Walkaway Jury

Doesn't quite have the same sound as Runaway Jury, Huh?

Mary Bailey over at Bell, Whistle, Moon.....or is it Dog, Gun, Coon ??? Gave me the idea to post on my experience at Jury Duty.

I LOVED being called for Jury Duty when I was teaching. A day off without kids in a classroom....where do I sign up? But they always dismissed us after going through all that hoopla that goes with a trial. It made me think NO ONE goes to trial.....every one cuts a deal.....not a good thought.

But after I retired....BINGO....I get picked AND named Foreman of the Jury. No it isn't called Forewoman or Foreperson.....I guess the legal system is politically incorrect.

The case was about a woman who was taking her daughter to a softball game here in Hartsvegas and discovered her daughter didn't have her shorts. So they flew through the Walmart parking lot to quick pick up some and BANG she hit a Camero that was backing out.

You would have thought she was the uni bomber to listen to the prosecution. But the defense was equally good. The prosecution had big screen size maps of the parking lot....showing her position and the car (and every thing else in the Walmart parking lot). There where life size photos of the Camero etc...

The Camero guy was suing her for a year's worth of Chiropractor care...and alienation of affection because he was unable to s--ew his wife during the year. Even though his wife got pregnant during that year making it a hard sell.

The defense pointed out Camero Kid climbed out of the car window like an acrobat seconds after the "crash". No jaws of life were involved. And apparently no back injury....hum....

When we went to the jury room to deliberated an AfroAmerican said, "I think we should give him a million dollars" and I thought "oh no I am going to be sequestered with these bozos all weekend because I am not going for that." It was Friday afternoon.

Fortunately, after everyone said their opinion....we were able to agree to $2,000 to pay for some of the chiropractor care and leave the building at 5:02 PM.

I never drive in the Walmart Parking lot that I don't think about this case....I go down the down aisles and up the up aisles and NEVER cut through the parking lot horizontally. I do not want to end up on LA Law or even Darlington County LAW. Let this be a lesson to you.

Any jury stories you want to tell? Come on....give it up!

Almost Heaven

Yesterday I got Chris Fabry's newest book in the mail. It's called Almost Heaven and I tried to cut and paste a copy of the cover here for visual effect. As you see, no could do.......I need help from Mary Bailey on that.

I also had Antioch Garden Club here at my house yesterday. What fun! Fourteen or so lively ladies from our community.....Antioch/Byrdtown. Everyone brought an item for refreshments.......yummo! My MIL, Granny/Edith had the program.

Granny showed the group how to make her famous Olive Roll Sandwiches. If you never knew she was a teacher....you knew it now. VERY precise, she was/is.
We'll see if any members of the group ever go to the trouble to make these jewels. I love them, but they are not for the faint hearted. I guess I should have taken a picture so you could see how awesome they look.

Actually, one of the group, Joy Davis, asked me why I wasn't blogging these days. I told her I didn't have anything to blog about. She saw my Mr. Willie doll on the mantle and said right away......Is that Mr. Willie?

Really I had been feeling like no body but Mary Bailey read this thing and I could just email her and skip writing the blog. Thank you Joy for your encouragement! It got me back to the computer today :)

Now back to the book and the title....Almost Heaven.....it is a really good book and I recommend you buy it ($13.99 including shipping on Amazon) read it and pass it along to whoever the Holy Spirit directs. A bunch of Chris' friends and I are praying it will be an instrument of evangelism so a lot of prayer will go with your gift. It is fiction so you will not be hitting anyone over the head with the Bible.

In my quiet time today, I mused about the title...Almost Heaven. I really feel so blessed these days it is almost like being in heaven....except I am sure heaven is much, much better than earth.

A dear friend went to heaven yesterday.....Betty Tolson Howle. I taught Betty's two oldest boys, Mike and Greg in 1971 when I transferred from Hartsville Junior High to Plainview Elementary School. Mike and Greg had the misfortune of being in my third grade class along with 32 others. I had five sets of siblings...mostly as a result of a brother or sister being held back. I say misfortune because I knew nothing about teaching elementary school. I read Teacher magazine and tried any and every thing they said. I lined up all 35 and paddled them when I was frustrated.

Betty's first husband died and she married an Howle and had her daughter Louise. Then he died. When I came back to Plainview fifteen years later after having a child and teaching Kindergarten in McBee and at Antioch Elementary. I had Louise in my GT class. I remember Betty driving a van to Little River, NC where we got on a pontoon boat and took a field trip to a barrier island......by then I was librarian and teacher of Gifted and Talented and Chapter 1. I remember us flying back to Hartsville because Louise had a softball game....she put her uniform on in the back of the van.

Later, Betty was on the committee that chose me to be the new principal of Plainview Elementary when John Williams left after 20 years. Then she was on the advisory committee the principals in our attendance area met with once a month.

Since I retired, One of Betty's son's came down with Lou Gehrig's disease. The other son had a stroke, her niece got shoulder cancer, and Betty came down with brain cancer. Betty was a hairdresser by profession. She took on a second job to help her son with the cost of treatments.

Today Betty is reunited with her two husbands, countless others....and she will be waiting when her sons cross into heaven. Betty I look forward to seeing your face when I come across......keep an eye out for us Plainview Peeps. I love you girl!

This That and The Other

This is the gorgeous Catholic Cathedral where the wedding was held in Philadelphia.

This is the lovely bouquet of flowers put in our room by the groom's family when we arrived :)

The terrific orchestra for the reception. There was a lot of dancing and
and hubs and I were a part of all that :)

My photographer, Hubs, was distracted and failed to get pictures of the bride, groom, cousins etc... I may not hire him for the next wedding. Trust me it was a five star wedding.....tour buses took us from the hotel to the cathedral and back. There was an hour of hor's d'ouvers before the seven course sit down dinner (at least 200 guests). We had a lovely time catching up with family we don't see often and making new friends.

Just finished these place mats and table runner for Fall.

Just finished two really good reads. The Mighty Queens of Freeport by Amy Dickenson. I had already read and loved this but the book club picked it so I reread it....it was just as good the second time. Amy was chosen to "replace" Ann Landers....and now writes Ask Amy. She also is on NPR's Wait, Wait,Don't Tell Me.....

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese was recommended to me at the book club meeting. Love, Love, Loved it. About the nuns, doctors and nurses who run a hospital in Ethiopia. Much more complicated plot that but it starts there.

Am now reading, In the Woods, by Tana French. It was also suggested by a book club member. It is the first part of a trilogy and it is a mystery.

So what have you been doing?

At the Waltons

On our way to Philadelphia, Hubs suggested we stop by Walton's Mtn. and visit John and Olivia.

They were kind enough to ask us to lunch and allow us to take a few photos.

I am so glad that had not redecorated their house. They did put in window airconditioning units. Since it was 90 degrees that day we were mighty thankful they had.

They are expecting the children home for Thanksgiving. John Boy is doing well as a screenwriter out in Los Angeles. Mary Ellen has kept up with her nursing career and Erin is in Management now. Jason went on to become an actor/singer/song writer and was on The Grand Ole Opry not too long ago. Jim Bob is a mechanic for an airline and Elizabeth is a veterinarian in Virginia.

All together John and Livy have fourteen grandchildren!

I'll tell you about the fancy wedding next time. I thought you'd want to hear about the Waltons first.

Did you watch them? They were on ten seasons from 1972-1982. What do you remember best about the show?

Catching Up

Just wanted to let you know......I have not died, am not in a coma, and my camera isn't broken. Haven't had anything very interesting to post about....but don't give up on me.....I'm leaving for Philadelphia, Pa tomorrow for a fancy, smantzy wedding at the downtown HILTON (Where we are staying!!!) The wedding is actually at a church but reception at the Hilton.

The wedding is my mother-in law's sister's Grandson and bride. The sister, Sabra Griffin and her husband are deceased but Great Aunt Edith will be there all 94 years of her. I have been over to her house to help select the appropriate outfit for the fifty or so possibles. (I have one possible and I am wearing it.)

The groom's mother suggested a picture of his grandmother, Sabra, as a wedding gift, but while looking for a great picture I came up with so many (thanks to Great Aunt Edith the original shutter-bug in the family) I decided to go to Shutter Fly and make a book with all the relatives on Aunt Sabra's side.
The technology buffaloed me on some pages (I know you are shocked this Media Specialist had problems, LOL) and I didn't get the pictures in the order I wanted and they aren't all placed on the page like I wanted but they are in the book and they have captions identifying who these people are and how the groom is related to them.

Hubs and I have been keeping our Darlington Darlings for two nights while their parents went to Cola for a conference. Hannah, 11, was so responsible about getting her homework done and STUDYING. (I didn't know what studying was until half way through college.) She also packed her own lunch each day. The Gatester kept us on our toes as usual. Golf.....scooter riding around the block..... walking around the block....following him driving his police car around the block..... He said, "Nana, can I drive my police car next door to say hello to my neighbor?" All the neighbors seemed to know him well!

"Hi, Gates, been playing any golf lately?" Said the neighbor on the other side.

Gates is going to his first CAROLINA football game tomorrow night. It is a surprise and he is going to be over the moon. When we got to his house Sunday he was wearing his Carolina football jersey, football pants, cleats, helmet,etc....

After he plays 50 quarters of football.... (he runs, he catches, those passes, he kicks off, he tackles......whew!) Then he gets his instruments out and does half time....Drum Major! I would love to see him at the Game...those sitting around him better put their stadium seat belts on!

Well, enough of a Grandma Rant for today!

See you when I get back from Philly.....with pictures I hope. And yes we will eat a real Philly Cheese steak Sandwich for anyone who asks :)