Lexie always meets me but if I've been gone longer than a few hours it's a "there you are... I've waited and waited... what took you so long... and why didn't I get to go" session.

I know she can't talk, but she sure does get her point across. My husband greets me with a Hey... where's supper? My dog jumps up and down wanting me to hurry and get out of the car... whining the whole time and then she tries to climb into my lap... she is 75 pounds... and when that doesn't happen, she runs to get her ball.

A dog makes you feel like you're the most important person in the whole and you know they mean it because you are the most important person in their world.

A dog loves you for who and what you are... they even love your faults.

A great weekend with friends and book talk

Jana and I went to visit Irene this weekend.... I had a basket full of quilting pieces, a trunk full of homemade goodies and longing in my heart to see my friend. Jana got the trip started with talk about her new book and the two hour drive just flew by... then we got to Irene's and the real story brain storming began.

I got to see Irene's wonderful boys.. I really love those boys and their great smiles and Paul is so sweet to move his usual routine into another part of the house and give the family room to three crazy authors.

The pictures are of the thoughtful gifts from Irene for Saint Patty Day... y'all do know I was raised Catholic and Saint Patrick is my patron saint. The coffee mug and pottery bowl I found at a thrift shop. And finally the two jackets I bought at this wonderful consignment shop where everything in the shop is $7.98... everything!

The two purchases resulted in the hard work of Jana and Irene keeping the "total awful wrong color don't make me rip that shirt out of your hand" things I found to purchase. The green jacket was a combine attack on my normal desire to wear "bag lady reject" apparel or that is what other friend Sheila always calls my outfits. They were very pleased that they convinced me to buy these two items and secretly I agree with them but don't tell them I said so.

I'm fixing to take a bubble bath and snuggle down in my bed... crack open the book I'm reading and finish a perfect day. Thanks to Jana and Irene for making today so special. Hey Sheila, miss you and wish you was here.

Sping... the time of year you blind your neighbor

Yep, put those shorts on this morning and went to my Daddy's and to the local grocery store. I can't repeat what Daddy said about my all winter encased legs that saw the light of day for the first time in 2012 just minutes before I drove into his driveway.... it wasn't nice what he said but it was true.

I walked around the yard with my stepmother... who gave me four rose bushes she rooted for me... hoping the bright sunshine would work miracles and take away the shimmering glow of my legs... it didn't

Walked into the grocery store and all the guys started laughing and rolling up their pants legs to see who had the whitest legs... I won.

Sooooo, I'm sitting on the deck with skimpy tank top on and shorts that are rolled up enjoying the sunshine. Nobody is laughing at me here... Lexie doesn't care what color my legs are as long as I throw the ball for her to chase and fill that food bowl every morning.

The Battle of Shiloh 150 years later

How many of you have ever been to the Shiloh battle site?? How much do you know about the battle itself??
I've been to several reinactments but I won't be there this year. It's going to be a wonderful event but way too many people for me.

When you do research on this event you find conflicting accounts. Here is a blub from the article adapted from a chapter in Timothy B. Smith's forthcoming book The Untold Story of Shiloh: The Battle and the Battlefield. The article is titled: Battle of Shiloh: Shattering Myths

The standard account of Shiloh, however, is more myth than fact. Misunderstandings and oft-repeated campfire stories have over the years become for many the truth about Shiloh, distorting the actual facts and painting an altered picture of the momentous events of those April days. One has to look no further than the legend of Johnny Clem, the supposed Drummer Boy of Shiloh, to realize that tall tales surround the battle. Clem's 22nd Michigan Infantry was not even organized until after Shiloh took place. Similarly, the notorious Bloody Pond, today a battlefield landmark, could be myth. There is no contemporary evidence that indicates the pond became bloodstained. In fact, there is no contemporary evidence that there was even a pond on the spot. The sole account came from a local citizen who years later

Is a picture worth a thousand words??

In the first picture what do you see and are the words in this picture true?

The boots are real, I wear them any time I go to ride or work at the barn

The hat is not, I never wear hats except when I'm being a cowgirl for reading day at a local school. Same goes for the bandanna... never never

The work gloves are real... I use them regularly these are just new ones

The duster, I really wear on trail rides when it is raining.

The denim shirt and jeans... real

The spurs... nope, never wear them

Second picture what do you see

Does the kid like baseball??

This picture is my grandson Kane when he was six and no I don't think he does like baseball but he played for three years because all his friends did, now at nearly twelve he stills goes to the ball field but you will find him sitting on the picnic tables talking to girls...

I love this picture... we figured out why he couldn't hit the ball

Daylight Saving Time

It was designed to give us more daylight to do more fun things in the warmer months. I'm afraid this mandatory help doesn't help me... well it does sort of but since I get up between 4 and 5 every day, it only makes it darker longer in the mornings. The only thing DST does for me is make me sleepy earlier in the evening when it's still light outside. I guess I'll be going to bed with the chickens.

My granny always said that the cow would dry up and the chickens would stop laying when the time changed. I don't believe that since the sun is still moving through the sky at the same rate ... it's just the clocks that change.

Here are a couple of facts I found about DST

Officials say the extra hour gives people a chance to go out and do something recreational, like walking or taking up a new sport such as golf or tennis. Working out releases serotonin, a chemical in your brain that boosts your energy, which makes you happier and helps you adjust to new schedules. These things will become crucial in the first few weeks of Daylight Savings Time.

Drive carefully: According to health department officials, there also tends to be an increase in vehicle accident the Monday afte Daylight Savings Time begins. Drivers who lose the extra hour of sleep are more prone to accidents, so drivers are urged to drive more cautiously

Do you know when DST first started...

In 1966, the Uniform Time Act outlined that clocks should be set forward on the last Sunday in April and set back the last Sunday in October.

That law was amended in 1986 to start daylight saving time on the first Sunday in April, though the new system wasn't implemented until 1987. The end date was not changed, however, and remained the last Sunday in October until 2006

Today, Daylight Saving Time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. The time change will precede the first day of spring and the vernal equinox, which is set to take place at 1:14 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 20.


Oh I forgot to tell y'all... went riding Wed and Sandy did great. I came home so chilled and mellowed out. If you ever what something from me... make sure I get a good long trail ride before you ask.

Are you smarter than a fifth grader??

I write a article every month for the local Kidsville News, a newspaper that goes to every elementary school in Lauderdale and Colbert county. Lets see how smart y'all are. The answers are at the end. Don't look until you've answered all the questions. Just a reminder... the Battle of Shiloh happened 150 years ago next month.







Seven Civil War Events that Happened in April and One that Didn’t

April was a historical month for the Civil War. All the Generals named in this Knowledge Power are real. A quick web search will help you learn about them. There is one question that didn’t happen in April, can you pick which one?

1. What event on April 12, 1861 started the Civil War?

A.Lincoln’s Inauguration
B.Richmond was named Confederate capitol
C.Shots fired at Fort Sumter
D.Jefferson Davis was named President of the Confederacy

2.At the Battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862, the Confederacy lost a general. Who was it?

A.General Albert Sidney Johnston
B.General S. R. Gist
C.General Thomas Green
D.General James Deshler

3.The Battle of Shiloh was named for the small whitewashed church located in the area. What does the word Shiloh mean?

A.Lost and alone
B.Victory
C.Warrior
D.Place of peace

4.William S. Hays wrote a song about John Lincoln Clem. What was the title of that song?

A.The Drummer Boy of Shiloh
B.Brave Boys are they!
C.The Bonnie Blue Flag
D.Marching Through Georgia

5.Union Colonel Abel Streight departed Tuscumbia, Alabama on April 26, 1863. What Confederate general was in hot pursuit?

A.General Edward “Allegheny” Johnson
B.General Nathan Bedford Forrest
C.General Alexander P. Stewart
D.General John Bell Hood

6.An event on April 14, 1865 changed the lives of every American. What was that event?

A.Slavery abolished in District of Columbia
B.President Abraham Lincoln was shot
C.Sherman's march through Georgia begins
D.Remaining Confederate forces surrender

7.On April 09, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant. Where did this happen?

A.Appomattox Court House in Virginia
B.Durham Court House in North Carolina
C.Richmond Court House in Virginia
D.Atlanta Court House in Georgia

8.On April 22, 1864 the U.S. Congress passed the Coinage Act. What did this Act command?

A.That the words “One nation under God” be placed on all currency
B.That President Lincoln picture be placed on the five dollar bill
C.That the words, "In God We Trust" be placed on all coins minted as United States currency
D.That the words United States of America be placed on all currency



Answers

1. C
2. A
3. D
4. A
5. B
6. B
7. A
8. C

Question four did not happen in April.