"June 6, 1944"

D-Day, Normandy Beach, France...that's where my dad's only brother died.  His name was Eugene and he was 20 years old.  I never met him.  I wasn't born yet.  I felt like I knew him because I heard stories about him.  About how sweet he was and how people loved him, about my great-grandmother who never stopped grieving for her favorite grandson.  I've seen pictures of him.  He was a handsome young man, smiling and slight.  My dad was 4 years younger, taller and bigger.  My grandfather spent the rest of his life in depression over the loss of his oldest son.  My grandmother seemed to have come to terms with it by the time I was old enough to remember. My brother supposedly has his personality.  My dad has his purple heart and the flag presented to my grandparents.  One of my childhood memories is of my grandfather having us (the grandkids) stand up and put our hands over our hearts every time the National Anthem was played on TV.  A tribute to our country and the uncle who gave all.  He was buried in France.  In 1949, my grandparents had his body exhumed and brought home to Kentucky.  My mother said the day his funeral was held the church was overflowing and people stood outside on a cold, bitter winter day to honor him, 5 years after his death.  I've made sure my daughter knows his story.  I will tell it to my granddaughter when she is old enough to remember.  I visited his grave last week.  A photograph of him, smiling, in uniform, graces his headstone.  Forever young and always a hero to me.  

Take care, Sherry

"Crafty Nana"

Yesterday I rushed to the post office to mail my grandbaby something to wear in her hair for Memorial Day and July 4th.  Something I made...a fabric flower trimmed in rick rack with a patriotic button center.  I hope she loves it!

"The Road Home"

I came home today for the first time in a week, to my home for the last 10 years. My brother and his family live here, I work here and I've made some friends here.  I've been off work for the past six weeks and have been staying with my mom, off and on, in my hometown.  The more time I spend there, the more it feels like my "real" home, even though I moved away before my daughter was born. I have friends I grew up with and family there.  When I married my daughter's father, I moved to his hometown.  That's where I spent the biggest part of 25 years and it became my hometown, too. I reared my daughter in that town, with and without her dad.  I went to church, participated in my daughter's activities and activities of my own, I worked there and I had a beautiful home I loved.  I put down roots and I still have friends in that "hometown".  Somewhere in between, I lived in Louisville, Kentucky, for three years.  Louisville wasn't and never will be my hometown,  But, I admit, while living there I found things to enjoy.  I made a few friends I didn't keep up with and I had a part-time job and an aunt who lived there.  But, for some reason, it never became home to me or my daughter.   It seems I have more than one road leading home, past and present.  How fortunate is that!

"What was for Dinner Tonight"

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 can Pillsbury pizza crust
KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce
1 large can chicken (I used Tyson's new grilled chicken)
Your choice of chopped veggies (I used yellow bell pepper, red onion and fresh tomato)
Bacon bits
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Prepare pizza crust according to baking directions on can.  After baking 5 minutes, spread 1/2 to 3/4 cup BBQ sauce on crust.  Drain chicken and crumble over BBQ sauce.  Sprinkle with chopped veggies and bacon bits.  Cover with mozzarella cheese.  Finish cooking according to directions on pizza crust can.  I cooked just a tiny bit longer until cheese was good and melty, but the crust not too brown on the edges.  2 large or 4 average servings.  Recipe given to me by my daughter.  Note: dark edge on pizza is BBQ sauce, it's not burnt.  Enjoy!

Take care, Sherry

"Happy Birthday, Emmy!"

Five years ago today, my "biggest" nephew and his wife were blessed with their second little girl.  Her name is Emily Elizabeth and she's my great-niece.  She's also my little buddy when she's visiting here at home.  She sits in my lap and we tell secrets, we play with Barbie, we color, we watch TV.  When she comes home this summer, we're having a sleepover at my house.  She wants to watch movies and eat popcorn and stay up all night.  We have a secret good-bye that we can only do when no one is looking.  She is sweet as sugar most of the time.  And, she's becoming a champion hula-hooper.  I love her bunches.  Happy birthday, sweetie!

"Bird's Eye View"

A few years ago, my daughter and son-in-law bought me a new digital Kodak Share for Christmas.  I took it to work on a snowy day and took pics from the windows on my breaks and at lunch.  Our offices are on the third and fourth floors of our building, so we have a good view of the surrounding city.  By my last break, I had pretty much tired of carrying the camera with me, but took it anyway.  As I walked down the hall, out of habit, I looked out the window on the door to the fire escape.  Two pigeons had perched on the hand-rail looking out over the surrounding neighborhood.  I snapped the pic I'm using for my profile. The more I looked at it, the more I liked it.  I had it enlarged to frame for my living room.  It's not a perfect picture.  There are a couple of vehicles I wish weren't in it, but, they were part of the neighborhood, too.  I like it a lot!

                                                              (no longer profile pic)

Take care, Sherry

"Mother's Day Every Day"

It just came to me that maybe I should have posted something wise and reflective on my new blog on Mother's Day.  This is Tuesday.  But, unless it's work, I'm never on time anyway.  So, Mother's Day...it's every day for me.  From the time I was small, all I ever wanted was to be a mama and have babies.  That was my calling.  I was blessed with one baby, who is now the mother of an 8 month old little girl.  So, I'm doubly blessed.   My husband left when she was thirteen.  For a while there, I was such a mess, she was the mama.  But, we survived and became closer as a result.  Her spirit is beautiful, she is sweet and kind and thoughtful.  She's beautiful to look at, but never notices that when she looks in the mirror.  She's not perfect, she's stubborn and opinionated,  That's the part she got from me.  The good stuff, she got from my mother.  You see, the good stuff skipped a generation.   She's friendly and outgoing, never sees a stranger.  She got that from her dad.  I look at her and am awed by the person she came to be.  She's an awesome teacher, a good wife, the very best daughter, granddaughter, cousin and niece.  She is an amazing mother with one of the happiest babies you'll ever meet.  She's beloved by our family and by her friends.  So, all I have to do is think about her, look at her picture, talk to her, text with her, or see her in person and it's Mother's Day all the time.  That is just so cool!

Take care, Sherry

"About Yesterday"

My nephew and I agreed on some music and some silence.  And, we had nice conversation.  I had nothing to worry about!

Take care, Sherry

"The Present Road...Literally"

Today I'm meeting my brother and sister-in-law in my hometown to take Mama out for Mother's Day.  I'm picking up my "littlest" nephew to share the ride.  We never spend an hour, or so, together alone anymore.  Don't have a clue what we will talk about.  I'm pretty sure we don't share the same taste in music.  Maybe he'll text with his girlfriend the whole way and the problem will be solved.  Don't get me wrong, he is adorable and I love him like he's mine.  But, since he started driving and went off to college, we haven't spent a lot of time together.  We're both talkative, so we shall see if we talk, ride in silence or find common ground with music.  This could be interesting!

Take care, Sherry

"My Road in the Past"

I believe where we are in life is where we're supposed to be at that time, whether it's for a learning experience or whether it's for another person's need or for our own need.  Recently, I had someone question a choice I made 35 years ago.  My first husband was divorcing me and I got a marriage proposal.  I wasn't ready for that.  I wasn't in an emotional state to deal with it.  But, because my second husband also divorced me, the questioner seemed to think I missed out on something better and longer-lasting by turning down that first proposal.  But, I didn't.  If my first husband hadn't left when he did, I would never have met my second husband.  He's the father of my daughter and grandfather to my grandbaby.   I had a road to travel in the past and I'm sorry the journey ended.  And, I did get something long-lasting from it, a beautiful daughter and granddaughter.  So, nothing could have been better than that!

Take care, Sherry