To the Clouds..

For some reason Paducah, KY has great sunsets, great glimpses of the moon, and strange looking clouds. Here are some of the ones that I have observed from my neck of the woods. They really don't need words. I will just tell you that all photos were shot with a Kodak z981 (26 optical zoom). That's as good as my camera gets.

Old yeah, but maybe wiser too!

This year marked another milestone in my life (gosh I keep having so many of these)...this one was the anniversary of 20 years since the day that I walked across a stage at Graves County High School and they pronounced me a graduate. Yes, that means that I graduated in 1990, and that makes me almost 40. I understand that, I am not trying to talk to you about that...I am trying to talk to you about my school.I thought we were the coolest school cause we had stairs....yeah that feeling went away FAST!!!Our commons did not look like this...we had these coffin shaped boxes to sit on...tables would have been great!

We used to be told don't walk on the gym floor with "outside" shoes...I had to do it this day because NO ONE was there to stop me.

Graves County High School was a new school when I entered its hallways. I was the second class to start from its freshman year and graduate, but that is not what I liked/hated about it. Here is the deal, I am from Lowes Elementary School. It was very tiny, over the crowded school. That, in my opinion, was full of very bad teachers (there were good ones too, but the bad ones tend to stand out in my memory....I have to search to remember all the good ones). Teachers that did not like the children and I had two personally that were CRUEL to me, and I was a good kid!!! So GCHS sounded like the sweetest music to me. I was going to have choices in classes and being a new school it was going to have the cream of the crop in both things offered and teachers. Yes, it was an escape. An escape from the backwoods of Lowes and branch out.

me and my locker

I am what most people at Lowes called a "weirdo". I liked to paint, draw, dress in black, listen to the Beatles, quote old movies, and my family was pretty poor. I was an outcast with the exception of a couple of others, who might have felt like me. I felt that I did not belong because I was not like others. Yeah, that's me! STRANGE!!!

GCHS was going to offer to me ART!!! Do you know how good something like that sounds to someone like me? Someone like ME...that has bad luck, was a freak! I was going to have ART CLASSES!!! Lowes had an art teacher, but every student in the class did the same thing, it was nothing challenging and honestly, it was NOT art. It was a craft. Everyone did the same thing and you could NOT use any creative license. I hated it!!!

Four years of ART later I had a firm grasp on what I like to make. Mr. Goodwin, my wonderful art teacher, encouraged me, taught me how to look inside for what I wanted to create and he gave all the students chances to experiment with all types of art. some of Mr Goodwins students works of art
Our table in the lunchroom

Please don't think it all was grand it had some downsides too. I did like being able to get lost in the crowds if I wanted or being in the front too. Trust me if you know me, you know I am capable of being both. I ate lunch with the Principal almost every day (He did not eat, he would just sit at our table...I sure he sat at others too, but I was honored he would sit at ours).

I hated the math classes but fell in love with reading here (only I would have been too "cool" to admit it). My love of history was born in the classrooms of this school as was a desire to know about politics.

I made some great friends, had wonderful conversations (mostly religious or about boys), started a lot of gossips, and crushed on a lot of boys...After 20 years, my good experiences totally outweigh any bad that I had here...I still cannot say that about Lowes.

Thanks to all the girls that worked so hard on planning this reunion (outside of the football game....thank goodness I had a great friend to be with me during this game) I had a PERFECT time!!! Marla and I picked up like we had just talked yesterday and I am going to make it a goal to keep up with her (here comes the FB stalking Marla). Janice, Heather and Brian and I did the same...but we do talk often, thanks to Facebook. If I have not mentioned to you here it is not because I was not glad to see you, but do you realize how many people were in our class? Man, it would take all day to name you all.

There were missing faces, Kelly I wish you could have been there (she was at home in California). You have always had a special place in my heart. Becky was in Canada, I really wanted to reconnect with her, she and I were so close when we were younger.

And one I wanted to see Shane Ashbaugh, may he rest in peace.

Thanks again for a great time, the great memories and the friendship

The Ewings

Well, here we are about to embark on a new adventure with the Ewings. This time with John Ross and Christopher Ewing (JR and Bobby's boys). I for one am looking forward to this new TNT drama.

I remember sitting at my grandmother's house on Friday night (this is one of the only good memories at her house), and she was watching her "program" and would not be interrupted, so I sat down and watched with her. Donna and Ray were in love but would not admit it. Lucy was causing all kinds of problems sneaking around in Ray's house without permission. Pam was having trouble adjusting to being a Ewing and Cliff had it out for JR. WOW, I was sucked in like a vacuum cleaner picking up dirt. I had to have more of this show. I don't think as a child I watched much of it. This kind of show was not really my mom's kind of thing, she is more of a Green Acres type person. When I got all grown up it came on TV and I watched every single episode. I taped them then erased them (wish I had kept them).

My favorite times are when JR and Sue Ellen want to be together but aren't because he is in love with Afton, then she meets Dusty; Pam and Bobby are trying to have a baby but she can't because of Digger's disease...however she WON'T tell Bobby about it. Lucy and Mitch get married and he doesn't like the Ewing money. Cliff gets involved with Afton because JR is just using her and Cliff really cares for her. Sue Ellen and JR get back to together and Bobby and Pam break up and here comes Jenna Wade....this goes on for 14 seasons. The last season is the worst but I did name my cat after one of JR's wives. I love the story...JR goes into the country and beds this lady Callie promising her he will marry her. He ends up leaving her there and her brothers come to find JR and make him marry her. She is a country hick and has no clue how to live the elite life in Dallas. She has to be helped into this role and she paints a lot. She changes JR and eventually he falls in love with her.

My favorite character ever was Kristen Shepard. She was evil, smart, and probably the prettiest thing I have ever seen. She is in real life the daughter of Bing Crosby (Mary Crosby is her name) and on the show, she is really Sue Ellen's sister. She comes on the show looking for a college and ends up bedding JR. Sue Ellen doesn't seem to mind sometimes and that is creepy but that is Dallas. Kristen then gets out of favor with JR and ends up hanging around Lucy's boyfriend, Allen Beam (I hate him), he ends up blackmailing Kristen. JR tells her to get out of Dallas and then BAM!!! She shoots JR!!!!!! Creating a mass question of "who shot JR"...inspiring the world with t-shirts and songs about the shooting of JR. Fun times. I remember my grandmother trying to figure out who shot JR. Once it comes out that Kristen shot JR she claims that she is pregnant by two men and blackmails them both (Jordan Lee and JR). JR sends her away and she has the baby, only to come back to Dallas and die in the pool. Later Bobby and Pam will adopt her baby (really Jeff Faraday is the daddy) and name him Christopher.

See how fun this is? Looking forward to this TNT, it had better be good!!!!!

Shuffle

I thought it might be fun to put my mp3 player on shuffle and see what type of music I was currently listening to. Here they are in order to how they were played during my scrapbook time this afternoon. I think by reading this list you can get a big insight to MIchelle the HuMan! Yeah, I am just a mixed up bundle of mess.

1. Even the nights were better--Air Supply (don't judge)
2. Love Bits--Def Leppard
3. Our House---Madness
4. Oh, what a beautiful morning---Gordan McRae
5. One night in Bangkok--Murray Head
6. Splash Mountain Medley---splash mt WDW
7. I am the Walrus---The Beatles
8. No Sugar tonight/New Mother Nature--the Guess who
9. Good Morning---Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds.
10. If you think I don't need you---Elvis Presley
11. From this moment on---Tommy Rall and Ann Miller
12. Mr. Blue Sky---ELO
13. Kiss--Prince
14. Spies like us---Paul McCartney
15. Hallelujah --Bon Jovi
16. Set adrift of memory bliss---PM Dawn
17. Gansta---BBD (oh yeah, love them)
18. Paperback writer---The Beatles
19. Wanderlust---Paul McCartney
20. Paradise City---GNR
21. Amazing---Aerosmith
22. All those years ago---George Harrison
23. I me mine--The Beatles
24. The Enchanted Tiki Room (1971 version)---WDW
25. Porcupine Pie---The Wiggles
26. Living in the sunslight---Tiny Tim
27. Wanted Dead or Alive (live)--Bon JOvi
28. Just got back--Cheap Trick
29. PSSOM--Def Lep (live, acoustic)
30. Universe of Energy---EPCOT
31. Everybody---BSB
32. I dig a pony (anthology)--The Beatles
33. Nobody's Fool---Cinderella
34. Wonderful Tonight---Clapton
35. You got me runnin'---Def Lep
36. I love this town---Bon Jovi
37. You're Sixteen---Ringo
38. SexyBack---JT
39. Run Riot---Def Lep
40. Zero to Hero---Hercules soundtrack
41. You outta know---Alanis
42. Wannabe---The Spice Girls
43. My prerogative--Bobby Brown
44. High n' Dry (Saturday NIght)---Def Lep
45. Over at the Frankenstein place--Rocky HOrror
46. The Time---Black Eyed Peas
47. I left my hat in Haiti---Fred Astaire
48. Watching the Wheels---John Lennon
49. Me and Bobby McGee--Janis Joplin
50. County Bear Jamboree---WDW
51. Dear Prudence---The Beatles
52. Super Trooper---Abba
53. Who's crying now---Journey
54. Come on Eileen---Dexy's Midnight runners
55. Over the rainbow---Isreal IZ Kamakawiwo'ole
56. Let me roll it---Paul McCartney
56. Patience---GNR
57. She's out of my life---MJ
58. 2 Legit 2 Quit--Hammer
59. Land of confusion---Genesis
60. Vienna Calling--Falco
I have over 4000 songs on here, so that is all for now.

Xanadu

Don't judge me because I like Xanadu. No siree bob, don't you dare. Yes, I know Xanadu has been laughed at for years and years and years. Basically, since the day it was released, but think not about the crappy storyline, or that one dude's bad acting...think about the movie.

The movie is an artistic wonder from the get-go. It has some wonderful paintings and that was just the first attraction for me and thrilling animation from Don Bluth. The second is a man that you may never have heard of Gene Kelly. He did a little song and dancing in his younger years, nothing to write home about but that is what he did. In this movie, he only dances twice and once on roller skates, he had to be 70 something when this movie was made. He even danced around Olivia Newton-John and made it appear that she could dance, but Gene was good at that trick (in that past life). This was his last movie by the way.

Kenny Ortega (High School Musical fame) was the choreographer...and I think he did a great job!!!

Then there is the soundtrack, even if Jeff Lynne won't admit it, the music is brilliant. ELO, the Tubes, Gene and Olivia. A perfect score for the fantasy film, set on roller skates.

I am writing this because I bought the movie years ago and watched it many times and then it disappeared. Where was it? I could not find it, I last remembered watching it on the way to Mason Ohio and Great Wolf Lodge. I figured that I dropped it out of the truck while traveling. NO I DID NOT, I found it yesterday, in a computer manual that I never even knew that I opened. I was gathering stuff to get rid of our stupid Celeron computer and there it was in the manual. I have watched it 3 times today. I have missed it so.

The greatest part to me is the ending...Gene Kelly "Drum Dreams" on roller skates. Then Olivia comes in and does a WOWING rendition of "Fool Country" and "First Stage out of this Town" and then "Xanadu".

As a child, my favorite part was after FSOTT (first stage out of this town) the music tempo changes and Xanadu starts, Olivia starts walking up the stage in this silver lame' dress, with her hair in a glitter corn roll type hairdo. I LOVE this part!!!!!

Guys, it's not a great movie plot-wise, as I stated but if you want a visually appealing movie, with great music and Gene Kelly, yeah this one is for you.

Strange things are happening

To borrow a line from the great movie Toy Story, this is my life today. We are closing a chapter. A chapter that has been a part of life for so long, I am not sure how to do things without it. It is hard to change course when you have done something for so long. For seven years Trevor has been dealing with his eye issues. It started when he was little and he was watching tv and John noticed his eye floating all over the place. We go to an eye doctor in Paducah and they say that they cannot help us and send us to a specialist in Carp Girardeau, MO who scares us to death by telling us that he will go blind in that eye if he does not have surgery. She even schedules it for the next week. We can't do that with a $2500 deductible...NO WAY....I start seeking options. I mention at church for them to pray for us because we did not know what we were going to do. A member is with the Lion's Club and he says that they may help us. My friend Rhonda told me this was a great avenue to pursue so off we go. This guys name is Tom and he said we had lots of options, the first being to go see their doctor in Louisville, KY at the Lions Club Eye Clinic. They would even sponsor Trevor to help out with the cost, because our insurance was so bad. So off we go....when we first met Dr. Paul Rychwalski, I thought, he is so young. I had done research on him and supposedly he is VERY good, but I expected him to be older. All he does is deal with people with children and their eye disabilities and diseases. It was a very comforting environment. It did not take Dr. Paul and his assistant long to determine that Trevor had a binocular vision disability and Amblyopia strabismus (lazy eye and misalignment). He would never be cured and would need therapy. I asked about the blindness and surgery and he said "Trevor is not a candidate for surgery because of what he is facing...not at this time" He immediately put us on a harsh (yes harsh) therapy of eye patching. Eye patching is a nightmare to parents. The child does NOT want to wear the patch, doesn't understand why they have to wear the patch and because you are patching the good eye, there is NO depth perception and the vision is whacked up. Who wants to go through that? Especially for 6 hours per day? WOW!!! We did it though (thanks to the preschool teachers who helped us out on this), and returned after 6 weeks, with good progress. It was GREAT progress actually, Dr. Rychwalski was proud of Trevor and said he could tell we were patching. He prescribed more patching.....

Our life over the next few years has been full of patching and an eye drops...Atropine. It was a scary thing to do because I have heard that it can damage the good eye. Also, it allows more sunlight to enter the eye so that it can cause cataracts and other vision issues. You are putting a chemical in the good eye to blur it so the bad eye has to do the focusing. I actually hated the atropine, but Trevor tended to prefer it. Mainly, because his friends had NO idea that there was "something wrong with him". We have had to be very careful with the atropine because we go to theme parks a lot, he plays outside sports and he is a boy and they like the outdoors. I still don't know when we will be able to tell if he has damage because of the sun.

Trevor has gone to the eye doctor every 6 weeks or so for almost 7 years. Because we knew he would never be cured, that we were just getting him to the best that we could get him, our goal was set kind of low....20/50 with visual aids. That means he can read the 20/50 line with the glasses on his face. It has been a back and forth emotional journey....20/70 at the worst and 20/30 at the best. Dr Rychwalski had been so pleased with his results and our determination to help Trevor the best that we could, he let us start seeing a local doctor in 2005. Dr Jeff Taylor. He has been a little bit of wonderful for us as well. He has taken Trevor's goal on as his own. When Trevor was not doing well, he too would get upset about it. When Trevor did well, he was just as excited as we were. I have recommended him to everyone that I know looking for an ophthalmologist because he is so wonderful. He has taken Trevor's concerns to heart as if Trevor were an adult, and this speaks volumes to me. He has been wonderful with my little boy.

Dr Taylor said it was coming, he has warned us for a long time...around the age of 8 Trevor's eye would stop growing and there would be nothing else that we could do. Here we are, age 8 and Dr. Taylor wanted him so badly (right on with us) to read that 20/30 line (that was sort of a secret goal)....Trevor could not do it. We went to the dr last Friday and he said "stop using the drops." This is it the end...20/50 is the best Trevor is going to do. Yes, it is the goal, he will be able to drive a car, it is just bittersweet. There is nothing else we can do to make it better. Trevor really knows no life outside of eye therapy. It is going to be strange all his life we had to put the patch on or drop the drops.

Let me explain his life...He has had to cover up an eye that sees perfectly. Therefore, his vision has been a constant blurry out of alignment mess for almost 7 years. He has never seen a baseball coming at him as his teammates have, he has never read a book like other people, he has never watched tv where he didn't angle his head to be able to see better. I am so proud of the things he has accomplished under these circumstances, he is a great student, he is a very good baseball player (when his bad eye will work like it is supposed to), he is not afraid to try new things, and doesn't know the meaning of "I can't see so I won't do it". He gets out there and tries and most times, he succeeds.

Now that we are at the end, we have to make sure that we have not damaged that good eye. That poor eye has been through a lot over the last 7 years as well. It has had to turn itself off, be covered up and blurred so it could not see a thing. Have we damaged it under all this therapy? Actually that is a possibility. We have finished with all therapy! A hard concept for me to grasp. Trevor is having no issues there. Now we go back in 4 weeks to see if the good eye is ok. To make sure there is no damage. Are we finished going to the eye doctor all the time? We don't know yet. Is this eye going to be ok? We don't know yet. Will he ever need eye surgery on the bad eye? We don't know yet. But I will tell you, it will be nice to not have to go to the eye doctor every other month, it will be nice not to have to use eye drops, it will be nice not to have to put on an eye patch, it will be very nice to see how he hits a baseball using NO therapy. I think I look forward to that...yes I know I do. Now that the good eye will be able to use the depth perception that it has...he may really have a great season.

Trevor has been great through all of this. Yes, he has screamed and cried and ran away from me because I had to do stuff to his eyes, but gosh Trevor it's over. I am proud of you for being such a good boy at the eye doctor all these years, I shall miss playing eye spy with you while we wait for Dr. Taylor. I shall miss playing jeopardy with you in the waiting room. I shall miss buying you a hamburger because you have been such a good boy. I shall miss the nurse saying "why do you never want a sucker?" to you. But I am glad that you will be able to drive a car one day and your mama won't have to drive you and your girlfriend on dates. Yes, that part makes me happy. I don't want to be toting you around when you are 50, I am glad that you will be able to drive and you can tote me around.

Thanks to the doctors who have helped us over the years...Especially to Dr Paul Rychwalski, who was willing to try hard to make my babies life better without putting him under the knife. Thank you for all that you and Dr Taylor have done for my little boy.

Ocean boneless

It has got to be the best fish that I have ever put in my mouth. I have only found it at one restaurant, the Country Crossroads in Hardin. I started eating it as a senior in high school and John and I have been there many times as well. There were times that we would come home from Little Rock and that would be one of the first things we did (that and drink a sundrop).


Over the years that fish has been a favorite....there was a bad time when the restaurant closed. I never knew for sure why, but it did. John and I tried many restaurants at the lakes looking for our ocean boneless, but no one had it. It was a thrill to hear it was reopening...our only hope was that they kept the ocean boneless. They had changed some things, do the decor, but it needed that....and they brought you a plate of hush puppies and cheese sauce! That's was new and exciting! Yummy as well! There it was on the menu, OCEAN BONELESS. The cost was more than before, but I promise you, the taste is worth every penny. It says exactly the same. They did improve their dinner salad (it used to be just lettuce) and the white beans hanger always been good. So we are going to the Country Crossroads this weekend...maybe I will take a photo for you. It'd need worth the time, effort and money for you to drive yourself over to Hardin and pig out on this tasty, yummy treat.

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