Woo!!!!!!!!!!
Topic: Banjo Pickin'
I sit here still totally blown away. Last Thursday, at my banjo lesson, I received the music to Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Pretty simple song really, but I'm nowhere near up to speed on it. And when I get new music or want a boost of banjo energy, I usually go to Youtube to search for good bluegrass. I've seen homemade videos, self-made videos and even Andy Griffith! LOL But THIS one blew me away. . .and Steve Martin. . .loved him before, love him even more now!!!

Tatee

Today, as Carly and Easton went to spend Family Day in Guthrie, one of our local news channels was there to film it.  Granted, Jason has been in two news stories: one in May when he painted a downtown mural for Oklahoma's Centennial and again in June, when he first got word that he'd be going to Iraq. 

Today he reported, his flight for Texas leaves tomorrow morning.  All prayers and good thoughts appreciated.  And I wanted to share the link to his video.  You can see him, my sister and my nephew, Easton, doing what he learned from my boys LOL  And the last voice you hear in the piece is my sister. . .she did so well!!!  Check it out here.  God be with all of the soldiers. 

Today and tomorrow

Today is October 24, 2007.  Today is also my 9th wedding anniversary.  Nine years.  N.I.N.E. Y.E.A.R.S.  I cannot believe it's been nine years.  All of the things that have gone on and all of the changes in our lives that have occurred in the nine years.  It's amazing.  Truly amazing.

Tomorrow. . .tomorrow is October 25, 2007.  I posted back in June about when the orders came.  Well. . .time has gone on since then and things have changed.  There's been trainings and interviews and debriefings and ceremonies.  Tomorrow he goes.  He reports tomorrow morning for two months in Texas, then he's going to the desert.  He'll be stationed in Iraq.  We're scared and anxious and worried and proud.  Such a wild flood of emotions.  I know that tonight, I'll say goodbye and hug him, wish him luck and tell him we've been praying and will continue to pray.  We'll promise him that we'll keep an eye on Carly and E.  We will tell him how we will support him. . .his troops. . .the cause.  I'm sure somewhere in there I'll make a smart-butted comment to break the tension of goodbye, but I'll try to remain strong for all of them.  So I ask you, please keep Jason and his troops in your prayers as they report tomorrow morning.  Please keep the family of all those deployed in your prayers also as they, too, are sacrificing for our great country.  I love you Tatee and I'll talk to you soon.  Be safe and don't bend over!! LOL

**And I've just gotten a phone call that he has been in a car accident. . .I don't know more than that. . .however I do know he didn't need this :(**

The latest Cale-isms
Topic: Momma's Lover Dover

Cale's had a few doozies lately so I thought that I would share them here.

One morning, as Cale's primary division director opened the door to the car to let him exit, he said, "Good morning Mrs. Close."  She kindly replied, "Good morning Cale.  How are you?"  His answer. . ."I'm good.  I think I'm going to kiss a girl today."  I drove off. . .acting like I'd NEVER heard this admission or premeditated PDA.

In church on Sunday morning, Cale was being good and quiet.  During the Lord's supper prayer, I saw him fold his hands, bow his head and close his eyes.  After the "Amen," Cale leaned over to me and said, "Momma. . .I prayed a different pray."  This statement alone caused me to take a deep breath so as not to disrupt service.  Then I raised my eyebrows in a questioning manner so he'd finish his statement. . .and he did.  "I asked God to tell you to not tell me what to do anymore."  At this point, I almost erupted in laughter, but I just patted him and said gently, "We'll see if God answers THAT prayer."

Then Cale had a classic "Leave It To Beaver" moment.  He hadn't been feeling well, and my dad decided to call and check on him one morning as we were headed to school.  When I hung up and told Cale, his response was, "Odie was worried about me?"  I answered yes and Cale said, ever so politely, "Gee whiz mom.  That's awful nice of Odie to call and check on me."  I had to double check to make sure we weren't in black and white!

And last, but certainly not least, Cale's manners have definitely improved since school started up again.  He's even polite when in trouble.  He was sent to time out for doing something he wasn't supposed to and then back-talking.  I believe his exact statement that compiled his troubles was, "No!  I am NOT doing this.  It's ridiculous."  Upon hearing of his sentence to his stool, he looked at Chris and called him STUPID.  Chris said, "Alright.  That's fine,  now you get two time-outs.  Now go."  Cale's reply??  "Yes sir." 

Pru, Cale & Hershey's
Topic: Weirdness

Lots of little things to talk about today!!

First off, momma's kisser boy Pru Pru.  This child is now 2 (yeah. . .I'm late. . .he turned 2 Aug 8 LOL) but he can count to 11 and his vocabularly is amazing.  I'm sure it's the vocab of a "normal" 2 year old, but considering the fact that Cale took so long to speak, we are floored by Pruitt's talking!

Pru also loves music!  This excites me a ton!  His favorite songs right now are Buster Poindexter's Hot Hot Hot, Rob Thomas' Lonely No More and Nickelback's This is how You Remind Me.  Interesting selections for a 2 year old huh?

Now to Cale. . .he is fully into school and is finding his place at his new school.  This child LOVES his new school!!  He thinks it's awesome!!!!  And he's doing so well!!  Since school has started, we've seen a total change in his behavior and attitude at home.  His manners have improved and we are definitely feeling good about our decisions for this year.

Wondering why Hershey's is there too?  I'll tell ya!!  My weakness is chocolate, and mainly chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup.  I can't let it go!!  And now Hershey's has made my life even BETTER!  I grew up with the top to the syrup bottle being a "pull" top thing, and then you'd have to keep up with the clear plastic cover that ends up smushing any syrup left up there, into the top of the top. . .are you confused yet?? LOL  Well, Hershey's has developed a new FLIP TOP for the syrup!  WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sad when that's what I'm excited about huh?? 

Touching on c-sections AGAIN
Topic: Doula Talk

A friend of mine just sent me the link to this article.  Yes, I haven't posted in awhile, yes she sent this to me a mere five minutes ago.  HOWEVER, we both agree that this is VERY well written.   It's an article over ways to avoid a c-section.

As I have stated before, I do believe that there are times when a c-section is a medically necessary means of bringing a baby into this world, however I feel every woman should be given the chance to push a baby out.

Gotta love #5 on their list too. . .right up my alley!  My "certified" alley now ;) 

And tonight I cried
Topic: Pruitt
It really sunk in tonight. . .after almost 5 weeks, Pruitt has weaned himself from nursing.  I'm not sure why it hit me so hard, but it did.  And I guess I'm finally mourning the loss of our time together.  On the flip side, I am so proud of how long we lasted.  I wouldn't trade that for the world.

They came today
Topic: Weirdness

And it's a somber day now. . .the call came around 1:15pm. . .the voice apparently asked to speak to Sgt. Memoli, not Jason, not Mr.  SGT.  And she knew.  She knew that today was the day.

They were told 2 weeks ago he wasn't on the list to go.  He is now.  He leaves for Iraq in January.  Yes things can change, I hope they do.  But tonight, we know he will go.  He will be there representing our country.

Say a prayer for Tatee. . .we love him and want him back safe.  He's a great brother-in-law. . .short but great.  And he'll leave his wife of 2 years and his son.  He'll leave right after E turns 2.  Imagine what all he will miss in that year that he's gone.

We love you Jas and we'll help take care of Carly & E.   Today is the day they came. . .the orders came to take him to the desert.

The booby spider
Topic: Weirdness

I sometimes wonder why God granted me the gift of a boy.  And not just one boy.  TWO boys.  I am not an outside person.  I don't like the smell of outside, I don't like the smell of freshly mowed grass, I would prefer that both children and Bubba take a shower after entering the house from playing outside.  I know. . .I can dream and wish right??

And one can deduce that if I do not enjoy the grandeurs of the natural world, that I don't particularly care for the "things" living in it.  You would be correct.  I don't like bugs.  AT.  ALL.  In fact, spiders are my least favorite.  I actually have panic attacks with spiders.  It's super awful!

But last night, I was to help my brother-in-law, Jason the muralist, with his new website (only to be seen at www.MemoliArtS.com!).  My sister turned this into a family cook-out.  Ok. . .no problem.  Throw some lettuce in a bowl, corn in a pan and some meat on the grill.  Eat, continue with the plan of website building.  Well. . .I'm not sure where we went wrong, but the meat took a lot longer than expected.  Because of this delay, my busy work that was to be my tether to the kitchen indoors, was finished.  I was forced outside into nature.

Within one minute of going outdoors, I was bit by a mosquito.  TWICE.  I then ducked back in only to have my mom banging on the window motioning me out there again.  I grabbed a dryer sheet, shoved it in my back pocket and away I went.  (Yes, one of my crunchy friends told me of this trick and it worked like a CHARM!!!)  I sat down in the chair next to dad.

As we sit there talking, me jittery with the creepy-crawly feelings of mother nature, I had an itch.  That itch moved.  That itch was in my shirt.  To be more precise, that itch was in my shirt by the girls.  I look down, but see nothing.  I open the top of my shirt a bit and there, perched between my breasts is a spider.  I could have ripped both shirts off and started screaming, but, by the grace of God, I held onto my calmness.  I reached down, grabbed that tiny eight-legged varmint, and threw him to the grass.  Yes, he was tiny, not something to have mega-nightmares about, but still, he was a spider, I touched him and he was apparently a boob man.

After my breathing resumed, then the panic hit.  I thought my mom was going to have a heart-attack.  She said the look on my face was priceless.  Well, I don't care, I made it through, calmed myself down.  I think had the spider been anywhere else, I would have asked for help.  But I don't think my dad would have been comfortable with  me asking him to reach down my shirt to flick a spider out.  That would just be sick!!

Moral of the story: don't wear a low-cut shirt if you are afraid of spiders.

Piper's moral of the story: don't go outside. 

 

Pickin' away
Topic: Banjo Pickin'

I haven't posted about my banjo playing in awhile so I thought it was time to update!! I've been going to my lessons every week (well. . .mostly every week) and have tried to go to the weekly jam sessions held on Friday nights.  I'd say I've gone 6-7 times and thoroughly enjoy playing with all the others.

And I'm getting better too!!  That's what rocks! :)  But I wanted to share one of my favorite songs to play.  Annie just taught me the chorus, but I didn't get that one recorded, just the first part.  Here's I'll Fly Away played by yours truly! I hope you enjoy it.

Oh!  Want to know something else?  On Cale's 5th birthday, my grandmother was in town.  She got a call to say that her house had been robbed and the person/people had taken my Pa's guitar and other things belonging to him.   She just hugged me and  told me that she was so happy I had his banjo.  I thank God that I do too.