Kentucky Wild Cat???

So Danny and I have returned from our medical mission to Nicaragua.  Our hearts have been touched in ways we can not even explain.  I suspect I will be writing more about the physical and spiritual blessings that occurred on that trip but for now...

One evening, after clinic, we were walking to see one of our former interpreters who had recently had a baby.  Along the way, we saw a man with a small animal on a string.  I, of course, had to hold it.

 Let's go in for a closer look, shall we?

Sure looks like a little fox doesn't it?

But the Nicaraguan who was trying to sell it to us assured us that it was a "wild cat from the mountains".

So, since I am a Kentucky girl and I am holding a "wild cat" could I caption this photo "Kentucky Wild Cat"?

Just asking.

America's Game

When most people are asked to name a few major holidays the answers will usually include Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or Fourth of July.  Danny Dearest would add one more.

  Opening day of Major League Baseball.

Now just to be clear, before I married Danny Dearest I didn't know Major League Baseball had an opening day, a closing day, or any kind of day at all.  I believe Danny Dearest was shocked at my ignorance at the inner workings of the goings on of those guys with bats that ran around on a field.  But he accepted me as I was and I chose to ignore his rather limited fashion sense.

But in going through our pictures I ran across this.

Let's not even think about how impossibly skinny Danny Dearest is in this picture let's just go in for a close up of that amazing footwear he is sporting.

No baseball cleats for him.  When you are as fast and sure-footed as a deer you don't need cleats. Rather, he is wearing the original low top converse basketball shoes.  It turns out he was a fashion trend setter way back in 19-something or other.  And while I can accept his footwear choice, the dark socks with athletic wear does give me pause.  (I am pausing here. For the socks, you understand.)

Now for the whole team proudly representing Youngblood's of Mayfield Kentucky on the baseball diamond.

You got to wonder why that one coach has a bandage on his nose.  Errant baseball perhaps?

These Are the Days of Our Lives

When Baby Susan was growing up, she had all the typical teenage crushes on actors, singers, etc.  But one that stood out was...

Bryan Datlilo, better known as Lucas (Roberts) Horton on Days of Our Lives.

Now according to She Knows Soaps.com, this bad boy
1. has forgiven Sami a million times but done his fair share of bad deeds.
2. had helped Kate frame Sami for the murder of Franco Kelley,
3. attempted to kill Sami himself.
4. has kidnapped his son, Will, once.

And that is just a partial lists of Lucas' exploits on this soap.

And Baby Susan thought he was the cat's pajamas.  The bee's knees.,  All that and a bag of chips. (Let's see how many out of date metaphors I can name.)

And then good fortune struck for Baby Susan,

The local minor league baseball team was having soap night when various soap stars would be in attendance and play one inning of baseball to raise money for charity. Before this, Baby Susan's interest in baseball could be measured by the flavors of ice cream being served at the concession stand.

 But suddenly Baby Susan developed an overnight interest in baseball so being the over indulgent parents we were, we took her.

And Lucas was there.

And we got this rather out of focus shot.

It was love at first sight.

I Can Say All the New Testament Books!

When we purchased our current home, one of the selling points was a 900 square foot permanent garage/storage building that was located on the property.

We promptly began filling that building with 1,000 square feet of junk.

So recently I began to try to sift through all the "treasures" and keep the good and dispose of the not so good.  And in doing so I have run across some real gems.  Like this.

Yes, that would be Baby Susan"s button from kindergarten Bible School after she had learned all the books of the New Testament.  Not only did she receive the button, she also received a small New Testament of her own.  Sadly, that little Bible has not been found in my excavation of the storage building but hope springs eternal and perhaps it will turn up.

And just let me say, that button and Bible were not easily earned.  We sang the "Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John" song over and over and over and over.  Until she finally had it down and could sing/say the books of the New Testament.  It was a proud moment in her young life.

 This is a picture of Baby Susan the first day of that Sunday School class.  Doesn't she look happy to be there?  And since this was pre-digital , there was a back to this picture. Here is what Baby
Susan put on the back of this picture...

Perhaps only a mother would say this but...isn't that cute!

Look At Those Smiles!

So recently some family members have been bugging me about not writing on my blog so to satisfy that massive fan  base (all three of you), I will attempt to write again.

Since my last post we did complete the Bataan Memorial Death March and attended the Final Four basketball tournament in New Orleans.  I will describe both of those events in excruciating detail at a later time.  But right now I would like to talk about another life event that has occurred.

A little over a week ago, my father in law passed away.

The whole week was a bittersweet experience.  It was bitter in that we lost a marvelous man who was 82 years old and would have been married to my mother in law for 60 years this week. 

A young Danny Dearest with my father in law.

It was sweet in that we had a family reunion with all the cousins and in laws.  I met some of Danny Dearest's cousins that I had never seen before.  At one time all the brothers and their families were eating at a local restaurant when my mother in law leaned over to me and said that,"He would have loved this."  And he would have.  The laughing, the talking, and the eating.  He would have truly loved it.

Toward the end of the week, Baby Susan posted a new profile picture to her Facebook account.

When Danny Dearest saw it, his first comment was, "Look at those smiles!"  And that is how I choose to remember him...smiling with a grandchild on his lap.

Well, Apparently I AM Bilingual

Today, after a delightful morning of teaching preschoolers, I had several errands to run.  Now, as we all know, a lady cannot be expected to face the rigors of the retail world, on a empty stomach.  So I decided to stop at that fine Mexican eating establishment...

Yes, Taco Bell,  Don't judge me.  I was hungry and had very limited funds...so Taco  Bell it was.

The young lady who was taking orders was finishing up with the customer in front of me.  Now at our Taco Bell they ask for your name so that they can yell out your name when your order is complete. You can then scurry up to the counter and retrieve your food. And then you can begin to savor the goodness that can only be found at Taco Bell.

But I digress.

The order taker asked the (who by the way, had a British accent.  My little Las Cruces is becoming so worldly) customer her name.  The problem?  The customer spoke no English, only Spanish.

So I whipped out my superhero cape and said, in my best Spanish, "Como se llamas?"  (Spanish speakers...I know that I don't have the correct Spanish punctuation.  But my computer is apparently English only.)

The lady gave her name and tragedy was averted by...

SUPER TRANSLATOR!!! (that would be me)

But one warning.  That's all the Spanish I know.

Weekend Roundup

I realize that I have been taking a little bloggy break, but I am back now and thought I would bore you with a play by play of the (Imagine a group of brass instruments loudly playing "Da-Dah!") WEEKEND OF PAM AND DANNY DEAREST.

(Yes, the caps were necessary)

(Just to let you know how important this weekend was...or was not.)

Let's start with Friday because with me the weekend begins on Friday.  As my last post said, Danny Dearest and I are planning to walk the Bataan Memorial Death March.  So Friday evening we walked 10 miles.  Now that should be easy for someone who has RUN (I know, I know.  Caps again.  It's just a caps kind of day.) a half marathon.  But there is one key difference.  I ran the half marathon alone.  At my own speed.  Fast when I wanted, slow when I wanted. 

I walked the 10 miles with Danny Dearest.  Not alone.  Not at my speed.  Not fast when I wanted.  Not slow when I wanted. 

Just to give you an idea of what walking with Danny Dearest is like, when he was in Basic Training at Fort Knox they wouldn't let him lead marches.  Why, you say.  Because he led then to stinking fast, that's why. In other words, he led the marches TO FAST FOR THE ARMY.  ( Caps again.  What can I say?)

He tries to slow down but eventually he is a couple of feet ahead of me with me trying to slow him down.  So walking 10 miles was a little difficult.

And we are going to walk 26.2 miles together during the march.

Good times will be had.

Saturday we spent the day at our church at a seminar with Bruce McLarty learning how to grow together.  It was a time well spent on how we can have an effect on each other.

Sunday morning was spent at church and then, what do you think we did Sunday evening?  Super Bowl, of course.  We joined friends at their house and watched the Super Bowl.  I wasn't sure who was playing or who won but a good time was had by all.  I spent Super Bowl time doing my traditional working on crafts.  I made some flannel board games for the preschool which I will share later.

I know you are a-tremble with anticipation.