The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 3,200 times in 2010. That’s about 8 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 44 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 129 posts. There were 115 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 188mb. That’s about 2 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was April 20th with 51 views. The most popular post that day was Collage Faces I Love.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were iheartfaces.blogspot.com, en.wordpress.com, diane-adventurebeforedementia.blogspot.com, stephensonfamilyofmuleshoe.blogspot.com, and Private networks.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for woman legs, sexy legs, cotton candy clouds so fluffy and white, nothing’s gonna change my world, and double crown hair.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Collage Faces I Love April 2010
6 comments

Welcome to My Southern Life July 2009
1 comment

Snuggle Time January 2010

Nothing’s Gonna Change My World April 2010
2 comments

What a McDonald Filet O’ Fish and Biggie Fries Can Mean! March 2010

Please be sure and change your Favorites and links on your blogs to reflect our new URL at:

http://my-southern-mint-juleps.blogspot.com

Thanks for your support, and may everyone have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Don’t they look proud and like “real naturals?” Sure hope they don’t get me, but I had to show you this adorable little boy, Fox William. From the time I found out this little fella was due in May, I kept telling Diane it would be great if he shared a birthday with my second son, Nicholas Earl. Well guess what, he does. If he has the same sweet and loving personality as my sweet Nick, they will be truly blessed — and I bet he will too.

Congratulations Grandma Diane and Grandpa Bill! Remember, SPOIL, SPOIL AND SPOIL SOME MORE! Please check out the new grandparents’ blog, Adventure Before Dementia, and leave them a sweet message if you get a chance. You will not be sorry you did. Diane’s blog photography is absolutely stunning, and her stories about Australia amazing.

Just tell her Kathleen sent you.

Happy Birthday to my sweet Nicholas Earl too! He was the BIG 30!

“The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

I spotted this young mother sitting on a bench with her baby in the Cat Country area of the Memphis Zoo. The sweetness of her smile and tenderness in her body had me finding a moment of say “AH.” I love using my telephoto lens where I can catch such precious moments as this without disturbing the natural pose of mother and baby. I also love the Memphis Zoo for the beautiful and natural surroundings for these gorgeous animals, but I often find myself “people watching” as much as “animal watching.”

Mom and I at the Memphis Zoo. Yes, that skinny little girl is Kathleen.
No wonder I love the Memphis Zoo so much now.

Several years ago I lost my precious Maternal Grandmother, another Mother to me, also from the return of breast cancer. Then just a few years ago I lost my precious Maternal Great-Aunt Janie Dale whom I was named after, Kathleen Dale. Aunt Janie always thought all her nieces and nephews were her children too, as she and my Uncle Ross never had any children of their own.

Nick, Me, Tommy, and my precious Grandmother visiting Mud Island.
What a fun day it was! That is the Ole Man River (Mississippi River) rolling behind us.

Now if you think it is difficult planning a wedding with your Mother, you should have been in my situation — Mom, Grandma and Aunt Janie were right there helping! Actually my Mother and my Grandmother got into an argument at the church while the florists were there delivering the flowers. My Mom wanted the table with the cake and punch on one side of the reception room, and my Grandmother wanted it on the other side.

Try as I might, I could not get them calmed down until I had an incredible brainwave attack. I calmly said, with authority, “If you two do not quit arguing this very minute, I am going to call off this wedding and just go live with Phillip instead.” Well, having been brought up in a very Southern Baptist family, the argument ended immediately — and the young guy who was putting my flowers from Lynn Doyle’s into place had to hold his breath to keep from laughing in the chapel.

Now don’t get me wrong, having three incredible Mothers could be taxing at times, but I loved every minute of it. I was so very blessed, and I have such wonderful memories. Those memories will carry me through today and many more days, months, years, until I see all of them again and never have to say goodbye ever again.

My/Phillip’s Mother, Reba Sue Stephenson. Isn’t she beautiful?

As this day approached, I realized something very precious to me. I have remained part of the family and best friends with Phillip’s family since the day we married. Even divorce could not part this close bond and love I have for all of them. When I am troubled, sad, need a friend, etc., I call and talk to Phillip’s precious mother. She, like my family, is a very strong Christian lady — and a wonderful listener. So now you know. I do still have another Mother in my life — Reba Sue Stephenson.

Friday night Phillip and I went shopping for her Mother’s Day gift — she had mentioned wanting some new towels for her bathroom. I just about drove poor Phillip crazy wheeling me through very tight spaces in Sears shopping for her towels. We found her some beautiful towel sets, and a gorgeous new bathmat too. I wish I could have been there today to see her open the gifts, but this old leg was giving me a fit. Going back to the orthopedist on Tuesday for sure.

I wish everyone could be as blessed as I have been with four such wonderful Mothers. May all you Mothers out there have a wonderful day, and remember to call your Mothers and spend time with them — you never know when you may spend the last Mother’s Day with them. Tomorrow night I am taking Phillip, my brother, and my stepdad to Coletta’s Italian Restaurant for dinner (famous for their BBQ pizza, toasted ravioli, Italian spinach, etc.). I wanted us all to be together and remember Mom, celebrate her life with us, and support each other as she would wish us to do.

For those who may be grieving the loss of their precious Mother, I wanted to share the words from a beautiful card my Mikayla’s aunt and uncle sent me. It came Friday, I read it, and I had a good cry — then I could feel the strength of their prayers for me. I have been fine today.

MAY MEMORIES OF YOUR MOTHER COMFORT YOU
Mothers teach us
to love,
to see beauty,
to take our place,
in the world . . .
and bloom there.

Your mother will always
live in your heart,
in your memories,
and in the way
you see the world.
May you find comfort in her soft presence
all around you.

May I also wish you all the same beautiful wish I received from Mace’ & Jimmy:  “Jimmy & I are deeply saddened by the loss of your loved one. We pray to God to give you courage to overcome this grief. May God Bless you, and endow you with His love and care.” Thank you so much Mace’ and Jimmy, and also thank you to all the many people who have reached out to me in this time of my need. You are so loved and appreciated. May God bless each of you.

The resemblance between she and my grandmother is amazing! I know I would have loved her dearly since she loved flowers and animals. I also remember the flower shop in the Curb Market mentioned. It was there for many, many, many years. My grandfather and I would go there on Saturday to purchase the glades and other flowers for my grandmother to prepare a floral arrangement for our church the following Sunday. I had no idea it was owned by some of our family. Don’t you just love this photograph also. Thanks so much Phillip for finding this for me.

I have a graphic project I need to get done tonight for work, so more will come later when I have more time.

“Kate Bond, the daughter of William and Hallie Bond, was born in 1886 in Bartlett. Kate lived for many years in the 1883 homestead built by her parents at the southwest corner of Stage and Kate Bond roads. It was there that she grew her fields of flowers that she sold at the Curb Market in Memphis.” ~ The Commercial Appeal

Phillip wrote to me in his e-mail:

Didn’t you tell me that Kate Bond was one of your ancestors back in December when you showed me way to the Bland-Reece family cemetary that your grandma and your Aunt Janie used to clean up?

There was an article in today’s Commercial Appeal that had a picture of Kate Bond and a story about her. She looks a lot like your grandma in the picture, with her love of animals and flowers and the hat she wore while tending her garden of flowers.

April 27th, 2010, a Tuesday morning, as Phil and I pulled out of the driveway I could somehow feel my mother’s spirit with us. Phil had purchased and planted a Cleveland Pear Tree in my frontyard, and I named it “Mary Ann” in honor of my precious mother. He also planted an apple tree for me as part of my Mother’s Day gift as well. As we backed  to the street, I looked up and was greeted by the prettiest mocking bird sitting on the top of the little tree singing in the sunshine. It was a beautiful, sunny day and yet cool, a perfect day for my precious mom. Others may think me crazy, but somehow I knew in my heart this was the spirit of Mary Ann sitting on her Cleveland Pear Tree and letting me know all was well in her new world. I shed a few tears, but somehow this gave me the strength to make it through the funeral without breaking down.

Of course, after the funeral when I returned home I did cry — very much. As I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep, I could see out my bedroom window behind the curtain rod. There in the sky was the most beautiful moon with this haze around it. It was so soft, friendly, and beautiful. I knew then this once again was my precious mother’s way of kissing me goodnight and saying, “Do not cry. Sleep my child, all is well in my new world and I will see you again.”

My precious Tommy and Luke ~ you brought smiles this day

Between these wonderful signs and the love of my precious family, I will make it. My two little twin grandsons gave Grandma Kat the best hugs and kisses they could that day, and we all had a wonderful lunch at Perkins afterwards on our way home from Covington, Tennessee. I remembered all the times my two precious sons gave their grandmother the same hugs and kisses, and how very much they were loved and adored — and I was able to smile once again.

My precious Phillip, how would I have made it without your help?

Yes, with the Peace that Passeth All Understanding from God above, mom’s sweet spiritual signs, my precious family, and the hugs and kisses from my grandchildren I will make it. I will be able to remember my mother and smile once again knowing she is at Peace with this terrible disease, breast cancer, once again.

My precious Jesse ~ he would watch the trucks go by on Highway 51 and say, “That’s a B-I-G truck. WOW!” So cute!

My goodness, my Tommy gets more handsome each day it seems ~ but he is taken gals!

He is taken by our Selena (and the twins)!

 Mom left a legacy of a beautiful family behind. None of us knew this would be my family from Texas’ last time to see her. Who would have guessed a month later she would be gone from us.

This week’s theme at i heart faces is “Smiles.” Little did I know the day in March I took this photo with my Canon how special this photo would become to me and my precious Mackenzie.

This special smile is the only one I have of my precious granddaughter hugging my mother, her great-grandmother, for the last time. Shortly after they were here for Spring Break, we found out my mother had terminal liver and kidney cancer (the return of breast cancer) and was soon in a comatose state. Late tonight, April 25th, she passed away peacefully.

I am so grateful I have this wonderful photo of my mother and Mackenzie on this last visit. Mackenzie is very special to all of us as she was our first and also the only little Princess. We have four adorable Princes as well.

Someday I will frame this for my little Princess to always remember her great-grandmother who loved her so dearly. I only wish she could stay here with us to watch Mackenzie grow up, but God had other plans for her and called her home to join Him in Heaven.

“You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back, or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her, or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back. Or you can do what she’d want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.” ~ David Harkins (British Poet and Painter b. 1958)

As Phillip, my stepfather and I sat with my mother at the nursing home today, I noticed the changes the Big “C” has brought over her precious little body. The return of the breast cancer first took over her normal gentle manner while attacking her brain.

Others called this dementia, but I knew better. I have seen this process before. I watched my grandmother’s mind be taken over as the breast cancer metastasized in her brain little by little, until the comatose state set in. The same has occurred with my mom.

The breast cancer has now taken over her liver and caused the kidneys to shut down causing increased swelling in her little body. This frail little body with such thin arms from the lost of weight before, is now expanding and filling out with the accumulation of toxic fluids in her body. Her normally very pretty hands are now swollen and blue as well as the arms. They look like at any minute they could break open. I only pray the skin will keep expanding to accomodate this swelling.

We watch as her breathing becomes slower and slower. Sooner or later we know she will soon take that last breath here on earth with us.

Yet as I watch this sweet little body die here on earth, I know a new transformation is taking place slowly. Her spirit is already halfway there I feel, and soon her little body will also be there. She will be young, beautiful, pain-free, and whole once again — just as in this favorite picture of her I have from my grandmother.

What is getting me through this time of great sadness? Only the realization my loved ones are guiding her slowly to her eternal home, and God is healing her along the way — and I somehow feel Lady, the dog she loved so much in this photograph, will be right there to greet her as well. All of these things and the knowledge of what a friend I have in Jesus who is listening to my tears, cries, and most of all my prayers.

What A Friend We Have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilage to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus Knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge;
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.