Found mama's big ones in Clarksville Tn

On Tuesday, I swept Jeff away on an overnight "get away".  

OK, I was going out of town overnight for business and I drug him with me.

.....to Clarksville, TN (a whole 3 1/2 hours away)

Now my regular readers know I am grossed out by hotels and public restrooms and...

well anything germy!

So you can imagine my thoughts and actions when I arrived at our hotel and found 

THIS BATHROOM

yes, it was clean....but hospital themed....really?

Jeff is used to $800 a night luxury hotel rooms so he was a tiny bit out of his element.

I took him to the local eatery, Blackhorse Pub and Grill, so he could calm down and relax.

a lot

 AHHH...a romantic night in Clarksville.....

we went to the playground by the Cumberland.....

creek?...no, stream....ok...River.....i guess

The next day when I got off work, we set out to see the rest of the town!

This is the Roxy.  A friend from college told me about it and I was excited to check it out. 

It was closed for the day.

Here's the church.....where's the steeples?

(really cool)

Kids of Clarksville enjoying the summer

 We dined like the stars at the famous Frank's Hamburgers "celebrating 30 years serving Clarksville"

The burger was so good, I did not even quit eating when the owner showed me and talked about his missing teeth

 (well the gaps)

We stopped in this old place....

There was so much stuff, you would never have enough time to find all the big treasures.

We saw every inch of Clarksville! It was a long but exciting 15 minutes!

On the way back to Memphis, we enjoyed a few hours in the Montgomery Bell State Park

 the treasured zombie deer to be found in the park.....

we saw middle Tennesseans practicing for the olympic paddle boat event 

Does anyone know where Cumberland Presbyterian started?

RIGHT HERE!

Reverand Samuel McAdow came over to the Cumberland area of Tennessee to minister to the pioneers.  These people turned from the theology of "the chosen" (predestination) and began following the theology of "whoever comes"......that is the best I can remember from what I read on the plaque...and was confusing since presbyterian is known for predistination...

I wish I had a sound bite for you....

Jeff and I heard one of the coolest sounds EVER!

When we walked by this little church in the middle of the forest, we heard someone preaching.  We stood a few minutes and listened as the handful of people began to sing Amazing Grace.  It was beautiful to hear due to the acoustics in the tiny stone church.....

THEN we noticed at the same time......it wasn't in English...it was definitely one of the most beautiful "Amazing Grace" I have ever heard but they were singing in a different language! (korean I think)

BEAUTIFUL

As we drove through another small town (still heading back to Memphis) we passed a house that made Jeff want to try his hand at "American Pickers"

He did it!

Jeff: "I'll give you $10 for this"  

Lady: "I can't do that...it has all of its pieces. I can do $15"

Jeff: "ok!"

Later on the ride home, he told me that he was looking for one more item to "bundle".

I am pretty sure that Mike and Frank would have been proud of Jeff...

This is actually going on my list of a favorite time with Jeff.

THANKS Clarksville, TN!

and Dickson

and Charlotte

and that town with one stop sign!

Do you think anyone used a straw at the last supper?

Most of the time, when we do communion at our church, each row stands up and files down front to receive the "bread" and the "cup".

I was raised to sit in the pew and let the plate be passed to me.  I preferred this tradition to the "communion parade".

It has taken me several years to realize that communion is between me and my Lord.  I can't hide in the pew and partake of the bread and juice while thinking about laundry or work. I now feel that going down front is better, for me. It forces me to GET UP and take a stand.  I don't worry if people notice my hair freakin out or my skirt turned slightly to the side.  I am going to the Lord in repentance, praise and obedience.  Sometimes, I get so lost in prayer or the singing, that I become very emotional and tears run down my cheeks.

Today's communion was just as special as all the others.  I prepared my heart. Confessed the things that I put before God.
Praised God for making me the way I am, praised Him for loving me.....

I took the cracker and received my blessing. Ate the cracker....
I took the tiny plastic cup and received my blessing.....


I thanked Jesus for dying a horrible death FOR ME....MAZ, an earthly flaw, but perfection in God's eyes...
I tipped the cup...
BUT my head and neck did not move (due to some muscle pain)...still lost in a world of just me and God....
I slurped the juice from the cup as if my lips were a bendy straw. I ran my tongue into the tiny cup to lap out what I missed....

It wasn't until I looked up and noticed the first two rows staring at me that I realized what that might have looked like to everyone else...

Embarrassment flooded over me as I walked back to my seat.......

and then the Lord reminded me that he called ME to follow Him.  He chose me!
He chose MAZ.....MAZ that is selfish, MAZ that speaks harsh, MAZ that slurps communion.....

MAZ, child of God.

Yes, I am sniffing you. No, it is not creepy.

Last week, I was at the office and kept getting a wiff of

poo-gym-rotting smell

I checked my garbage can and desk drawers for evidence of a small death.
nothing

I checked the bottom of my shoes.
nothing

I secretly sniffed my boss.
nothing

I smelled my hoodie jacket.
nothing

That night, I washed my jacket anyway.
Next day...no more smell!


Today, I worked at the office and THE SMELL WAS BACK!

I checked the drawers and garbage.
nothing

I smelled my jacket.
nothing

I sniffed my boss.
nothing

I sniffed my chair.
nothing

I could not continue working until I found the smell!

"What is that smell?"
I loudly and desperately asked....
as I simultaneously pulled my shoe off and crammed my nose inside.

"AHHHH! It's my shoes!"
My boss continued to ignore my ridiculous sniffing panic.

I took my shoes off and stuck them in the hall and around the corner.
I finished the day in my socks.
I recalled a day, a few weeks ago, where due to a menagerie of craziness, I ended up mowing in my soaking wet shoes.

Much later today....
after work...
after grocery shopping...
I am back at home.

"What is that smell? Guys, have you had a shower? When is the last time you brushed your teeth?
Who has gas?"

sniff...sniff sniff....sniff
The guys continue to ignore my sniffing hunt.

"oh! HA! nevermind! I remember. It's my shoes."

(for those that are left hanging in suspense....I was wearing my workboots on the non-smelly days.)

Series Obsession

 

I have a series obsession with Mad Men.  NO, I did not spell serious wrong...
I am obsessed with the series, Mad Men.
It is full of horrible, steamy, adulterous, themes...and scenes.... 
but I am intrigued by the mentality and actions of the 1960 men and women living the upper class city life.

To balance out my educational, anthropological, psychological study of life in the 60s,
I have added The Wonder Years to my "non-thinking" time in front of the TV.
The Wonder Years focuses on the middle class lifestyle in the suburbs.

Things I have learned:

I need to pick up heavy drinking and smoking so I can be beautiful and skinny like ALL the women on Mad Men.

I would have had to hide a cook in the kitchen pantry because there is no way I would cook a big family meal every night....(or ever)

I would cry myself to sleep every night from having to wear all that make-up, fix my hair, and wearing those dresses every day, all day and even to bed....

I WOULD like that they knock you out to have a baby and the men sit in the waiting room.
I WOULD like the cars and houses/condos.
I probably would have had no choice but to be a hippie because I wear glasses, have uncontrollable curly hair, and live in jeans and t-shirts!

(the above pictures are actually Jack dressed as a 1920s gangster...fedora not pictured.... and Max dressed as a 1960s hippie for their Decade Party at camp)

GENIUS!

You may see this and think...

bad advertising

lazy workers

incompetent workers


I see this and think.....

GENIUS!  I never noticed that they provide the service of tire alignment.

and...if the sign is indication of their ability....

no worries,
Pretty sure tires work the same way upside down.

Smart Business Ideas

Smart!

Giving out free gas to each client!

Welcome to The Other Side

Before I tell the story about THE OTHER SIDE, I need to show you that this kid:

Jack on last day of 8th grade

Is now this kid:

Jack beginning summer as a 9th grader (HAIR GONE!)

(his dumbo shirt says "The Ladies Think I Am Fly"

THE OTHER SIDE

This weekend was the family reunion for Lee Ziegenhorn's side of the family (my father-in-law).

I have always enjoyed my time with this side. They are nice, fun, and entertaining!!

Reunion Theme:  Birthday

My mother-in-law made us all birthday hats specific to each of us! They were amazing, quite impressive!

Are you ready for the Ms/Mr Birthday pageant?

Jack, August

sporty numbers, clippings from old books

Max, September

man colors, bible verses, awesomeness

Jeff, August flourish!

Me, October, pumpkin and spider with fancy headband

My father-in-law, Lee Ziegenhorn, November

every teen boy enjoys a flamboyant birthday hat!

no, serously, mine had a blast with theirs!

Jeff's cousins' children, his brother's children and our children

On the couch, left yellow shirt (Jack), older kid in middle (Jeff's nephew)....
They look like such close cousins......they are......but look closer!

Poor Alex (almost 18) is quiet and calm...

JACK (almost 15) likes to embarrass or annoy Alex.

(Jack is grinning because he knows his arm around Alex is creepy to Alex)

Jeff's family (except the LA, California brother and his family)

Jack 14, Alex 17, Jeff, Me, Nelson (Jeff's brother), Julie (Nelson's wife)

Max 13, Jacob 14, Lee, Connie (Jeff's mom), Courtney 16

Just a normal family picture....with explosive hats and headbands....

Time to hang the bloody meat carcass...

I mean red, round, pinata!

The birthday fun continued on the lake and "sandy beach". We swam, tubed and Jack skied for the first time!!

Back at the house we (about 30 people) sang Happy Birthday to ourselves in unison and then blew out the candles on a big birthday cake!

(camera was out of batteries so no more pics)

Then, about 20 of us sat around and played "Catch Phrase"....

The QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND:

A young daughter of Jeff's cousin trying to give hints to the phrase:

"it is what poor people have to do because they don't have money for college"

girl team:

"community college"

"NO, they can't go to college!"

"get a job"

"NO"

"vocation"

"NO, they are poor, they do this instead..."

BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

"what was the phrase?"

"homeschool...."

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA