My Daddy

On March 28th 1942, my father came into this world. He was born in Sterling, Tennesse and raised in Murray, Kentucky and Dover, Tennessee. He had two sisters and three brothers (surviving). He and my uncles were buck wild. They get together (though uncle Robert has passed away) and they regale us with tales of their exploits. They were good old country boys who swore, smoked, fought and ran moonshine. That's right my daddy was a moonshiner before it was cool. One of my favorite stories is how they chained the axle of a police car to a telephone pole then they got in their car and peeled out in front of the police car. Of course the police took off after them....for the length of the chain anyway, then the bottom was yanked out from under them. I love that story. My daddy was a wild boy!!! Then he settled down and started a family. I love my mother with my whole heart. She's my best friend but I'm a daddy's girl. When I was little, in between all the surgeries and hospital stays, I went almost everywhere with my daddy. I remember how it felt when he picked me up. I put my arm around his neck and all was right with my world. I went fishing, learned how to fix lawn mowers and helped him by handing him tools when he worked on cars. I got my love of pocket knives from my daddy and my love of coffee and my temper too. When I was a teen, like every teen since the dawn of time I wanted to get away from my parents. I would give anything I have to get those lost years and add them on now. I adore my daddy. He is the greatest man I've ever known. Happy Birthday,Daddy!! I love you more than anything!

The Hardest, but Most Important Thing I've Ever Done

Twenty-four years ago today (in exactly one hour) at 4:54 p.m. I became a mother. I was advised by several doctors to abort. "You're not physically able to carry a baby to term and certainly cannot have one naturally." I cannot tell you how many times I heard that and when I insisted then they went to the "with your disability, and your back the way it is you won't be able to carry it from the couch to the crib! " I just told them "I'll get a baby bed or playpen and put it next to my couch! " So I did! She was 4 1/2 weeks early and weighed 4 lbs. 3 1/2 ounces and she was perfect! She was a little hellion and almost drove me insane, but I did it and did a pretty good job! She's my sun and moon and all the stars in between, my Courtney Rae and I love her with every part of my heart and soul! Now.....she did some hilariously funny stuff when she was little. She would show up on the neighbor's porch and say "I come to eat, I brung my fork. " and they would let her in and feed her! (I knew where she was) She would almost never take a nap and sometimes I would fall asleep and one time when I woke up, she was in the middle of my kitchen table nekkid....covered in crisco! I couldn't hardly get a hold of her she was so slippery! She was a constant source of hilarity. Now in just a few minutes she'll be 24. I am proud of her and myself (a little) because I couldn't ask for a better woman to call "daughter "!!! I love you Babygirl!!