Happy New Year!

Wow.

What an ending to not only another year but another decade.

Ten years ago we were on the verge of  collapse... mentally, emotionally and financially. It was the first and only time I ever worried if my marriage would last.

I've always said money is overrated and still stand by my statement, but when you don't have enough to take care of your own family, it's a pretty hard thing to deal with.

Tim beat himself up pretty badly, and being married to me didn't help much.

There were eventually a lot of finger pointing and  hard feelings.

May I add, I am an excellent finger pointer and my tongue can be razor sharp, with a very quick wit and even quicker come back.

Poor Tim.

He's as quiet and easy going as Ole Jed and the nickname fits him well.

We survived, with a lot of help.

 Seems like the time span of a single year.

If you have a loving family

you have everything you need.

Then this happened last week.

It was a great Christmas, but were missing way too many of our clan. 

Sometimes that happens as all your kids grow up and go their separate ways, with their own new family.

It's a very bitter sweet feeling.

I'm thinking more and more...as the years go by, that we need to pick out some random weekend, at any time of the year, when we can all get together, every single one of us, and enjoy our Christmas together, then. 

I have three kids and they all live in three different states now.

I look at these pictures and wonder how the years passed so quickly?

My life is way over halfway done unless I live to be over one hundred seventeen.

I'm truly the richest woman in the world.

Tim and I have always wanted to live in Florida, and now we do.

Less than an hour from the beach.

Perfect hurricane buffer.

After Tim living and working alone first in Lubbock for almost two years, then Orlando alone for another one...then us all in a rental can for another two years...

We're finally here.

Home.

I'll always be a Georgia Girl...

but I sure love this place.

It's no mansion and almost as old as me, but just feels like the right fit.

It's a place where we can all fit,

and bonus points:

a house where the yards are even more awesome than the inside.

It is going to be a tremendous amount of work to maintain these yards, but will also be a tremendous feeling of satisfaction to watch nature grow and flourish around us.

 I can't wait to do it!

For anyone out there battling their own demon... whether it be financial, personal, emotional, mental or physical.

Never give up.

There is room in this world for all of us...

especially with a little help from your friends.

#NeedOneBeOne

As a dear friend of mine so eloquently posted on his wall for the New Year:

(Old pic of him with my daughter)

"May 2019 bring you everything you are willing to work hard enough for."

#BestAdviceEver

Wake up and continue going forward every day.

It may not be a good day but beats stopping or trying to back up.

It's impossible to go backwards (unless you're Michael J Fox)

 Go forward, even only an inch.

That is progress.

Baby steps.

I'm the lucky one.

The only thing that happened to us, is we both lost our jobs at the same time.

To every person I know, battling cancer or another illness... whether physical, emotional or mental (and sadly know more than a few).

Never give up.

Quitters never win and Winners never quit.

Been there.

Done that.

Luckily miracles happen every day.

(another true fact)

For all my friends battling...

You simply never know, so just wing it until your  miracle happens,

and depend on us until then.

Everyone have a good 2019.

At least we've made it this far.

Til next time...Cotton

Our Very Merry

It was our first Christmas in the new house.

Finding Your Right Path

It's been an exhausting couple of months, but in a good way.

 We finally found the home, here in Orlando...

And are all moved in.

All the furniture we left behind in Georgia is moved in, along with the entire contents of a huge rented storage unit we've had packed to the gills for over two years, and even the contents of our tiny (not so) temp rental house.

It was no small feat.

With help from friends we basically moved everything in the matter of two days. The  (two car) carport was filled with our things and boxes and  so was the two car garage beyond that.

The detached garage in the side yard is full of left over furniture, book shelves, and future projects to eventually make their way into the actual house.

Behind this garage/workshop is a utility shed big enough for my Johnny Dear, all my yard tools, and two of Johnny's buddies if any happened to drop by for a visit!

Every yard, front, back, both sides and anywhere you look, even from a window  is a tiny slice of paradise.

Massey has a nice screened in  side porch off her bedroom...

with this view.

This is the corner view of our lot, from our side yard.

Really?!

 A tree hut (ladders nailed to the trunk) with a perfect view of sunset over the lake, across the street.

Every yard boasts a different garden or place to explore.

Stone pathways line the way from front to back.

Can hardly wait for it to get warm enough to make this screened in porch, complete with Tiki bar, mini fridge and two ceiling fans, Muh She Shed!

Even the view from the street is almost stunning.

From the front yard, is a most inviting view, and exactly what I've always wanted.

The vines in the massive Live Oaks look like ones Tarzan could swing from.

Cold snap?

No worries, we have an awesome fire pit!

We could never shut our blinds, and still be unseen in our house, from neighbors, or the street!

 Only because of the fact that it's almost 2019,  I unfortunately feel compelled to close them every night after dark to deter any Crazies (which mean people crazier than me) who may happen upon us, especially with Tim working out of town sporadically. 

We always have one pup out and one pup in, for constant  all round protection.

Ham has the most seniority so he mostly gets the inside gig...

and has found his fourteen year old Forte'.

No worries... Ziggy is happy as a pig in slop, in his new (literal) digs.

And for me?

I'm the happiest pig in slop round these parts.

If I never have to pack a cardboard box again, it will be too soon.

This is us now.

It was an almost ten year journey I wasn't real crazy (small pun) about making, but ended up being a most valuable lesson for all of us.

Life is what it is.

Roll with what you got, and hope it gets you what you need.

There will hopefully be more peaks than valleys from here on out, but you simply never know.

This house was an enormous leap of faith for us, and as Tim pointed out more than once, if God didn't want us to have it, He wouldn't have brought us this far.

You can be in a place in your life one day, minute, or second, that feels like you are at Disney World at the front of the line for your favorite ride, then just as suddenly that same world shifts...or tilts, everything changes, and you're at the very end of the line.

My advice?

Be a good person, no matter what.

Not because something could happen, but becuse it's the right thing to do

 After almost sixty years on this earth, have found that more times than not, good things happen to good people...

And good people who are dealt bad hands, will always have an army of loyal friends at their back to help and cover the losses best they can.

My goal in life?

Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful Holiday Season.

Til next time...

COTTON

Lots of Thanking To Do

My brother picked me up around three on Wednesday afternoon at my house here in Orlando and we headed up to our sister’s house in Senoia, about forty five minutes south of downtown Atlanta.
...JawJa, that is.

My brother drives like someone in panic mode on their way to the emergency room.


At least he always uses blinkers, seldom uses the horn (or finger) and gets us there in record time, beating it each and every time.

Round trip, we were gone from Orlando for about forty two hours.

Twenty four hours after leaving Orlando, we sat at the dinner table together, all three of us Sibs, the rest of our Georgia fam (sans a few) and
celebrated Thanksgiving.

A few hours later, we climbed back into my brother's rocket (truck) and were back in Orlando by nine AM Friday morning with all my furniture left from our house in Newnan strapped into the bed of his giant Ford.

The purchase of our new home went pretty smoothly (for a Clampett) but those last two days were a nightmare once it went to underwriting for approval to close.

ie:
"You must provide this or that (once again) and resend the requested PDF (for the third time) and have such and such e-signed, filled out, printed off then scanned back, using the Lender's portal and must be received no later than midnight for the possibility of closing on Tuesday."

I  didn't relax until the wire transfer for downpayment was sent, received, papers signed

and saw this sign hanging out front, after driving to our new home.

I'm really going to enjoy this ride home.

I even brought Ziggy over late this afternoon to explore the place while I dropped off some cleaning supplies. We took a video of our walk through together (while my finger was over part of the lens).

Then I found this video posted on YouTube.

It's not a mansion, but it is eclectic, solidly built and screams "Home" to me.

The house is great, but the yards are absolutely amazing.

I'm so ready to play in the dirt again, and what a great place to play!

I can honestly say, for the first time in quite a while, I'm happier than a pig in slop.

When life gives you lemons make lemonade, even if you have to ask for help making it.

Be a decent person... and people will treat you decently.

#FrankLeach

My Diddy (above) was right, and am thankful I was lucky enough to be his kid, walk hand in hand with him,  and learn life lessons from him. (and who tied my my top way to the left?)

Bonus points I had a Momma (also above) who taught me the same.

#AnnLeach

In my life?


I'm one of the luckiest, hands down.

If you have to wait for the right thing, it will be well worth it.

Till next time...COTTON