Three Amazing Words..."Pay It Forward"

I got a message from a friend of mine wanting to meet up with me and asked if I was off On Tuesday? I told her no but to come by the restaurant and eat with me.

She came bopping in with her boyfriend and they ate at one of my tables. She also reads my blog so of course pretty much knew who every one there was!

I met Kim a few years back through a Facebook page my sister and I started for the church we attended when we were kids and then young adults. Kim was now a member and joined our page.

The above is a shot from the fifties. Both my parents and Aunt and Uncle are in it. It was a neighborhood church and from this picture quite obviously in a white neighborhood.

Today the church is still  true to the existing neighborhood and  is a racially diverse congregation, just like my friend and her boyfriend.

She's come down to eat at my sister's house with us and we have kept in touch. She came in today and I had the owner cook their meals. As usual, he rocked it and think they enjoyed it. The owners bought them dessert and I sent them packing with tons of leftovers. I ran her credit card but put a zero in the tip column, telling her it was my treat and no tip was necessary.

I introduced her to Barb (one of my bosses) on her way out the door. Kim told me I should play the lottery tonight and thought it was a joke about how unlucky I am. I had done a blog about that a few nights ago and guessed she had read it.

I went back to her table after they left and sitting under the bill was a big stack of lottery tickets with a sticky note on top reading "May you win the biggest tip EVER!! Kim and Matt".

Here's a girl who until recently rode the bus everywhere and didn't even own a car. She worked several jobs trying to land a full time position. She eventually got a car and a job. She sends me uplifting messages and always encourages me. She's a delight and feel lucky to have her in my corner and on my friend list.

I gave my boss, who takes care of me as if I was one of her kids a ticket. I gave the two girls working with me who give me rides home from work time and time again each a ticket. I didn't want to leave out the owner's husband (as Barb calls Len) one for cooking their dinner and buying their dessert.

It's all about Paying It Forward. My friend paid it forward to me and I paid it forward to ones who have helped me.

What a thoughtful thing for her to do!

I was all excited she was finally coming to the restaurant where I work (an hour's drive) and having Len make her food. I thought I was doing something nice for her not accepting a tip and turns out she once again one upped me!

Needless to say everyone at the restaurant was excited about a one time shot at ANYTHING and now know what a terrific girl my friend, Kim is!

Oh I have my stack in the kitchen on the counter! I had to bum another ride home from work but tomorrow morning will go get my "Luck On" at the local gas station before Tim takes the car to work.

It sounds silly but if people lived by the "Pay It Forward" rule, things would be wonderful and only continue to get better.

I am a firm believer in Karma and Pay It Forward, therefore know with sincerity everything will be okay for us.

My eye is almost healed and as I say, am down to "Car wreck" status. My back's flared up again but bought some Icy Hot patches and are working wonders.

Sometimes it's easy to get depressed about your life but have decided I don't like the easy way.

I have so many blessings it would take Rain Man to count them.

I'm a crazy loud mouth skinny woman with an excellent sense of humor (unless you ask my kids) and find laughter is truly the best medicine.

I have The Big Guy upstairs, family, friends and sometimes mere acquaintances who lift me up every day. When I feel down and out, I look up. When I think all is lost, I find something to hold on to. When I think I can't go on, I do. Sometimes I stumble but simply persevere and clumsily find the way.

My life's not pretty but it's MY life and am grateful for it. I am loved and hopefully others feel MY love.

If you don't give of yourself, why should you ever expect to receive anything?


Til next time, an extremely grateful COTTON.

Yard Work is Good for the Soul

Went to bed late last night with a wet washcloth on my forehead...These night sweats are turning into nightmare sweats. Got up and jumped on Johnny to cut the front entrance of our subdivision around 11AM. Cut for two hours and came home covered with red Georgia clay. It has been so dry here that I seem to kick up more dirt than cut down grass. I dreamed last night that I owned this transformer in the above picture...could I cut some crap with that or WHAT?

 I drank a huge cup of water and went next door to cut my neighbor's front back and side yard. Fixed a bologna sandwich and felt revived enough to ride ole Johnny back up front to weed eat the huge ditches on both sides of the subdivision entrance. My weed eater ran out out line and I sat on  the ground to wind on some more. A car whizzed by and honked long and hard on their horn and I heard a  scream... "Get off yer ass, Cotton!"

It was one of the women I worked with over ten years ago when I was doing my stint as a "Lunch Lady" at my kid's elementary school. She's a pistol...from Alabama and reminds me of Peppermint Patty with  attitude. I cracked up when I heard her yell  as she flew by with her hand waving out the open car window.

Only in the south!
I wound  new line on, "Got off my ass" and finished the weed eating. I can't imagine women up north riding around honking,  screaming out their car window "Get off yer ass" which to  women in the south means "Good to see ya still kickin !"

Her pep talk got me through the task at hand. It was ninety four degrees outside. Add in my hot flash effect and it was a hundred and forty. I've been cutting the front of the subdivision for a couple of years and have had numerous drive by shout outs. One of my old managers from work flew by me one day and honked his horn scaring the crap out of me because I had my back turned to the road. When I got home I had a text on my phone from him "Looking good slinging that weed eater, Mama!"

I don't know why I like yard work so much...maybe I was an illegal immigrant in a past life or part of a prison work detail.

It kills me when I am doing it but is so satisfying to see my handy work when I am done.

Zach took me to work today and when we got to the stop sign at the end our street he remarked how nice it looked. I said I  missed a couple of weeds by the water meter but would stop and pull them up tomorrow. He gave the slow shake of his head that means "You are totally crazy" and turned out of the subdivision.

Don't think I won't stop on the way out tomorrow to snag those weeds...little buggers trying to make MY handiwork look slack. I'll show THEM!

My car got sick on Friday and is currenty in ICU at the car hospital. Why do things like this happen on a holiday weekend?

 On the bright side the check I kited for Massey's fundraiser on Friday won't go through either so it is a win/win situation. I have until Tuesday to make everything right and tight!

Hopefully ole TS Lee will cancel everyone's cook out plans and they will all decide on coming to eat at the restaurant I work for.

If my check for cutting the front of the subdivision comes in and my luck holds out  with customers at work showing me their love, it will all be okay.

You know what? It will be okay anyway.

 After the past two years,  I have learned a few lessons that will last a lifetime. Number one...be honest. Number two...be humble. Number three be grateful and most importantly... Number four, Always Pay it Forward.

My life has been quite the journey... and you know what? I look forward to what the future holds and can take anything it throws at me. I've made so much lemonade out of lemons with so much help from friends family and strangers that the rest of this trip oughta be a BREEZE!

"Get off yer ass, Cotton!"

I'm gonna have to send ole Peppermint Patty a thank you note!

Til next time...one extremely lucky  lady!

Update on Dani

I thought I would give you an update on my co worker who was in a devastating car accident. She has battled back like the warrior she has thoroughly proved herself to be.

Ya know, when I first started writing about her "co worker" seemed the appropriate term. As I have gotten to know her better and gotten to know her wonderful family and support system... "friend" seems much more appropriate and accurate.

She came into the restaurant to see me just the other day and brought her mom with her who is visiting from Michigan. It was the first time I had met her mother and they looked like sisters standing there. Dani brought me a sweet card to thank me for visiting her in the hospital...TOTALLY unnecessary but thoughtful just like the young girl who handed it to me.

She is almost through with her out patient therapy and has made BEYOND amazing progress.

Getting to know this young girl , her friends and family has been a really touching and eye opening experience. You know the saying..."Only by the grace of God..."

You never know what the next minute in life may bring or if you are even going to have that next minute.

This girl knows that now...this girl LIVES that now.

As you can see if you click on the photo of the vehicle she was sitting in the passenger seat of when the wreck happened, it is a miracle she survived at all.

But survive she did... and thrive she will. Her personality is slowly returning to the young girl I remember before the wreck and the glow in her face has returned as well.

In her delirious state early on in the Sheperd Center...she talked on and on and on about the "Sham Wow." Don't ask me why, I guess infomercials work really well when you are in traction, casts, body braces and awake all night with only a TV for company.

Anyway, Massey and I bought her one and took it to her in the hospital. You would have thought I took her a pair of diamond earrings! I have posted a pic of me and her with the coveted "Sham Wow" as well.

The last picture is where the first of this story began. In a hospital bed clinging to life.

Obviously my girl is a "CLINGER."

She hung on, she maintained and made the best of her daily changing prognosis and outlook...sometimes it was bleak...sometimes it was dim...but she gave it her all and God has rewarded her with a miracle in my book.

It has been a true blessing for me, getting to know her AND her courage... and for her to consider this ole broad a friend (I hope people don't think I'm her Grandma) although I would be pleased as pop to have a grand daughter as great as her one day (WAY on down the road.)

She has had a couple of minor set backs and has some problems with having been intubated for such a long period of time...but mark my words (not really my words BUT Danielle is WAY too young to remember this show) it just seems so fitting...

"WHO CAN TURN THE WORLD ON WITH HER SMILE

WHO CAN TAKE A NOTHING DAY AND SUDDENLY MAKE IT ALL SEEM OKAY

WELL IT'S YOU GIRL AND YOU SHOULD KNOW IT

WITH EACH GLANCE AND EVERY LITTLE MOMENT YOU SHOW IT

LOVE IS ALL AROUND , NO NEED TO WASTE IT

YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE IT

YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT AFTER ALL

YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT AFTER ALL."

Til Next time...COTTON

As Time Passes By, I Realize...

I went to the funeral of one of my dear friend's parents today. She was one of my many "Running" buddies in high school. I haven't seen her in over thirty years but we have kept in touch through cards, letters and the Internet.

Another of my "Running" buddies was there as well and it was a bittersweet reunion.

Some friends from high school fall by the way side. Others stay in your heart forever...these two girls fall in that category.

One of them I was on the cheer leading squad with, the other I was in the band with. Boy, did we have some good times!

In the words of my 14 year old daughter "OMG."

Thursday night band practice on the football field, Friday night ballgames, Saturday night Rolling parties. We rolled probably two yards a night. We got caught a couple of times but usually got away clean...til we cranked up my friend's mustang with the cherry bomb mufflers (that generally gave way who we were.) There were about ten of us that were all close. Some were seniors, some juniors, I was a sophomore when we all first met and started hanging out...but we were all equals when we were together.

Our favorite hang out was McDonald's on Main St. There was a former police officer from our home town sitting in front of me at the funeral today. As I sat looking at the back of his now balding head, I wondered how many times he had to run us off from McDonald's...they always tried but we'd just circle the block til they left and resumed hanging out.

This was back when the world was a much safer place and Underground Atlanta was still "underground." We'd go to "Broadway", "The Mad Hatter" or "The Pump House"...nightspots in Underground, back when the drinking age was eighteen (what were our law makers thinking?) "Penny a beer night" (what were bar owners thinking?) Of course one Hurricane and you'd be done for the night. It was just fun to go hang out in downtown Atlanta. Our parents would have had a stroke if they knew about some of our antics, but it was basically good clean fun (except for the few fake ID's required) and thankfully we all survived without any major mishaps.

Today is a different time and a different world.

I often think of how lucky I was to grow up in the seventies.

Building homecoming floats, rolling yards, bonfires and pep rallies, powder puff football games and school dances (complete with the disco ball.) We were good kids (except for the Underground thing) and we all knew what morals and consequences were. None of us were into drugs, we were into high school and each other and having the most fun we could.

We were all lucky to have parents that loved us, came to our games and dances (maybe THAT part we didn't like) and raised us all to be pretty decent kids...and thanks to them we all seem to have turned out to be pretty decent parents.

Heaven seems to filling up with a lot of our parents...my mom has been there for over thirty years, my dad for six, several other's have passed as well.

Today they were joined by one more. They must have quite a Booster Club going up there!

It was sad to see another friend lose another parent, but quite heart warming to see old friends from the past even if was for a funeral. Her dad lived to be 87... that ain't too shabby.

When I put my arms around my friend today after the service, I felt just as much love for her as I did when I was in high school.

You know what is crazy? None of us look like we are ole farts, none of us look like we should have kids in college or out of college or kids in high school.

We are still the same old girls with the same love for each other that we had over thirty years ago.

That, in a nutshell... is the meaning of true friendship.

"Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other one's GOLD."

Thoughts and prayers out to my friend and her family...thanks for letting me be a part of your life and for making mine all the richer.

The Weight Under My Wings Has Become Immense

I called my Republican best friend tonight to tell her that I was almost on the verge of changing party affiliations because I don't really know if I can take many more people under my "Left" wing.

It started at 7AM this morning, my daughter was on the phone with her science partner for a "plant" project they were doing. Her mother's car had been stolen overnight, and she didn't know how she would get to school.

They had to plant two plants at the same time , chart and monitor their growth.

After I got off of work, I drove to WalMart and bought two clay pots, potting soil and a Hyacinth bulb that is to be planted in the early fall.

On the way to the girl's house, Massey told me that her Mom had learned what had happened to her car.


She told me that in the middle of the night, the dealership had come and taken her mother's car.

I couldn't bring myself to tell Massey that it was a repossession.

When I pulled into the driveway, I immediately knew that this was a family that was doing much worse than my own. My daughter told me that her dad has never been in the picture...Thus, a single mom with three kids, trying to scratch out a living and provide her kids with a roof over their heads.

I casually introduced myself and said that I was always off on Mondays, and if it was okay with her , I would come over and bring her daughter to my house to chart the growth of their project and bring her back home.

She was extremely grateful for the gesture, and said that unfortunately her cell phone was dead because her charger was in her car...that had been taken.

I told her..."No problem".

I will pick up and deliver her daughter back home once a week, and hopefully the project will be a success.

And I thought that MY family was in need?

How ridiculous does that seem to me now?

This woman, trying to survive alone with her kids is struggling more than I could ever imagine having or wanting to do.

I told my daughter on the way home...

"You be a good friend to this girl".

But my daughter... "My little upcoming Democrat in a pretty package" ...said that everyone at school makes fun of this girl because she doesn't wear cool clothes and is a little chunky; commented that she liked this girl and wanted to be her friend.

I will try to help this family as much as I can without possibly being noticed (and I am pretty good at that).

With the help of friends ...right wing and left... we will help this family and make them feel like it is just a GOD send...not charity or pity.

It makes me realize how extremely lucky and blessed that my family is...and only makes me want to help others more.

My daughter has another friend who's mother has Leukemia and a terminal heart condition, and is on so may meds that I know her family of six is holding on by a string. Talking to her is an ordeal that I endure...but her endurance is much, much greater, and a fate that I wouldn't wish on my greatest enemy.

But I talk to her, listen to her and bring her daughter over to my house for a breath of fresh air and a feeling of normalcy.

Her mother doesn't WANT to be sick...but is trying to make it another day, another week, another month.

It makes me realize how TRULY lucky we have been in the "Grand Scheme" of things.

My husband DID lose his job..

But at least I HAVE a husband.

I do not have terminal Cancer.

It makes me realize that I am SO extremely lucky, so blessed that I need to get down on my knees and thank GOD that he has blessed me with good health and the ability to help the other people that I can... in ANY kind of way or capacity.

It is not my burden ; but my destiny and privilege. To be able to help others less fortunate than me... and that some people gain from my tiny offering of help...my caring, my sincere offer of not only ... friendship, but a concern for their well being and ANYTHING else that they can possibly think of.

I WILL BE THERE... I WILL DO WHAT YOU WANT OR NEED.... JUST LET ME KNOW

Livin " Large" for 72 Hours!! PART ONE

My husband took me on a surprise trip to Biloxi for an anniversary present. It's only taken him 20 years...but I have to admit he did it 'right'.

We stayed at the Beau Rivage, and I HIGHLY recommend it. Over twenty floors of almost embarrassing pampering and luxury (at least to someone like me).

We got there at 3:00..4:00 our time, when my kids usually get off the bus.

My phone rang at 4:05.

My middle son was calling to say they were locked out of the house. I always leave the back kitchen door unlocked. # one....we have three huge dogs in the backyard #2.... one of the kids are always losing their key, and can jump the back fence for easy entry through the back door.

My daughter had forgotten her key, my son had lost his...and their older brother had taken the hide a key.

My son was on the roof of our house. Not a good sign when you are two states away.

They finally got in after lifting up the second garage door (packed with junk).

When we got back from our trip... there was a screen on the roof of the third floor, and the complete top panel of the second garage door was off. WELCOME HOME !!

As I realized while I was in Biloxi, they are IN the house now..."LET'S GO GAMBLE"!!!!

WE all took the elevator down. When it is "JUST" your own group...you talk and chat. When there is an outsider in the group, you tend to just 'mutter among yourselves'.

It was the six of us, three couples and an odd man with a suitcase going downstairs to check out.

I couldn't stand the opportunity.

I said that my friend Jew and her husband could stay in our room that night . She said that she wanted to sleep by me, and with my butch haircut and wrinkles remarked that I had been meaning to break up with her.

The man with the suitcase began to pivot and move his handle of his suitcase up and down, and totally NOT looking up in any direction.

About that time another of my friends picked up on my Que , and said quite loudly "Julie, did you pay off those bad check charges before we left"?

The odd man out began to not only shuffle, but seemed EXTREMELY uncomfortable.

I JUST HAD TO ADD TO THE MIX!!!

AS the elevator door opened to let our 'friend' out, I gazed across the elevator at my husband and said...."Good luck beating that RAPE charge, Tim".

The man finally looked up and said..."I really hate to have to get off here".

He certainly had tales to tell when he met up with his party...and we continued on with our own.


It was a weekend filled with stories, lots of walkers piled up in a corner, rascals scooting everywhere and extremely over weight people "GASPING" their way through a weekend at the casino.

It was a wake up call.

Am I going to BE one of these people? Or am I going to be the one to assist them?

I don't think that I want to be either,

""DING A LING A LING" ....bells ringing....people thinking that they are winning money.

It is ALL a SCAM!!!

You can go to the casino and win a thousand...or lose a thousand.

It is just the energy...the free drinks...the oxygen that they pump in to keep us all alert.

It is a money making machine, and I CAN'T BLAME THEM.

We had a great time, and I have several more stories to tell about our short stay in opulence...

SO MUCH to come later...COTON.

The Funeral

I recently attended the funeral of a dear lady that had worked for me in the After School Program that I was the asst.coordinator for. She was only 56...fought a three year battle with colon cancer and unfortunately lost. This was the first African American funeral that I have ever been to.

Let me begin by saying that is is a good thing that I had taken the whole day off from work...after three hours, I was sitting on the pew wondering if I needed to perhaps get someone to cover my next day as well.

It was a very spiritual and moving service. It was also the most fascinating event that I have ever been to. It began with several very lengthy selections from the choir...all swaying to the beat and clapping to keep time.There were four ministers who spoke (at great length as well). Then we moved on to a couple of solo's. After a prayer was sent up in the family's behalf, a female evangelist took the microphone. She was before the five other people that were listed in the program scheduled to speak.

By this point, I stopped looking at my program...because these people were flying this train to Heaven by the seat of their pants. When the minister began his eulogy...twenty minutes in I realized that this was going to be a full out sermon (and it was).

The funeral started at 1:00. I got home at 4:00. And when I left, the entire cortege was preparing to go to the grave site to (in the word's of the minister) " Continue the service".

The funeral directors all wore tux, with tails and white gloves. They stood by the front of the church the entire service without so much as moving a muscle. I heard more "AMEN" "YES, JESUS"..."GLORY BE TO GOD" than I think I have heard in my entire life....and I grew up in the church.

It seems to me that this group in fact did not WANT this service to end...and peacefully spent an entire afternoon in the company of each other, the bereaved family, and their Lord.

Being a Caucasian...I have only experienced funerals of my relatives or other church members. When we send them on, it with the briefest of services, and before the hour is out we are all back in our own cars headed back to our own life.

It was a cultural eye opener for me...and a marvelous send off for this wonderful woman. How can I have lived 48 years and never attended one of these affairs? I have many African American friends...they are just all still alive.

After the grave side service... they were all coming back to the church for "The Repast". They were probably still at the church while I was cleaning up my dinner dishes.

I was impressed beyond words at the incredible amount of time and devotion that went into saying goodbye to their loved one. I left the church a little numbed (and not just my backside that I had been sitting on for three hours).

Ms. Rosa had herself a humdinger of a send off and one that I felt privileged to be able to witness. God bless Rosa and her son left behind. I am confident that her congregation will take him under their wing...and he will be okay.

Till next time...COTTON

Lived To Tell

Over 150 class mates came together as a whole..lots of comments on my "stalker" lots of good times remembered. I feel compelled to say that I once again feel complete as not only a person, but a class mate that is welcomed by my peers....ones that hate me were obviously absent...classmates that I were never close to in school...(ROXIE) thanks for coming..and I feel proud to call you my friend ..and I hope that you consider me a friend as well. It was a group of red necks, politicians and blue collar workers....all coming together for an evening of unbridled and unchallenged lifestyles. We at RUSSELL are an eclectic and unassuming bunch of people that continue to connect and keep in contact over a fifty year span of time. When our school gets together...the house is "ROCKIN" we are a fired up, crazy mix of white, black, rich, poor, middle class people that make ANY party a party to remember! I LOVE my class mates, I love my childhood, and I love the life that I was so graciously given. When my husband and I left tonight, they were moving on to another club....and are still partying as I write this post. To have a school that WANTS to get together, WANTS to remember, WANTS to keep in touch...It makes me feel satisfied that I am a part of a school that not only remembers the past..but wants to keep in touch for the future...and who knows how long that may be? We "WILDCATS" were aptly named...and we hold true to our name. It was a pleasure to be surrounded by these people from my past, look at them in the present, and hope to see them in my future. And I didn't even get attacked by my stalker.... NOT YET!!! Till next time...COTTON

PS Thanks for all the compliments from one guy that I don't think I ever talked to before, that I have known since I was ten....WHO KNEW that he thought I was cute? I guess that 48 , and skinny is HIS kind of gal...but anyway...It was nice to hear, and it made my husband laugh (I need to ask my husband EXACTLY what he was laughing at). At least Tim is married to 105 lb's of grief...as opposed to 200 lb's of grief. That HAS to be a heck of a lot more crap to put up with.

Seventy Eight Sounds Great!!

I can hardly believe that I have already made 78 posts. Obviously my verbal diarrhea comes so fast and furious that even I have lost count!! This blog has been an amazing thing for me. It has allowed me to express myself, introduce my small audience (actually I have had over 3000 hits on this blog) to the many characters that I have in my life at home and at work. It has enabled me to vent about so many vast and differing topics and opinions that I have (right or wrong) to re connect with a few old friends, and make a couple of new ones. A special shout out to my new friend Eamon, from the UK and a writer from New York!! I sit here at night and just tell my stories, tell you about my life and tell you my problems... and you know what?? A lot more people than I would have EVER imagined are listening and reading. I honestly can't imagine running out of topics...I have about thirty more running through my mind on a daily basis. From the economy, the three houses in foreclosure on my street... to the INSANE way people act about the smallest thing that goes wrong... to the impossible task of raising children in this CRAZY,CRAZY world. I was impressed today at work, when my boss said that he had read my blog last night...it made my day to think that he felt my ramblings were worth his spare time...which he certainly does not have a lot of...monitoring all us idiots at work. A dear friend that moved away about ten years ago, told me she sat at her computer for four hours alternating between laughter and tears reading my stories...that is EXACTLY what I am striving for.. to not only entertain and enlighten but to strike a chord in people that they can recognize and relate to. My only wish is that more of you would add your own comments more often...(except crazy girl from high school). A few of my readers are great about it, and nothing excites me more (that may be an overstatement) than to see new comments on my site. Maybe I need to rip the Republican Party a little more... that will be sure to get my husband to comment!! All in all I have been tremendously satisfied with my little project (Thank you once again , Lisa) and been given the chance to do what I want to do more than anything else in my life (career-wise) WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and letting me write....not that a team of Mexican Mules could stop me!! Unless one of them was a "Crip" or "Blood"... then I would just plead insanity, and mention that I have a HUGE fan base at my place of employment with a large number of illegals that not only LIKE me, but consider me an amiga. I have been given a wonderful life..probably one that I don't deserve..just ask my former class mate from high school...but one that I do NOT take lightly, and one that I thank GOD for every day of my existence on this Earth. I hope that I have entertained some of you half as much as I have entertained myself (which obviously isn't hard to do). Big plans and ideas are flowing through my teeny mind even as I type this, my 79th post. I'll have to have an 80th "POST" party...maybe invite a few of my friends over for a cold one, and a night of celebration; because since I have started this blog...everything has looked up for me... I feel like I have grown as a person ( I can use the extra pounds) and I feel like my life has another purpose besides being a mother (which I love) and an over worked person (which I HAVE to be right now). But I love my country, I love my life, my family (not necessarily in that order) and I love my blog!! Thanks for reading....And letting ME be Me!!! Till next time..COTTON