Chocolate Bunnies & Stuff

Here are some pictures of Ody and his daddy Brandon Hatcher on Easter.  I was watching a video that Krystal Hatcher posted online and Ody was inspecting his chocolate bunny, and to my surprise he took a bite of it, tasted it and spit it out.  Immediately I said to myself, "he doesn't take after grandma," which is Me, and I laughed.

Like all children, Ody likes to play in tents, and this first picture is of Ody and his daddy in their make-shift tent.

 Here's Ody tasting his chocolate bunny.

Now Ody is wondering what he should do with this thing in his hands.

Have we finally met someone that doesn't like chocolate?  I didn't think such a person existed, but he's still cute as a button and you never know, he might like chocolate better as time goes on.

Next is a picture of Sharon June who was out camping at S-Tree Towers in Jackson County, Ky. 

Sharon is never going to slow down and that's GREAT.  You stop and you're done, but she's not done yet!  It's good to see both of my daughters out enjoying life and keeping very active.  I'm lucky to be able to get out too....to doctors appointments, for lab tests and an occasional trip to the back yard to see what's going on there, and oh, to the grocery store which wears me out for a day or so.  Have you ever counted how many times you have to handle those groceries?  It's a job!

I also forgot to mention that Sharon loves chocolate bunnies just as much as I do.  She has my genes.  Suzanne would rather eat a block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. 

I'm not sure if I ever posted this picture of Suzanne doing her thing.  She also loves to kayak and spend time with her grandson Carson..

I found it and have already posted this picture, but that's ok.  I like seeing pictures of my girls over and over again.

Beautiful Day

Oh! Another beautiful day here!

I just love the weather we are having here lately.  It is just gorgeous with everything sprouting up, some flowers and trees are blooming and some are sending out their bright young green leaves.  This is all candy to my eyes.

I just got finished eating a warmed up flower tortilla with butter inside.  Those are like comfort food to me and just a light snack before supper.  I can't make up my mind whether I want a Stuffed Crust Pizza loaded with different toppings and extra cheese, or a Tuna salad sandwich for supper tonight.  I'll just have to wait and see what sounds more appealing to me later on.

Rick mowed my yard yesterday.  It sure needed it, but his two yards are still waiting for the grass to grow.  My yard just grows thicker and faster than his for some reason.   That's a good thing tho. Less mowing to do.  I mow his one and one half acres with my zero turn while he weed-eats it, and then his second property we mow with a self-propelled push mower.  Last year I didn't do so well pushing the mower or even weed-eating, but this year I'm feeling stronger, but we'll just have to wait and see if I'm able to help Rick with his second yard or not. 

It's so warm that I turned on the AC and put on some shorts instead of long pants today.  I'm sure we'll have more cold weather, but I'm taking advantage of this beautiful sunshine today.  

Sharon had an upper endoscopy this morning with a biopsy, and at another hospital in Lexington Delores had 2 epidural shots in her back for her back & leg pain.  I hope the shots work this time for Delores.  She's been in so much pain lately while dealing with her lung cancer treatments and still healing from her total knee replacement.  That just seems so much for her to deal with at 88 years old, but she's a tough old bird.  You should see how she still whizzes around in Cosco's shopping for groceries.  I can hardly keep up with her.  That woman loves to shop and she loves to cook. She's one of the sweetest and most generous people that I know. 

My Birthday Surprises

 I had the Best Birthday ever from Rick this year.  It wasn't the money spent, but the quality of time spent with me and the places he took me to.  It started with Saturday night at the river listening to a live band play for about 4 hours.  They were good and the name of the band was Vanguard, and they were from Lexington, Ky.

Before going out to hear the band play we went to Wendy's for Chili and a hamburger and fries.  That was so we wouldn't get hungry while listening to the band.  The band was appearing at Proud Mary's, a local restaurant at Clays Ferry, which also sold alcohol, so many people were drinking, eating and dancing while their kids played in a huge sandbox.

After we left Proud Mary's Rick was hungry so we stopped at a McDonald's, bought burgers and took them home to eat.  The next day, which was really my actual birth date, Rick took me for a motorcycle ride and we ended up at Madison County Regional Airport.  There was a big jet there, so we unlocked the gate and went inside the tarmac to get a closer view of the jet.  We don't see too many small jets land here, but they do land here at times.  We waited there and soon it boarded and took off, so we came on home.

We were waiting at home killing time for about an hour and then Rick was going to take me out for a birthday dinner at Derby City Truck Stop in Mt.Vernon, Ky. because I like to eat there and then we were going to go to Lake Linville and watch the sunset, but we didn't get to do any of this because a friend called Rick and asked him what we were doing, so Rick told them that it was my birthday and that I wanted to go out to dinner.  They quickly told us to be ready in ten to fifteen minutes and they would pick us up and treat us to a birthday dinner.  In about seven minutes they pulled up in a brand new Mercedes Benz and we were off for a great adventure in the country.  We drove on roads we have never been on before and saw some of the most beautiful countryside that I had never been to or seen before.  After about an hours drive we ended up somewhere near Nicholasville at a Malone's Restaurant.  There I was treated like the Princes that I am, (haha) and we ate some of the most delicious food that I have tasted in a while.  Nothing was spared, they even insisted that I have a goblet of wine with my meal.  They all made me feel so special.  They even sang Happy Birthday to me as loud as they could.  We all had so much fun.  On the long way home they turned on music that we could all relate to and we sang out loud all the way home.  

It was a birthday that I won't forget.  It's not often that I spend time with friends like that, and they said that they would like to do this more if it was alright with us.  I'm looking forward to more fun times spent with friends, but next time I won't be drinking anymore wine.  That was something that was just out of the ordinary for me and for Rick.

Rick wants to go back to Proud Mary's again next weekend, and I'm looking forward to it.  Rick doesn't dance, and I do just fine wiggling around in my chair to the beat of the music.  I'm quite content with that.

My two wonderful and loving daughters gave me an Adidas jacket that I love for my birthday, and I will be wearing it tonight when I go to watch Carson play ball.  All in all, I had a wonderful birthday.  My children have always made sure that my birthdays were great, but this year for the first time in nine years, Rick remembered my birthday and showed me that I was someone special to him and he made my birthday last for the whole entire weekend.

Thank you all for making me feel so special.  I love all of you.

Oh, and I can't forget to mention the birthday videos that I received from Sharon & Bo, and from Megan & Myles.  They were so cute.  

THIS IS THE WAY TO KAYAK

That's me on the end of the tow-rope with my feet all propped up there on top of the kayak.  My kids really love me to take such good care of me........

 Zac and Sharon took turns pulling me back across the lake.  I did paddle myself for the first two or three hours, but then Suzanne decided that it was time to tow me for a while so that I wouldn't get sore.  I have such sweet thoughtful kids & grandchildren always thinking of dear old mom's welfare.  I love them all.

Kayaking with the kids

 The kids have been kayaking for many years now, but for me I'm new to it and this was my 3rd time.  The first time that I ever kayaked was at Eastern Kentucky University in a class that I took prior to 1990 with my daughter Suzanne.  There we learned how to roll a kayak completely around, but it was in a swimming pool with an instructor looking on and keeping us from drowning.

Then in 2023 Suzanne and Ray asked me if I wanted to go kayaking with them and I agreed to go.  It was fun, but getting into and out of the kayak was very difficult for me because of my recent total hip replacement.  I let myself down so hard on the kayak that I bruised myself and after that for a while I just fished from the banks of Owsley Fork Lake and any other lake I could easily drive myself to.

Suzanne & Ray use their kayaks to fish out of and to observe nature and the beautiful peaceful surroundings.  They see deer, big fish swimming by, green turtles sunning themselves on downed trees and tree limbs, and of course they watch the sun come up in the early misty mornings and the sunset in the evenings. Suzanne & Ray's grandson Carson also goes kayaking with them at times, and so does Matt, Victoria and her boys.  Kayaking is a family affair.

My other daughter Sharon, kayaks with her children & grandchildren, among other activities.  She has so many outdoors interests and you just never know what Sharon is doing from week to week.  Sharon may be on her Razor 4wheeling, her dirt bike, kayak, boating or camping primitively somewhere out in the woods, or on her motorcycle riding around the countryside or to another state all by herself.  There isn't anything out-doorsey that Sharon can't do.  I failed to name cycling 60 miles before breakfast on her mountain bike, mountain climbing or running in a marathon.  Sharon and her kids can do about anything they can afford and put their mind to doing.   

I've been pretty much a couch potato since Jimmy died, but then Rick came along and we fished and boated for a little while, but his job got in the way and we stopped going anywhere until Suzanne got me interested in fishing again this year.  Below are some pictures of last weekend when both Suzanne & Sharon got together and we all went kayaking, even me.......

We got on the lake very early.  

Suzanne & Ray arrived there at around 5:00 a.m., I got there around 5:30 a.m. and Sharon & Zac arrived around 5:45 a.m.

We immediately launched our kayaks when Sharon & Zac arrived and started on our journey.  Everyone except Sharon & I fished.  I didn't fish because it was all that I could do was to paddle myself around. Zac, Suzanne & Ray fished, but mostly we observed our beautiful surroundings and visited a lot.  Suzanne spotted a 5 foot long carp and we all got to see it as it fed around the banks of the lake.  It looked like a shark with half of its tail fin  out of the water.  No one wanted to cast near that fish because we all knew that it was way too big and would easily turn a kayak over.  I'll try to put the video of the large carp up on a later post once I figure out how to do it.

I'll attach 5 more pictures of us kayaking in the next post.  And also,  if you look closely at the last picture you will see a towrope going from Zac's kayak to mine.  We were on the lake around 5 or 6 hours with two very brief stops, so the last hour Suzanne suggested that I get towed for the trip back to the docking area.  Sharon volunteered to tow me and then Zac took over.  In the picture above, Zac is towing my kayak.  Getting towed is great and allowed me to take pictures, but only pictures of everyone's backs.  I was extremely sore the next day, but an Aleve helped with the soreness for a day or two.  My kids and grandkids are so considerate and thoughtful.  I love my family so much!  Even the ones who weren't with us.  I have a great family!!!

 

Sharon's 4-Wheeling Accident

On May 11th I got a text message that no mother wants to hear.  My daughter Sharon texted me and told me that she had been in a 4-wheeling accident, and that her Razor had rolled over on her and that Scott had to dig her out, and pull her to safety.

This is Sharon and her Razor.  This picture was taken on the day she bought it and got it home. 

Sharon is an extremely careful driver.  She doesn't speed or take chances on it because she knows the dangers.  She has taken the Razor out several times without any problems, and on May 11, 2022 she was riding on the same trail that she has been on before several times, but this time the bolt holding her seat in place broke and the seat slid forward, tossing Sharon forward and causing her to hit the gas pedal by mistake.  The 4-wheeler suddenly lunged forward, and went over an embankment rolling over and coming to a stop on top of Sharon.

Of course just as soon as I had gotten the text I called her.  She was having difficulty breaking and she thought it was because she kept having panic attacks just thinking about the accident.  She was also very sore and could hardly walk, but now was back at camp waiting for Zac and Scott to go retrieve her 4-wheeler, so she could go home.  I begged her to go get herself checked out at the E.R., but she wanted to just go home.

After Scott had driven her home, thankfully Megan convinced her to go to their local E.R. to be checked out.  I'm assuming that Sharon was now in so much pain that she agreed to go, and it was a good thing that she did!  There they found that she had 3 broken ribs, fractured L1 & L2, and had 3 more thoracic breaks.......no wonder she was in so much pain and could hardly breathe.

Sharon was then transferred from her local hospital to the University of Kentucky Medical Center for further evaluation.  While at U.K. we Facetimed, and she looked remarkably good for someone who had 8 broken bones.  

She was extremely lucky that she didn't get killed, or worse, die from her injuries, and we are all thanking God for watching over her like he always does.

Sharon's breaks ended up not requiring any intervention or surgery, so she got to go home the next day.  

Here she is being driven home by Megan.

Sharon has to be extremely careful and rest for several weeks to allow everything to heal up.  Scott took off work for a week to care for her every need, so I have stayed out of their way for now.  Someone fixed her a bed downstairs so that she doesn't have to climb the stairs until she is able.  Everything she needs is on the first floor, except for a good hot shower or bath.  The potty chair that I had given her for her camper came in handy as she wasn't able to bend down or get up from the toilet seat without screaming in pain.  She does have a half bath downstairs.

I'm sure that Megan and Zac have been around helping her and I know that Jack helped her by putting on her socks and shoes for her one day, and then took her on a short walk.  Lyv and Myles have probably helped her too.  Sharon is going to be spoiled rotten, but she deserves it and all the attention she's getting.

It's just been 8 days since her accident, so she still has much healing to do.  This summer she will just have to take it easy and watch her active family from afar.

Early Mother's Day Celebration

 I had a wonderful time today with my two daughters, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.  They all came together and took me to Olive Garden for an early Mother's Day lunch.  I enjoyed every single minute of it, because I just don't get to see my family as much as I would like to because of circumstances beyond my control.

I can't wait to get to spend more time with them in the near future, and with the rest of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were not present just because they didn't know about it.  It was kind of a spontaneous gathering, and most times those are the best kind.  

Here we are in front of Olive Garden in Richmond, Kentucky, where we ate.  They asked me to choose where I wanted to eat and this is where I chose.  They were all surprised because I usually choose Red Lobster, but in this economy I thought this was the best choice.  

And pictured from left to right: (front row) Zac, Me, Carson, (back row) Megan, Sharon, Suzanne

I love all of you more than you could ever know, and I miss you...all of you, even those in my family who were not there.  

I'd also like to wish a Happy Mother's Day to Megan, Sharon, Suzanne, Tori, Jennifer, Victoria and Krystal who is expecting her first baby sometime later in 2022.  And also to Laurel, Allison, Callie and Kathy.  

Homemade flour tortillas

 My daughter Sharon has gotten so good at making homemade flour tortillas at home.  When she first started her tortillas were shaped like turtles with legs, tail and a head.  Sometimes they just looked like an amoeba, or any one celled animal, but now they're round and perfect.  

Um Umm......so good with just butter.

Just like my grandmother used to make for me when I was a child.

Look what Scott brought home for Sharon

Scott is full of surprises for Sharon.  Here's her latest new toy that just arrived a few moments ago.  As you can see by the big smile on Sharon's face she loves it!  Way to go Scott!  

 

Remembering my Son

My Beautiful Daughters

Got to spend the day with my two girls on Monday and I loved it!

Children are a gift from God and I cherish every day that I get to talk to them, FaceTime with them, and even text with them.  It took the death of my son to open my eyes that any of us could be gone in an instant, and then we would never get to see, kiss or hug them again.  

I have always loved my children very much, but I always thought that they would always be here, so I guess you could say that I took them for granted.  No more will I do that and I plan to spend more time with them.

I love my two daughters and I am so proud of the young women that they have become.  I'm proud of the way they raised their own children with so much love and care.  I wasn't much of a role model for them, so they did it all on their own.  I didn't get to do the things I wanted to do with them because I was too busy satisfying the needs of the men in my life....with one man being the exception and I know everyone knows who he was.  I'll give you a clue.....Jimmy Wallace.

On Monday we all went out to Brian's gravesite, said our goodbye's, left a portion of his ashes there, sat in the shade and played some of his favorite songs for him, and afterwards we went to Apollo's Pizza, in Old Town Berea for a mid afternoon lunch.  I have to say that Suzanne was the only one who ate healthy, eating a garden salad.  Sharon and I did what we always do....we ordered two different things and shared each.  She ordered the smallest pizza you can order and I got a hoagie.  Sharon & I each ate pizza and one half of the hoagie, plus their homemade potato chips, so we were stuffed by the time we left there.

Suzanne had suggested we eat at Apollo's and since both Sharon & I had never been there we agreed on her choice.  The food was good there, but don't be in any hurry when you eat there, because they are slow, but then so are we :)  The great tasting food made up for their slowness, and besides we had plenty of time to enjoy each other's company, and the girls explored Apollo's outdoor eating area.  The bathroom at Apollo's was clean and they have very unusual sinks that you have to see for yourselves.  I had never seen anything like these before.

All in all what could have been a very sad day turned out to be one of the best days I've spent in a long time with my girls.  

James Brian Hatcher giving us a sign

"I said a prayer for you today, I know God must have heard. I felt the answer in my heart, although he spoke no word."

Brian's sister, Suzanne, prepared the prayer cloth to be wrapped around her only brother's ashes before he was laid to rest at Shady Oaks in the family cemetery today.

Suzanne went out there over the very hot weekend, mowed and weed-eated a large area around the cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day just in case someone wanted to come visit the graves of James E. Hatcher and his son James Brian Hatcher on or around Memorial Day.

Brian's sister, Sharon, had a stone made and placed it on Brian's grave  with the names of those who dearly loved and will forever miss Brian.
She placed the stone on his grave.

Some of Brian's ashes were laid to rest on top of a bed of red roses provided by Suzanne.

The beautiful Peonies that Brian and Reva had planted were beginning to bloom and have many buds ready to pop open yet,  and Brian was placed right next to one of them. 

 It was just Suzanne, Sharon and myself who went out there and we sat under the shade of a redbud tree, (it was so hot 90 degrees), and we

played some of Brian's favorite music, Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd was one of them.  After Sharon had played a selection,  then some how mysteriously, Spirit in the Sky  by Norman Greenbaum just started playing on its very own from my cell phone.  It was a little eerie at first, but then we saw it as a sign from Brian.  This is something that none of us will be forgetting anytime soon.  For just  half a second or so I thought Brian was calling me on my cellphone, but then I realized that this couldn't be possible.

Spirit in the Sky was the ringtone that Brian had chosen to put on my cell phone so that I would recognize that it was he who was calling me.  Brian loved that song, and today, sitting by his grave,  I definitely knew that it was Brian who was reaching out to us to let us know he was still watching out over all of his family, and that he is fine.

Here are some more pictures of our day and also some taken previously of Shady Oaks where some of Brian's ashes have been laid to rest:

  

SNOW & ICE PICTURES by Suzanne (Feb. 2021)