Rutherfordton, NC, Rutherford County in Western NC, a large county, I'm closer to SC line than Lake Lure, Blue Ridge Mtns, etc . . . yet only about 40 minutes from Asheville, NC, and 40 minutes from Spartanburg, SC -- have to love new Interstates! Live on 2 acres, half wooded (sourwoods, oaks, maples, dogwoods), in a very tiny community of 2 streets, we have an Association with few rules, one is not to cut down any trees unless they put your home in danger (we are permitted a yard, gardens, etc . . but not massive amounts of trees cut down because of erosion and we like look and feel of woods). We keep our dues extremely low because we all pitch in -- cut grass, plant garden front entrance, etc . . . our 2 roads (actually goes by number of homes on streets) are not enough for NC to takeover road work and after couple new homes built in last few years (heavy equipment) the asphalt has cracks, etc . . . if a hard winter comes . . .

Good morning! I too try to visualize people and it rarely, if ever, works out. it is nice to put faces to names. Shirley, still thinking of you and keeping you in my prayers. i know that's your daughter, brittney and dawson -- who are the others (inquiring nosey minds want to know) and as for your mom, you never know what the next roommate may be, perhaps you can hold off on the move until you see what comes in LOL, however, I think I'd want to be with my own and her secrets kept!!!! annie your dogs are beautiful, as are you. my aunt and uncle, for as long as i can remember, were the first home for service dogs until they were ready to go into training. they had several different dogs from what i recall. sorry about your lizzie...i know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. my next dog is going to be a shepherd, but it's been decided that we will only have one dog at a time now, so I have to wait my turn. (we'll see) i made an anniversary cake for a group i belong to, it was our 7 year anniversary so i made this massive cake. i filled it with alternating layers of buttercream and lemon curd, and dang, if it was not tasty. I was able to take a slice home for the family to taste and seriously wish there had been more leftover, would have made a nice breakfast!!!! a real nice combination, even though it started out that i was going to use raspberry as well...i just couldn't get enough to cook them down to make a nice sauce/filling. it's still so cold and seems to be staying that way until at least next week, when it's supposed to go to the high 40's, with rain. by then, i'll think it's summer. this cold is bone chilling and of course, they are calling for more snow. we haven't got much of it, but.....this year it is bothering me like mad! i shouldn't complain, there are parts of the country that are in the negatives, so i'll just keep my mouth shut on this subject any further! so whose left to post their pic? come out. come out whereever you are! speaking of which, jeanne, how are those triplets of late? is mary ellen still a part of this group? i feel like i haven't seen her in a long time...maybe since she became a grandmom, or right before that? hae a nice thursday! maryanne

Wow, I am so glad that I'm feeling a bit better to come and say hi! I started reading at the top and read all the way down. How nice to get to know you all better! I know that I didn't join in this swap or last months but hope it's o.k. if I still answer the questions and tell my story too. O.K. well I won't repeat what you guys already knew about my sickness & recovery. But here is a bit about it that I didn't say... Although this isn't a fact in stone just my opinion (on the cause) I have lived in the country all my life and the crop dusters dump their poisons all over everywhere as people have homes next to fields the wind carries that stuff. When I was 12 (I'm 38 now) I started developing strange health issues. When I was 16 they were very evident. When I was 25 I began having seizures, was in a wheelchair, in and out of a normal state of mind. Lost the ability to read, didn't know my family. It was dreadful! What a trooper my husband is! May 7 of this year made 8 years that I have been seizure free (no meds, that stuff is just about the devil incarnate itself). MS was what I was diagnosed with. My Mom tells me that when I was a baby that when the crop dusters would dust the crops all around us that I would be sick to my stomach and vomiting the entire day afterwards. I believe there is a connection between the 2 if not the cause. My Mom also has MS. I strongly believe that chemicals are causing all sorts of maladies with people, bees & animals. People do not believe me when I tell them I believe that so many diseases are caused by the poisons that we've created and that we are to blame for so many diseases afflicting us. As a kid we played in the fields bare footed! I live nowhere near fields and if all of a sudden the hundreds of acres of woods around me were turned into fields well I would rather be homeless under a bridge than to ever live anywhere near crop dusting planes again! lol However since my b-day was in Dec. that's the only thing that has changed I'm now 39. Well, that and I started having seizures again back in Nov. (sighs) I was soooo looking forward to making the 9 year mark to dang it. Q. # 1 That I am outgoing, I am not and I struggle with being an introvert as well. #1 because I can't remember people. In town I see people that say "Hey Rena', I haven't seen you in forever! How's Roy and the kids?" I swear I have no memory of ever seeing them in my life! And it happens constantly. When my husband or kids are with me I then ask "Who was that? And where do I "know them from?" So I hate going in public where I run into people that I can't remember at all but who apparently know me pretty well. It is disconcerting to say the least. And how do you say Um sorry but I don't remember you. So I just hug them back and smile like they are my long lost buddy. Q. #2 (Although I missed the game so I'll just list 3 true things.) 1. I can't stand facades. So I make a point when people want to be my friend I tell them everything negative about me 1st. (Although I am a super-positive person.) I figure skip the pretenses and get right to it if you still like me after then you are my true friend and we can have a true friendship. That way we don't waste each others time if down the road you feel like wow that Rena' is a real ding-bat. lol Right up front you know everything about me. Ex. I like you because thus and so... Then I counter with 2 things about me that should be improved. You then say well I like that about you, I counter with more truth. So my friends know everything about me the good the bad & the ugly. 2. Even though I reveal everything about myself I never ever ask personal questions of my friends. Period. Because if I'm your friend it's unchangeable, I'm your friend. 3. I am such a one track minded person that when company comes over for dinner and I'm cooking you better not talk to me. lol You'd think my husband would know better by now... The other night I felt well enough to cook (hamburger steaks) and he sat down and served himself, his eyes got as big as golf balls after the 1st bite. lol I forgot ALL seasoning, no salt, no cajun seasoning, no worchestsire nada... The whole time I was trying to cook he was talking a mile a minute. My brain can't be in 2 places at one time. Jeesh, he knows that! Aw well if he forgot he was reminded. lol Q. #3 The worst was when I couldn't hold conversations with any of my family and not understanding them when they tried to talk to me. The best was when I got better and could play ball with the kids, hug them, talk to them and understand them. Also forever I will remember cleaning the bathrooms for the 1st time since I had gotten better and singing loudly while cleaning the toilet. I promise you've never seen someone as happy as I was cleaning a toilet! lol Q. #4 Seizures returning after 8 years of zero. But I am unbelievably thankful for the 8 good years just wish it would of lasted 'til death. Q. #5 The most? That I relish the uniqueness & diversity of my family members and friends personalities & strive to never ever be judgemental of others. Although I am unrelenting with judging myself and forever fall short of my own standards which are ridiculously rigid. And that I am an eternal optimist! (Albeit my husband says my "head is in the clouds.") Hummmmm is he saying I'm an airhead?! lol The least? Wow, that's a toughie too many to choose just one but let's see ... I create unrealistic goals for myself all the time and always am disappointed when I can't achieve them. Wish that I could be more realistic when setting goals. Also I start things am gung ho in the beginning but then get bored or lose interest or am overwhelmed at the unattainability of the goal. And battle depression as a result. Anyhoo on the bright side yesterday here was so warm I was in a short sleeve shirt and planted some more bulbs, yes I know they should all already be in the ground (all 400 of them). lol Got about 10 planted... Only 390 (or so) more to go... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! May it be your best year ever!!! Rena'

We are home and fine. Tired, worn out, sore (from walking) and wet, but home. We were in the Roanoke, VA area off I81 at Natural Bridge, so not near the tornado/campground issue. However, we did have terrible rains Wed. night which caused my tent to flood. Then as we were adding additional tarps on Thursday afternoon, more torrential rains with winds. Spent time under the awning keeping it from flooding. Saturday was lovely, but lightening was seen around 10pm. I checked weather, but it said only 10% chance of rain for Sat night/Sun. so I went ahead and removed the extra tarp (for more air, and pre-packing to go home Sun.) WRONG MOVE! around 3am had a horrible storm come through. Took out one of the awnings we had up, and flooded the tent again! While taking refuge, I was able to check radar and turns out there was a Severe Weather Alert for the area...and no immediate end to the rain. So the little girls & I moved to the truck, I packed up the remaining things in the tent to keep them dry (big kids were in their own tent that didn't leak). Packing up this morning was NOT fun! Everything was wet & muddy, and it was still raining. We will definitely have stories to tell about this trip! But we are home now, getting all cleaned up, and waiting until tomorrow to figure out how to dry everything out. Thanks for worrying about us! You're the best!