Amy Currioman

About 30 years ago I was working in an large office full of women.  As you can imagine there was frequent gossiping about everyone and everything! Up until that point in time I used to think that it was terrible when people referred to group of women as cackling hens, but I have to admit that when this group of women got to talking and laughing that’s exactly what it sounded like.  Most of the talk revolved around family; the women would show each other pictures of their kids and grandkids and ooh and ahh over how cute everyone looked. 

One thing about these group conversations that always stuck in my mind was the phrase that someone told me once when they were talking about how in one particular family all of the children were short and in another particular family and all the children were tall – she said “when you plant corn you get corn; when you plant peas you get peas.”

I don’t know why that saying stuck in my mind, but I have found that I frequently repeat that saying when someone comments to me how tall my sons are!  Living out in the country it has been a real challenge getting clothes that fit my very tall guys.  There are no Tall Mens Clothing stores within an hour’s drive!  And it seems most of the local stores are dedicated to the short and stocky framed guys.  Growing corn can be challenging!

Authored by Rickey Combs

My kids absolutely love everything on VH1. I know when I was growing up VH1 was kind of a fuddy duddy channel but they’ve really done a lot to rehab their image over the last few years. My son James likes all those Decade shows where they count down the best stuff from each year and my daughter likes some of the original programming. Ever since we got satellite from http://www.direct.tv last year that’s all they’ve wanted to watch…I was a little confused since they’re teenagers and I thought I was going to have to fight with them over watching MTV! At least they’re not watching anything too bad that I feel is giving them messages they shouldn’t be learning! I wish they’d get outside and do something physical a little more but at least when they’re in the house I know where they are and I don’t have to worry about who they’re hanging out with or what they’re doing. It’s better to have them here and inactive than out and about!

Today is my dear niece’s “M” birthday. She is now twenty five years old. I can remember her from when she was a baby, and it is just amazing how quickly time flies and how much she has grown. And the year that she came to live with me when she was a rebellious fifteen year old. I think that experience has created a special bond between us; one that I will always treasure.

When I was a kid I remember hearing the adults talking about how quickly time flies and thinking it was all a bunch of rubbish. Somehow having kids of your own (and nieces and nephews!) makes you realize how right they were about that.

Happy birthday sweetie!

A lot of people drink orange juice every morning. Its how they start their day.

I prefer a nice cup of coffee in the morning and rarely drink orange juice. When I was very young, I would drink orange juice in the morning. my parents were not big coffee drinkers at home. We all drank either a bi glass of orange juice or a glass of whole milk with our breakfast. My parents would wait until they got to work to have their first cup of coffee.

But I want my coffee first thing in the morning. And pleasse don’t talk to me until I have had at least one or two sips.

This morning when I left the house I noticed the air was heavily scented with a sweet scent.  I looked around trying to figure out where the sweetness was coming from.  The only thing that I could see in bloom was the honeysuckle that has overtaken the fence that lines the property boundary line between us and our neighbor.  I never realized that honeysuckle had such a sweet scent that could be sensed from so far away!

I remember as a child my Dad showed me how to pull apart a honeysuckle so I could lick the drop of nectar from it.  I used to enjoy doing that a lot as a kid.  I haven’t done that this year yet, but I did do it last year when I was showing my own kids how to do it.  I was disappointed by their lack of enthusiasm for what I was showing them!  Oh well, maybe when I have grandchildren they will enjoy doing it with me!