September 10th

On Monday, September 10, 2001, a family had dinner together for the last time. A dad put his children to bed and kissed them goodnight for the last time. After a long day of meetings, a tired business woman looked forward to the morning flight that would take her home...but that flight wouldn’t reach its destination. A little boy went to bed in PJs with fire trucks all over them. They were his favorite, because his daddy told him stories about how he gets to go to work and ride those trucks everyday. His dad was his hero, and the next morning his dad would be the very real hero to countless others, but he wouldn’t be home for dinner that night or any night after that.

Orange Starburst

Poor orange Starburst. Undesired. Unloved. Unwanted. REJECTED. Just like the unathletic kid in PE, they are the last ones left in the bowl.

Who hasn't felt like the orange Starburst on occasion? I know I have.

Above All Else

Here’s the thing.

I am a Christian, and I consider myself to be a person of deep faith. I come from a VERY conservative background, and I still live by the values and morals that were instilled in me by my amazing parents and family. I know who my Savior is, and I pray to Him every single day. I seek His guidance and counsel to lead me along the right path. God…well…HE knows I am a hopelessly flawed sinner, but by the power of His amazing grace, I know He still loves me. Powerful stuff.

Given all of the above, you might make assumptions about where I stand on marriage equality…and you would probably be wrong.

Not So Surprising

I love feel-gooder stories that boost my faith in humanity, so here's one for you on this fine Friday.

I take you to last Saturday. A lovely day on The Plains, and a great day for a win against Starkpatch. My Uncle Mark came to Auburn to enjoy the game (as usual) and was also bringing with him 4 tickets for this Saturday's game against/at Clemson. He had the tickets in tow, because my brother was buying two of them from him, and they were to make the exchange at halftime.

All dogs go to heaven - especially THIS one.

Death is a complicated thing to handle for those who are left behind. No doubt about it. I don't know anyone that hasn't had to deal with it in one way or another. For animal lovers, losing a pet can be, and usually is, like losing a child. That is what we are going through right now...

Amazing Person #2

One of my dearest friends gave me a slap on the wrist this week for being a bad blogger. She is so right. I have neglected the blogosphere, so I thought it apropos to dedicate this post to her! Now, she needs a nickname. Let's call her.......Shiksa! That is a fitting name, and I think it will give her a much needed giggle.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

BG turns the big 6-2 today. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Anyone who meets my dad immediately falls in love with him. He is one special person. He grew up in the same town where he still lives today. He and my 2 uncles were raised on a farm by two of the most humble and warm-hearted people on the planet. Nothing is more important to BG than family and God with Auburn football - well, Auburn in general - coming in as a close 3rd.

Easter in Small Town Alabama looks like...

THIS.
.

To frame this up properly, I have to tell you. One of the things I love most about me is that I come from a tiny - and I mean TINY - small town in Alabama. You can count the number of traffic lights on one hand. Everybody knows everybody. When I was a mischievous teenager, my parents knew about the trouble I had gotten into, before I got home. Time stands absolutely still in places like this. It is virtually the same place that I left when I went away to college. But anyway...

April 4, 2008

This was a VERY exciting day in my world. Something I never thought possible became official. Five faces I never thought I would see in the same place again...were in the same place again. There were rumors. Lots of them. There were rumblings. There was reason to believe in the weeks prior to April 4th. But that day it became real. Very real.

Beasley

Let me tell you a little something about my best bud. His name is Beasley. He'll be 4 in June. He is black and white. He loves me unconditionally and is always happy to see me...and everyone else. All he wants in life is to be near me and occasionally some food, water, and a squeaky toy.