Saturday night all of the family left and returned to their respective homes. I had previously committed to helping Davey's mom Patty with a Halloween party for several of his kindergarten friends, so I missed the last few hours of their visit. Instead, I was a witch. Aside from scaring the little ones, I also helped with the games and the pinanta.

Yesterday I straightened the house, did some laundry, visited a coworker that had surgery on Friday, and ate supper with mom and Rocky. Last night I enjoyed the quiet house. It seems odd now, after a week of activity. My cat Paddy is happy though. She curled up on my lap, which she never does, while I read a book until bedtime.

We had plenty of time to get acquainted with little Brady. He is the sweetest little thing, and hardly ever makes a peep. Since he is the image of my son, it is deja vu for me. Jonathan and Aimee adore the little guy, and will make good parents. Brady is probably still seeing spots from all of the pictures we took, but I will finally have something to show you. As soon as someone sends them to me, I will forward them to John to get on my site.

Napoleon made a couple of appearances, but all of the people and activity scared him. My daughter got a few pictures of him, so when she sends them I will bring you up to speed with my beautiful fowl friend.

Since it is kick butt Monday, I had better get at it. The day awaits. Have a great one, and I will see you tomorrow....here on my country road.

Until then,
Becky
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Yesterday my daughter Jennifer, her husband Marc, and I went out to see Aimee and baby Brady. We took pictures, and will hopefully have some to send so John can get them onto my blog site. Brady slept through his introduction to Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Marc. I did get to change a diaper and feed him some, but he sleeps most of the time. Hard to realize he is just a few days old.

I call him angel baby, because he is such a good baby. Actually he is the spitting image of my son when he was born. He will be busy this next couple of weeks with visits to the doctor, and the specialist who will determine how best to deal with removing the extra fingers and toes.

The poor thing is held all the time. No one can bear to put him down. I started a camouflage afghan for his crib yesterday, so I have something to keep my hands busy while we are all visiting. Having lots of fun. Jennifer and Marc got to see Napoleon last night....here on my country road.

Until next time,
Becky
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Yesterday I tried to catch up on a little sleep. I still have a dull headache from the hospital ordeal, but I don't have time to rest now. My daughter Jennifer and her husband Marc are in the air as we speak and will arrive from Connecticut this afternoon.

I have so much to get done in the mean time, but wanted to check in with you all first. Thank you for your sentiments and congratulations for Brady's arrival. They were discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon and are now home.

I will be posting while everyone is here, but may not make it every morning. I'll keep you posted on the progress with Brady. They will be sending him to Springfield for a consultation with a specialist before they remove the extra toes and fingers. Probably a very good thing. In the interim, he is a sweet angel baby. He hardly ever cries.

I have a batch of cinnamon rolls to make, so I'd better get busy. Have a great day.
Until next time,
Becky
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After twenty-nine hours and fifty-eight minutes of labor, the world welomes Brady Scott Cunningham. The last twelve hours was an intricate and difficult struggle with preeclampsia to keep both mother and baby from going into distress, thus resulting in an emergency cesarean section. Aimee's obstetrician wanted to deliver the baby naturally if possible, and after several scary episodes of the baby's heartrate dropping, I had to give him credit. The guy knows his business. He was confident that patience and modern technology would win the day.

Aimee never uttered a word of complaint. She endured the hours of pain and frustration with quiet determination and grace much better than did the rest of us. I really liked her doctor, and after wondering myself if we were on the right path, he won us all over. Even Jonathan, who thought that he couldn't be in the room at time of delivery took heart. The medical staff was fantastic.

And so, in the first minutes of October twenty first, Jonathan, Aimee's mother, and I flanked Aimee as she delivered her son. It was an unbelievable moment supported with cheers, laughing, and tears. Jonathan followed the doctor's instructions to the letter, and cut the cord himself. He kissed Aimee before following Brady to the area where the nurses quickly set to work. Aimee was a real trooper. She allowed all of us to share in a very special and memorable moment.

Jonathan was the first to hold his newly cleaned and swaddled son. I believe it to be love at first sight. He is the one who carried Brady to Aimee to hold. I don't think the staff will forget us. Aimee had been born with six fingers, Jonathan had been born with six toes. Not to be outdone by his parents, Brady entered the world with both six fingers and six toes. It was a first for the doctor and the staff. The extra digits will be easily removed today. Already Brady has made his mark on the world.

And so, the world welcomes Brady Scott. As a completely unbiased grandmother, I agreed with all who watched his arrival into life. He is perfect. And the boy has a healthy set of pipes.

I have to get ready for work, but it will be with a great deal of joy.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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For the first time in I can't even remember when, I have been up for 24 hours with no rest. I have been at the hospital since getting home from work yesterday. It seems that my daughter-in-law developed preeclampsia, and due to high blood pressure the doctor wanted to induce labor. As usually happens, the baby had other ideas.

I have to work this morning, when they are going to begin a drip. I was to be in the delivery room with Aimee and her mom, as my son Jonathan has a very weak stomach and can't stand to watch Aimee in pain. When we arrived last night, a woman was just delivering a baby, and she was heaping uncomplimentary curses on her husband and the pain. As soon as the baby was delivered, and we heard the little fella crying, peace reigned. The blood drained from Jonathan's face. It will be a long day for them.

I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers for them and the staff that attends Aimee and the baby. Hopefully I will be able to get there before the baby is born.

I'll keep you posted,
Becky
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It is amazing to me how you can put words together in such a way that it moves you and stirs your heart. It is one of the things I love about writing. There are endless ways to touch people through the written word, and I am always finding things written by others that I keep because they move me so deeply.

Years ago I found a piece that touched me in such a way. I suppose I misplaced it over time, and had forgotten about it. Last week when mom and I were at the flea market, I found a framed piece with the poem in it. I grabbed it up, and now it hangs above my desk in my office. It says much more beautifully what my heart feels. I am sure when you read it you will remember seeing it yourself. Now I can enjoy it every day.

I love you not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you.

I love you not only for what you have made of yourself,
but for what you are making of me.

I love you for the part of me that you bring out;
I love you for putting your hand in my heaped-up heart
and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can't help
dimly seeing there, and for drawing out into the light all the
beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.

I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber
of my life not a tavern, but a temple; Out of the works
of my every day not a reproach, but a song....

Anonymous

Enjoy your day.
Until tomorrow,
Becky
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Sunday marked National Bosses Day. Hmmm. Guess my employees missed that one.

This holiday mania is fueled by the greeting card industry in an effort to sell more greeting cards and gifts. I am a person who adores holidays. However, they lost me several years ago when they added all of these little ones that no one has heard of. I think that most people know what Secretaries Day is, but can anyone tell me when it is? And then a year or two ago they renamed it to be more politically correct. I can't even remember what it is called now. Poor secretaries. Our local florist usually tries to advertise these obscure holidays so they can sell floral arrangements. I think their little marquis is where I first realized the name had been changed.

Just a cursory check of my desk calendar yielded these red letter days:

Administrative Professionals Day
Patriot Day
Grandparents Day
National Bosses Day
Mother-in-law Day
Grandchildrens Day
Armed Forces Day
Patriots Day
Earth Day
Holocaust Remembrance Day

I am sure that Hallmark includes all of the holidays they have created on one of their little calendars, but I don't have one. At any rate, I said all of that to say this- today we are having a lunch for the staff at work. I think they are ordering pizza for everyone. So, I won't have to pack a lunch today.

If you are a boss, then I hope that you were remembered by your employees. If you are an employee with a boss, then I hope that you did some little thing for yours. My boss says this:
Opinions are like belly buttons- everyone has one. So true.

Have a wonderful day. For me it is weekly trash day....here on my country road.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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We are on baby watch here in Smalltown. My son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first child, and Saturday is the due date. Added to the excitement is the arrival of my daughter and son-in-law from Connecticut Sunday afternoon. So, we are to have a mini-family reunion. Having both chilcdren here at the same time happens very rarely anymore.

As for the weekend, I am glad to be returning to work today so I can rest. I had a very productive weekend, and although I didn't break any bones, I did suffer lots of bumps, scrapes and bruises. I am moving pallets, furniture, painting, hanging pictures and mirrors, and cleaning house. I finally got my two chairs upholstered, and they are beautiful! It is funny how the right fabric can take two flea market finds from junk to chic. I am so proud of them. When I finally find a table for the kitchen, they will be the stars of the dining experience. Also, I spent three hours unwrapping and cleaning things from the flea market to mark and take out to the booths mom and I have at the local antique barn. At any rate, I enjoyed the beauty of the fall weather while painting in the garage and trying to keep mom's cat from chasing off Chicky.

Scaredy is still gone. Although I enjoyed Napoleon's company for dinner Saturday and Sunday evening, he goes back to Bob's to roost. Last night I was coming out of the house, and he saw me from Bob's. He ducked under the fence and ran all the way across the field and scooted under my fence. It was so funny. He ate quite a while, turned and looked at me, and left. I walked around the garage and watched him strolling back up the road to his new roosting tree at Bob's house.

Well, it is not only kick butt Monday, but the full moon. Have a wonderful day, and I will see you in the morning....here on my country road.

Becky
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Today is an absolutely glorious autumnal day. I am not going to waste any more time getting out there in it, but just wanted to wish all of you a wonderful weekend. I will be busy painting recent flea market finds, upholstering my chairs, and enjoying the day.

I am still waiting the news that my daughter-in-law has gone into labor, but you'll hear it here first. Just a few tidbits of life here in Smalltown before I go. Scaredy is gone again, I haven't seen Napoleon for a couple of days, and Bob's yellow lab Jake keeps eating his game bird feed anyway. Mom's cat Callie ran off my little Chicky this morning, so for the moment I am only left with the inside cat Paddy.

Life is always exciting.....here on my country road.
Becky
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Yesterday mom and I took off for Springfield. We got there in good time, and she dropped me off at the store I was hoping to find upholstery fabric for the wooden chairs I recently painted. Since they are a creamy white, I was hoping for rich fabric that would blend with the kitchen decor. It is fairly easy to get overwhelmed in this store, as it has so many fabrics. After making a quick sweep of the remnants, I went back to the designer fabrics. I found a plaid that I loved, even though the colors were a bit more Tuscan than what I needed. I was so happy to find a piece in the remnants that will make a gorgeous companion piece. It is a floral in the same color way. So, tomorrow I can upholster my chairs.

From there we went back to the dentist to get mom's crown recemented. I had taken a book, but I had only read a few pages when she was back to the car. We had planned to eat at Cheddar's, which is always packed. They have the best chicken tender platter, and I had already decided to throw caution to the wind and order that. We found a parking place and before we knew it were waiting for our food.

Mom and I always have fun, and while we ate our meal, we talked about what we hoped to find at the flea markets. I am still looking for a wooden table with neat legs for the kitchen. Mom needed some type of end table for the living room. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Anxious to get started shopping, we took the rest of our chicken in go boxes and left.

Long story short, we spent four hours in two flea markets. It was a day where I didn't find my table, but did find a lot of odds and ends. Mom found a beautiful piece to use as a table for her living room. We ended up with a van full, and she still needed to stop at Sam's. I waited in the van while she did grocery shopping. We did get everything loaded, which was a miracle in itself. On the way home, we stopped at the little quick stop for a cold drink. I got some cold beer and mom got a vanilla Pepsi.

As we drove, we munched on chicken from lunch, chips, and our cold drinks. The sun provided a gorgeous autumnal sunset, and we arrived home just as darkness fell. All in all, a perfect day.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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Well, I am back in the game. Got a great nights sleep last night, and even though I woke up at 3:45am, I went back to sleep and woke up when the alarm went off.

Today I am off to Springfield with mom. She lost the crown they put in Monday, so we have to go do it again. The good thing is we can also go to the stores we didn't get to Monday. There is always a silver lining.

Yesterday I was able to get my foot into a matching shoe. After nine weeks I looked like a normal person again. The next goal is to get back on the treadmill.

I have to leave in an hour, so I will fill you in tomorrow morning. Have a wonderful day.

Becky
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For some reason I am in a cycle that has my days and nights mixed up. While I had concluded initially that my age could be the culprit, I think there is something else afoot. For several weeks I have been waking up at four in the morning. I usually can roll over and go right back to sleep, but not now. I wear myself out trying to go back to sleep, and the cat takes advantage of my flip flopping to bop the crystals on the sconces by the bed. No matter how many times I knock her off the table and say ''no!'', she just doesn't get it. So, for an hour and a half I try to go to sleep, the cat won't leave the sconces alone, and I know that any minute the alarm is going to go off.

On the flip side of the coin, I get sleepy about four in the afternoon. No matter what I eat for lunch I start yawning and can't stop. Drinking a cup of coffee or a diet Dr. Pepper used to help, but now I just want a nap. Again, I used to think that my age was the culprit, but now I know it is because I wake up at four in the morning. Sometimes I am a little slow on the uptake. Lack of sleep does that to a person.

The change in time and the cooler weather is the reason for my dilemma. While I know that as you get older you require more sleep, I seem to be getting less. Last night after getting home from work, I ate supper and sat down on the couch to watch the evening news. I woke up at seven with a crick in my neck. After doing a few things to get ready for bed, I turned in at nine. I woke up right on time at four.

So. Now I can go to work sleepy. Since I can smell the coffee is done, I am going to dive into a cup and hope the caffeine does it's magic. Hopefully you are getting more rest at the proper time than I am....here on my country road.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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After a three day weekend, it is back to work I go. Actually it is great to have a job, and the normalcy so many people are missing in their lives following the hurricane disasters. One thing about life here in Smalltown- things rarely change.

Everything went well yesterday with out trip to Springfield. We made good time, got to the dentist early, they took mom right in, and we got into the restaurant that mom wanted to eat at. After our meal we went to the flea market, where we found some neat things. All was going well until we got to Sam's. I sat in the van while mom went in to get her new digital camera. In less than five minutes she was back empty handed. Things went south fast when she turned the key and nothing happened. We had taken Rocky's old van so that if we found furniture at the flea market we could haul it without worrying about the seats, etc. He had taken the back ones out as I wanted to get a couple of tables. After looking under the hood, wiggling the battery terminals, and calling Rocky, we finally got it started. Thank goodness. We got home just in time to freshen up and get out to my daughter-in-laws for the baby shower.

I suppose that Scaredy and Chicky are getting along better, as she has quit hissing at him. They eye each other with some wariness, but that is to be expected I suppose. Napoleon stayed at Bob's yesterday. He is so funny. He likes to stand on their porch while looking into the glass of their storm door. Such a nosy fellow, as well as admiring himself in the glass.

I am going to go watch the Today show, as the President and First Lady are in John's neck of the woods today. Maybe he will wave at us.....here on my country road. Have a great day.
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Today is a holiday for me. Christopher Columbus Day, bless him. Aside from the obvious thrill of having a paid holiday from work, we can think about the reason for it. When I was in school we learned a poem to help us remember the date he landed on the shores of what is now America.

"It was in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." At least I got the answer right on the test.

After a busy weekend, mom and I are headed to Springfield. She has a dental appointment, then it is back to the stores and flea market to finish some of our projects.

Saturday night I had a dinner party for the neighbors, mom and Rocky, and my son Jonathan and his wife Aimee. Hard to believe we were celebrating their two year wedding anniversary. Since their first baby is due in a couple of weeks, it was a lot of fun.

Napoleon graced me with his wonderful presence right before the company arrived. I had gone out to lock up Chicky and Scaredy and saw him strolling down the side of the road. I filled his feed bucket for him, and enjoyed him for a while. I can't believe how beautiful his tail feathers are getting. We will have to take some pictures for you. He also came last night. It is like he knows when there will be people around to watch him strut and preen. I had everyone back last night to eat leftovers, and he was here to greet everyone.

It is a real hoot to watch him with the cats. He chases Scaredy, who is a big tomcat, yet is afraid of Chicky, a little petite female cat. I came out of the house yesterday to go to the antique barn with mom, and Napoleon fluffed himself up and went chasing after Scaredy. It doesn't bother old Scaredy, who really doesn't get excited about much. He is afraid of everyone but me, which is how he earned his name, but he just runs around the garage and comes back to the porch.

Ah, country life. Critters and nature abound. Last night after dinner I helped Patty and little Davey pick up pine cones out of my yard. They want to make little decorations for the upcoming holiday season. After picking up three bags, we didn't even make a dent in what is laying on the ground. Hopefully they will need some more.

Well, this is the kick butt portion of my Monday blog. Make it a good day, and I will see you right back here in the morning.

Until then,
Becky
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Many of you who have followed my blog will remember that my outside cat Scaredy disappeared last July. While he has gone off gallivanting before, he always returned home after a few days of weeks at the longest. When he had been gone over a month, I gave up that he would return. He liked to spend his days over in the big woods, and knowing the predatory critters that live there, I feared the worst.

We had a cold front move in Wednesday evening. I was sitting on the couch listening to the local news and drinking a hot cup of coffee when I noticed Paddy, my inside kitty sitting at the front door. A minute or two later I heard meowing on the porch. Since we have lots of strays in the neighborhood, I figured they were just fighting over a place on the porch. After a minute or two, something familiar struck me about that meow.

I got up and opened the door, and Scaredy's face appeared through the glass. The cold must have brought him home where he remembered a warm bed and a full dish of food. I grabbed some cat food and took it out to the porch. He was more interested in being petted at first, but hunger won out. After he had finished his food, I went out and sat on the porch with him for a while. He offered no explanation about where he had been, but he looks good.

The only drawback is that Chicky is in the garage where he used to live. She was not happy when I opened the door and saw Scaredy. Of course she is tiny, but made a big show of hissing and growling at him. He seemed completely non-plussed about the whole thing. I left them to get acquainted yesterday, and last night I did get them both in the garage with the lure of canned food. I will go down and see how they fared at first light. Hopefully they will become fast friends.

I suppose that I have lost a peacock and gained back an old friend. He seems very happy to have found me again. You just never know what is around the corner....here on my country road.

Happy Friday everyone.
Becky
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What a difference a day makes. Yesterday I could hardly walk without pain, and today I am back in the ballgame. It is true that I favor my bad leg and foot. Thank you for all of your good advice on how to get through the healing process. It is slow going, but then Rome wasn't built in a day.

My new little stray cat, whom I now call Chicky, as she always came when I was calling Napoleon home for supper, keeps chasing the afore mentioned Napoleon. He doesn't want any of it, and has taken up again with Bob across the field. He has stopped coming for supper, his bread, and now roosts over there. Oh well. Bob has more shelter there for him, and now that the weather is colder it is a good place for him to be. The only thing I hate is Napoleon is getting so pretty, and we never get to see him anymore. Chicky doesn't know any better, but Napoleon is afraid of her for some reason.

They say that there is a season for all things. I had Napoleon for a season, gave him food and shelter, and company. Now he has moved on, just as he came here from somewhere else. He has his own idea of how things should be, so I will respect that. As he comes and goes, I will always keep you posted.

Happy Thursday,
Becky
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I have been dealing with lower back woes for two days. The good thing is, it takes my mind off my foot. Ha. See, there is always a silver lining. It is a good thing I am confined to desk duty, as I can heal everything at once. Also new this week, is the addition of Davey's mother Patty to our crew. I am training her while sitting at the desk, and by week's end she will be ready to go out with the crew. She is a fast learner, and will make a welcome change from the problems we have been having the past year. I am looking forward to a more stable work situation, and Patty is happy to have found a good job. Everyone wins.

This morning I heard the story on the news of a couple who came here after the Katrina disaster in New Orleans forced them to flee. They are a very special couple. Springfield took them in, and one of the hospitals there is treating the woman for multiple sclerosis and leukemia. Seeing their story on the news, a man came forward with a furnished home for them to live in rent free for at least six months. Instead of arriving here with their hands out and a bitter attitude, they have been a source of hope and inspiration to the Ozarks through the news reports. The local station has been carrying stories of the people who came here to find refuge from the storm and the aftermath. I cannot imagine what they have been through. Reading John's blog this morning, I thought of these people and how they took a desperate situation and made a new start.

Speaking of new starts, it is time to get ready for the day. I hope that you find something that gives you inspiration and hope today. Many times, it just takes slowing down long enough to see it. Make it a good one.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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Well, the good news is that I am free of my cast. The bad news is that I didn't get released to return to my crew. I have had more pain in the top of my foot than the broken bone caused from the beginning. Since the xrays didn't show anything was broken there, we had to wait for the swelling and pain to subside before the problem could be addressed. Yesterday the doctor was able to diagnose a mid foot sprain. Long story short, six more weeks on the front desk while the ligaments heal.

Mom and I had a quick lunch, and although we had a full list of things we wanted to accomplish, we only made it to the flea market. Time and fatigue were the culprits, I'm afraid. I will have to go back to Springfield later for fabric to finish my chairs. A quest. That is a good thing. I was able to outfit the whole house in baskets of ivy, pottery, and mirrors. Good thing I didn't have the chance to go to Hobby Lobby first. I saved myself a fortune.

I went to bed early last night, so didn't get the news until this morning that an old family friend died Friday. Frank Bryant Sr. was a fine Christian man. He worked hard to support his family, and enjoyed many happy years of retirement with his wife at Lake of the Ozarks. I suppose Heaven needed a good fisherman. He will be missed.

I know that you will remember the Bryant family in your prayers, as well as our good blogging friend Ellen. She is an inspiration to all of us, and will need our support in the days and weeks ahead. Life is a fragile thing, but good friends make all the difference, and enrich the journey.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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Today I am headed back to the orthopedic specialist. Two months ago today I saw him the first time, in a much more painful circumstance than I will be seeing him today. Mom will be here in an hour to pick me up, then off to Springfield for the day. I hope the Dr. releases me, as we have a full day of serious shopping to do. Hopefully today I will be cast free. At least I am keeping my fingers crossed. Once we finish there and eat a bite of lunch, it is off to a series of shopping errands.

I have to get a couple of pieces of upholstry fabric so I can recover the seats on two wood chairs I bought at our local flea market. They have been scrubbed down, and are sporting several coats of creamy white paint. I will be able to use my new electric staple/nail gun! I bought it for just this purpose. Also, I need several floral things for my newly decorated office. Over the weekend I put together three new bookshelves in creamy white. They are now standing along the back wall, and are holding all of my books, some of my vintage pottery, a few pictures, and other favorite momentos. Once I add one more shelf above that to hold more pottery and ivy bushes, I will be close to being done. How long have I been working on my office? It is the one room in the house I have never been saitsfied with. I finally found an arched window to hang as well. Add to that some well placed mirrors, lots of candles, and voila!

I am getting a jump start on my annual New Year's Eve tradition of getting organized for the year. Then I can seriously focus on getting my manuscript published. I have been dragging my feet creating the query letters for the agents and publishers. It seems much more daunting than writing the book. That was the easy part.

Well, I had better get ready. I am really looking forward to going to the flea markets after lunch. It is the ultimate treasure hunt. I have my list of must haves, then there will be a lot of "gotta haves", I am sure. Now that mom is decorating in the same style, we have to race to pick up the neat pieces. I will be at a better advantage if they take off my cast. Should be lots of fun.

Have a great Monday! I'll let you know how it all turns out.
Until tomorrow,
Becky
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