Time to enjoy...

How cute is this! The Regas family has moved and while unpacking boxes, Aunt Mary gave William a few things that Joe had outgrown. This hat was one of those things. I think it really suits Will's personality. He was delighted!

Mike and Mary's house is BEAUTIFUL! Grandad and I took a picnic over Saturday night and stayed with the kids for a couple of hours while Mike and Mary went out for some alone time over dinner. I couldn't get Grandad out from in front of the big screen HD Television downstairs or Joe and Andrew from the big screen in the upstairs TV room, so Issy and I played games in the very large unfinished basement. Mary created a special play area in the space for Issy and friends to enjoy. She has done a super job making her new house a gorgeous home, and Mike is seeing to it that all pictures are hung straight and that every construction detail is finished. I'm hoping to get to spend the night in the guest room in the future, and if you're smart you will make reservations too!

Great job guys, you can build a house for me any day. I understand that Kim, of Regas Interiors, pitched in, too, with a few helpful suggestions (It's nice to have a decorator in the family). When it gets all finished, I will have a photo shoot so you can see the inside of the house right here on Chatterbox. Stay tuned!!

(Weekend bonuses: 1. I got to go shopping and spend the day with Kimberly on Friday. 2. Ford and Joe won their football games on Saturday and both had a great personal game. 3. Joe and Andrew spent the night with me on Saturday night and I got to sit with them in church on Sunday morning. I had a lot to praise about! 3. Tom and Emily spent the weekend together at Calloway Gardens on an Indian Princess retreat. 4. Grandad got to ride his motorcycle after church on Sunday. 5. Molly, Ford and I'm not sure who else, went to the GA Tech game and watched Tech upset Clemson.)

Looking at football in a new light...

Okay, so I'm not so keen on football, but I gotta tell you when I see my grandsons playing, it's like watching William singing, Andrew, Morgan and Emily in a play, Isabelle cheerleading and I'm sure the many things that Keegan and Aidan do that I am missing...they are working hard and doing their best to perform, and it is indeed thrilling! Let me tell you more...

Last Saturday, in order to spend some time with my husband (Grandad), I decided to go to the morning and afternoon Junior High and Little League football games in which Ford and Joe, respectively, were playing. I don't go to many games, because; if I go to one, I must go to the other, plus all the other events that my very talented grandchildren are involved in. Weekends can get full and someone could get left out! I won't even talk about the fact that, except for the plays that the boys are involved in, I don't much care for football. That said, I did come to realize a few things last weekend that I want to share.


Boys and football; I don't pretend to understand, but I do know that it's been almost 50 years since Grandad played and he still carries the medal of honor for his efforts! He still remembers every play and he still gets excited at the memory. What is it about boys and football?

Then I watched Ford and Joe last Saturday. They have sweated in 90 plus degree temperatures for weeks now, getting ready for games. They have exercised to make themselves stronger, run drills, drank gallons of water so they wouldn't dehydrate, learned plays, stayed up late to do homework after practice, and given up Saturdays for the games. Watching them on the field, I realized that what they do, really does matter. Each player has to hold up his assignment in each play, and if he doesn't, the man they are supposed to be blocking will hit a team mate, causing a fumble, yards to be lost, a fourth down turn over and worse yet, a team mate to be piled upon and hurt. If you don't do your job...everybody knows when the play is later analysed about what went wrong. Each player has a job to do, each player is counted upon and it takes all of them to win. Wow! That's a lot of pressure, a lot of responsibility...and... a lot of satisfaction when you are on a winning team.

Families are kind of like that. Everybody plays a really important role (position). Everybody is needed to do his or her job to keep the family strong and bonded. We all feel bad when one member gets hurt, or fumbles or when we have failed to block the obstacles that might have prevented it. We also all rush together when there is a problem to be tackled and we kick the heck out of trouble and go for the goal!. Yea! Yea!...Sorry, I got carried away.

Anyway, we might have a few bad days, but I know what it's like to be on a winning team and I would stand up with enthusiasm and cheer any day for this family...so I guess I can kinda, sorta, understand football, like being a cast member in a play. Our boys are hard working, devoted team players and I sure am proud of them. May they pass on the tradition, whatever team they are on...like their fathers. I'm going to be watching with more interest than ever!

-Mimi

I must tell you, also this past week end, Mary and Isabelle ran in a Fun Run to raise money for Issy's school. Issy ran a mile and Mary, three! Good work girls.

Unusual Uses of ADR

From the pages of the Henning Herald, September edition:

More than Just Personal Injury and ContractsTypically mediation and arbitration are viewed as methods to address situations that would lead to civil litigation. However, trained mediators, including Henning neutrals are increasingly involved in situations that go beyond the standard cases a mediator might see.
Henning neutral Terrence Lee Croft recently received an urgent call after midnight from the Alpharetta police department requesting his help in attempting to negotiate the surrender of a homeowner to a police swat team that had surrounded his home. The homeowner's wife, who was not in the home, had told officers that Croft was the only person her husband would trust in this serious and potentially life-threatening situation. Croft spent the rest of the night and early morning hours assisting the authorities. Finally, after daybreak, the homeowner asked for Croft. Croft called the homeowner on his cell phone, while simultaneously talking on another phone with the captain of the assault team. Croft persuaded the homeowner to surrender to the authorities just before they executed an armed invasion of the home. As a result, the homeowner's life was spared. He is now in jail, awaiting disposition of the charges against him, which arose from an argument with a neighbor rummaging through the homeowner's trash.

************************************************************
Terrence Lee Croft will speak at the ADR Annual Institute held at the Georgia State Bar Headquarters October 19. He will also address a meeting of lawyers and claims representatives of the Cincinnati Insurance Company November 1.

(P.S. With TLC's help (testifying in a pretrial hearing), the guy is out of jail now awaiting his day in court.)

Kimberly has a birthday!

I write today to honor Kimberly. She is having a birthday tomorrow, you know, and I am here to remember the day she was born.

When I first looked into those eyes of my baby girl, I saw eyes of understanding on the face of an angel. She seemed to know that I had a very active one-year-old, I was half way across the world from my own mother, and I needed her to give me grace and keep me calm… she has been my source help me ever since.

This year, she worked tirelessly to give Nana and me a special luncheon, celebrating our 60th and 80th birthdays. She has also spent months redecorating our master bathroom at the Heath; patiently trying to please and excite this grumpy old Mother who has a hard time with change. Can I tell you that with both of these major projects (on top of all her other business, being a full-time parent and wife, not to mention an advocate for Christ) she did a super job.

Kim, you are my rock and you are every Mother’s dream for her little girl and every child’s dream mother. Your birthday gifts (given by God 41 years ago) are abundant and I am so proud of you.

Do you know where I’m going with this? Indeed, when I look inside your life, I see your Father’s Eyes and I know you will always be heaven bound. Happy birthday dear daughter.

I love you,

Mama

Today was fairy busy.

Even the most grown up of children can allow themselves to indulge in childhood fantasies every once in a while. So I suggest to you, when life seems a little fast, take a day off, find a friend (one that you can trust), and build a fairy house. Just watch the day slow down.

We did...

P. S. Granddaughters, wanta make a fairy house with me? -Mimi

Photo-Op in the Mountains

What fun Kate and I have had today with the camera (I say THE camera because she dropped hers in a cup of coffee and sadly it no longer wants to turn on). The sun was so pure and bright, washed by the soaking rains of yesterday, that everything looked fresh and beautiful. The wind blew and the waterfall showed its magic.

Later in the day, Terrence arrived and joined in the fun.

We had a suprise visit with Willard and Cherie Sisson.

Kate had a lesson in the making of Mrs. Oliver's famous cake.

We cooked a wonderful dinner together.

Took an after dinner walk and made fairy bouquets.


I'm going to bed happy....Good night.

Who says you can't go back home again?

Oh, the joys of the mountains!

Kate and I are enjoying four days together in our beloved North Georgia mountain. We have already (after only two days) provisioned and prepared, spent late night hours in good mother/daughter conversation, watched the heavy down pour of rain renew the forest and fill the creek, spent a day at the Oliver's canning pumpkins and delighting in our time together, done candlelight yoga to a beautiful mix of music that Kate put together, while also listening to the roar of a storm swollen creek. We have eaten two great dinners, prepared mostly by Kate and watched one of the six movies that we brought. The small things that have filled in the time between these events have all been a delight as well. You can tell by the smiles on our faces that there is no place like home, and for us the mountains will always have a room among the places that have nurtured us.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring! The weather is suppose to clear, so we have a hike to the waterfalls, and beyond, planned, maybe another movie before Terr gets here to take us out to the theater and to dinner in Blue Ridge tomorrow night....

Of course, before we leave, we must build at least one fairy house and make some time for creek play.

So much to do! I'll let you know...

Sisters

My cousin Susan and her husband Mike, lovingly took my Aunt Dot (Susan's mom) and my mother, Gwen (Dot's sister) on a five day vacation to Charleston, SC. They did a similar vacation last year, with much success and are already planning next year's adventure. They drive, eat in wonderful restaurants, stay in a nice hotel, look at the area sights and do a little shopping as well. This year they even had a overnight stay with cousin Bob, in Conyers, on the way down.

Mike and Susan do this with the kindness, care and generosity of those who are younger, more agile, and better suited for baggage toting, and long hours of safe driving.

I was lucky enough to have them for dinner and a sleep-over on their way back to Tennessee.

After a delightful evening, Susan and I tucked our precious mothers in, joined hands and hearts together and prayed together before going off to bed ourselves...What a sweet moment. I shall never forget the circle of heart-felt prayers and the feel of soft, familiar hands in mine.

(I wonder if my sister will sleep with me when I'm over 80! I thank these two for pretending they were asleep so they could get rid of us and talk with each other late into the night...Gave me something to look forward to!)

Sisters...it's a beautiful thing.

Nana, Dot and Polly, Phyllis and Geraldine, and Judy and Merry, Kim, Kate,Kristin and Bethann, Natali and Alla, Molly, Marie, Sarah and Julie...goodness, who am I leaving out? Not many sisters in the immediate family! We are so luck to have each other. I thank God every day for mine. She has become even more important to me since I have only the memory of another. I always look forward to time spent together (even if she is cleaning my teeth!) as well as our Friday morning telephone conversation. No one knows me better.

So this blog is a tribute to Sisters and to the people who love them.

To Be the Goose or the Gander....that is the question

Andrew found out today that he has been selected to play the Gander in the upcoming Middle School performance of Charlotte's Web. There were over 100 middle school students that tried out (there are only 350 in the entire middle school) and 25 were awarded parts. We are very proud of our Andrew for his determination, hard work and love for acting (as I know many of you other thespians will be just as proud). The roll is perfect for him. And we are excited about getting started! We will keep everyone posted on the performance schedule which will be the weekend of November 8th (a great birthday celebration for Andrew!) -A proud mommy

A New York kind of camping...

I found out what Kate did over the Labor Day week end. She went camping in the Catskills, with Jeremy.

She also did yoga in the woods and Jeremy took her picture!

(I wonder, if no one is there to watch...would she really be doing yoga? Like, if no one is reading chatterbox, does it count that I am writing it? Or does all that just apply to a tree falling in the woods when no one is around to here it? I think I could use more readers with comments! Many thanks to those who do read chatterbox. Feel free to tell me how to make it better.)

"Issy has a Birthday, we're so glad...."

I think I am going to start calling this the a Birthday Blog! We are indeed a family to celebrate!

On September 5th it is Isabelle's turn in the Birthday chair.

"We will see how many she has had...

As we count the pennies, we are told....1 -2 -3 -4- 5- 6- 7,

Isabelle is 7 years old!" (This is an old song I sang in Sunday School as a child.)

Anyway, I am delighted to sing of Isabelle today. Happy, Happy Birthday dear Granddaughter! You are so special and beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside. YA YA!

Labor Day in the Mountains....

Shannon built a dam...




Ford played football with his Grandfather and Father...( as much as he would let them!)




Molly rode the four wheeler and hiked.








Andrew, Emily and William came.....



We all had a great time together, eating, hiking, playing in the creek, riding the four wheeler and just hanging out.

Some of us even took a nap...




I'm afraid the Regas' might have taken Labor Day too seriously and moved over the week end while we were resting. I'll try and find out if they got into their new home or not.

(I do know that Joe WON the JR GOLF tournament at Druid Hills CC last week end. I understand that he got a huge trophy...Congratulation Joe!!!)

I also heard that, this holiday week end, Jeremy and Kate were going camping in the Catskills Mountains. That's somewhere north west of New York, I think. Can't wait to hear about that trip.

Pedersens? I don't know. Maybe they got together with new California resident, sister and aunt, Bethann.... Anyway, hope your labors were more like building dams in a cool creek than moving into a new house!