BRAGGS REUNION

Well, it is that time of the year again! It is 6:45 a.m. and I am up and ready to be picked up to head to the Braggs family reunion. I will take some pictures and post a few in a couple of days. You get to see some of the clan! See ya then!

WHAT A SCARE!

Well, tonight I had a great scare! I was at Wally World and was at the check out counter ready to pay for my purchases. I swiped my card, swiped again, again, again, the cashier swiped, then again, again, me again, then after 8 swipes and 8 declines, I started to get a little worried. Since no one was behind me and I had just spent over an hour in the store to pick out my purchases, I asked If I could call the bank regarding whey they wee declining my ATM card. I dialed the phone, told the customer service rep my problem and was put on hold several minutes-hence again-the worrying began. The woman returned to the phone, transferred me to ATM department and then BOOM! she informed me that there was a "critical alert" placed on my card this morning. When I asked why, well, you could have knocked me over with a feather! I was informed that the Florida authorities contacted my banking institution and informed them that my ATM card number was one of over 100 numbers that was found on a man that they arrested today and have incarcerated now in Florida. WHEW! She informed that they would issue me a new card, the number was no longer a valid number and my account was OK, nothing had been put through on it! WHAT A SCARE! Needless to say, I was sweating like a little pig and shivering like it was 10 below zero in the room! I wrote a check, packed my goodies and off I went. I got into my car and called the lady back, just to make sure I heard her right and everything was OK. Just and FYI to all of you----I did not lose my card, I do not use my ATM card on the Internet or give my number to anyone. What I was told, is that when you make any purchase from anywhere, that company is "NOT" supposed to keep any of your information overnight, once their transaction goes through, they are supposed to erase all daily transactions information. Some companies are lax or non-compliant with this, therefore "hackers" get into those systems and obtain all the information they need to sell to more than eager buyers. I thanked "Karen" profusely and the institution for taking care of this situation for me. So from me to all of you.....PLEASE, please, please, watch your accounts! KUDOS to my BANK!!!!!!

Life As I Know It (Part 2)

1. Going on my first canoe trip after my senior year with my high school friends, it was great!
2. Picking daffodils at Easter with both of my grandmas.
3. Watching my daughter do the backstroke in swim lessons at the YMCA.
4. Showing up at my daughter's house and finding it was a surprise 50th birthday party for me, thrown by her and David! WOW! 56 of "MY" friends and relatives were there for me, and some had to drive a while to get there! WOW AGAIN!
5. Hearing Joi say "momma" the first time.
6. Going to Knott's Berry Farm, missing my dogs, having pictures hidden in my suitcase, driving 2 hours to get the pictures, bring them back, ordering chalk pictures drawn of them and having them shipped from California to home. THEY WERE GREAT. They look as though they could come to life.
7. In Gatlinburg, going up the ski lift with Mom and Aunt Dooie, both of which were ooohoohing because their legs were hurting from the heights & Joi, Nanette and I laughing at them.
8. Watching Joi's 6th grade graduation program, with Emily and Rachel.
9. Seeing the ocean for the very first time!
10. Driving up to Fern Cliff campsite, the trailer all set up, a campfire going and Jimmy Buffet playing on the radio, then having a wonderful "License to Chill" weekend with just us girls, Cindy, Ellen and Me.
11. Watching Joi ride her bicycle in the parking lot, and hitting the only thing (a telephone pole) within 20 feet! (Trust me...it was hysterical, just ask David)
12. Picking up a new poodle puppy, taking him home and leaving him with mom, which she fell in love with, even though she hates dogs. He ended up being "Dino", named by mom, after who else? her fav at the time "Dean Martin".
13. Walking in to Anderson Hospital ER, after the longest 12 mile drive in my life, and seeing my daughter and she was OK!!!!!!!!!! That was the best site EVER!
14. Seeing the Washington Memorial, over and over and over and well you had to be there!
15. Watching the faces of the girls at Joi's surprise 13th birthday trip when they found out that Six Flags was not our destination, but an overnight-in a motel-float trip the next day trip. Then seeing how much they enjoyed the entire trip.
16. Eating Watermelon Sherbert in Lahaina, Maui on my first trip to Hawaii.
17. Seeing my daughter get ready for her first Dare Dance.
18. Driving through Dogwood Canyon and Cedar Creek with Cindy and Ellen, beautiful!
19. My first slumber party, Betty Brooks checking up on the parents for Cindy to come (finding out the parents were some of her bowling friends), the ride to get pizza in the old Edzell and dad scaring the crap out of Mary Tolan, it was great!
20. Getting my first collie, Lady.
21. Keeping one of her puppies and a great dog, SHANE!
22. Finding a wet muddy little grey mutt, on top of a snow mound, with a leash and collar, at a car wash, with the biggest black eyes, our Dodger Dog!
23. Seeing my current puppy, Koty right after she was born and looking like a baby pig, but finally getting my first Shih Tzu.
24. Going to see a small Shih Tzu, free for the taking if we wanted it and finding the most loveable little puppy, GIZMO.
25. Seeing Joi getting ready to go to her senior prom.

Well this is my second 25, stay tuned, I still have 2 more parts! I challenge my friends reading this to do their list of 100. It really is kind of fun, looking back and remembering all of these wonderful moments of time in your life! Come on everyone, let's see your 100, e-mail me & other friends if you do not have a blog.

08' CANCER WALK

Aunt Linda getting her pie!
and eating it!
Veronica, Aunt Linda & Jane
Veronica taking pics
Mom & Aunt Norma
Joi and David
Donna, Veronica & Jane
Nanette and Michelle
David & Joi
Aunt Linda & Jane
Donna taking pics!

MOM & AUNT NORMA

LOOK AT THE SEA OF WALKERS!
Here are some pictures from the cancer walk. It was awesome! Everyone had a great time. It is a great experience to see the ocean of walkers all there to support the "Race for the Cure". I hope to you each and everyone of you there again next year, plus anyone else that would like to join us. We all went out for lunch at O'Charley's after the race and someone, we won't say who, told the waitress that it was Aunt Linda's birthday. The waitress gave her a "delicious" piece of caramel pie. After lunch we went shopping at Garden Ridge. All in all, it was a great day!

Life As I Know It (Part 1)

Well here it is finally, Part 1-the first 25, of my 100. These are a list of 100 things that were worth doing in my life and reflecting upon them. I also hope these events are those that pop up should my life flash before my eyes. Here's my partial list! And, these are definitely in no particular order. I was tagged by my daughter, Joi, and challenged to do this and as I promised in an earlier blog, here goes...

1. Riding with my dad on his motorcycle when I was young (not sure how old, maybe 6th or 7th grade), sitting in front of him and him scaring me half to death by letting go and letting me steer!
2. Watching my daughter being born and not realizing at that time just how much I would love that little girl!
3. Watching my mom go down the "Big Slide" by Grants store (yes, I am old) and when she got to the end and it should have stopped her, she just kept on going out into the parking lot! We all laughed our butts off, but I don't think she thought it was as funny as we did.
4. Singing songs with my dad and mom on trips, especially the trip to California and all the way there and back we sang, "I Wanna Go Home", "Abilene" "Six Days on the Road" and "Cottonfields Back Home".
5. Seeing Disneyland, in California, for the first time and getting my Mickey Mouse ears with my name embroidered on the back. (Remember the Mickey Mouse Club with Annette Funicello!)
6. Swimming with the Dolphins the first time in Panama City Beach, WOW!
7. Getting my first car at my 16th birthday party and it had a big red bow on the hood. It was a 1968 Black Barracuda with black interior, hemi head hookups, Big Daddy Glassback "LOUD" mufflers, a 383 engine, and did I mention...IT WAS A down right FAST MOVING MACHINE...whew! When you floored it, it played like the Roadrunner, wound up, hesitated and "beep beep" away it flew!
8. Winning $1,000 from WIL 92.3 and purchasing a package trip to Hawaii for $499 (can you believe the price) for 6 days, 5 nights motel & round trip airfare and going with Aunt Dooie.
9. Trying to surf at Waikiki Beach and getting up!, only to jump off since I didn't know how to steer the board or where the brakes were. OH, did I say, I GOT UP!
10. Getting to go to a Kelly Clarkson/Reba McIntire concert, and who better to go with, MOM & JOI!
11. The many many trips to Aunt Dooie's cabin in Tennessee and sharing the time with my cousin Christy, running down the hill to the boat dock, boat riding, swimming, checking the fish lines with Uncle Shelta in the a.m. when it was still dark and him answering my questions for hours (especially when he tried to point out the little dipper in the sky, I know at least a 1,000 times...and I NEVER DID SEE IT! Not even to this day have I picked it out), eating fish...well at least to me it was...I ate Aunt Dooie's hush puppies!
12. Learning how to swim, via my dad fastening me in a life jacket and pitching over the side of the boat! This encountered much protest from my Aunt Dooie and Aunt Elva might I add. But I showed him, I got to where when the boat slowed down, they had to keep a close eye on me, because I got to where I would then just jump out of the boat!
13. Watching Joi play on a basketball team.
14. Getting up on Saturday mornings when I was little, finding where my clothes had been laid out for me by my mom, and where she left me a quarter for the corner store to buy an entire sack of penny candy and walking up to Aunt Dooie's for the rest of the day until mom got off work.
15. Taking Emily Douglas with us to Panama City Beach and watching her and Joi out in the water talking, giggling and planning their futures.
16. Seeing the rest stop area in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Don't knock it until you see it! It is on the Colorado River and I could have stayed at that spot for several days, much to my family's dismay.
17. Watching my dad fall on the slippery rocks in the river down by Gatlinburg, after he just got done yelling at me and Joi to be careful. He was in his jeans, and Joi and I cracked up! (just a side note---he did NOT get hurt.)
18. Hearing "I Love You" the first time, from Tom laying on a blanket, by the lake, in Belle, MO, where we were visiting his mom and Leroy where they lived back then.
19. Watching Joi, David, Jessica Worthen, and others at the donkey basketball game, their senior year. This was the first one I had ever seen and it was hysterical. Mom and Betty Brooks were laughing so hard, they were just as funny as the game.
20. Watching Cindy Brooks, which was my best friend back then, play softball with Petrillo's Team.
21. Joi's surprise 16th birthday party to Chicago! Mom and I took, Joi, Lauren Miller, Emily Douglas and Rachel Means to Joliet, stayed at Aunt Alice's house the 1st night, then Aunt Alice, Cathy and Sammy joined all of us the next 2 days in Chicago, for sunning at the beach, shopping the Million Dollar Mile (not sure of name), the Navy Pier, dinner at DeBevec's, the harrowing taxi ride, and Shed's Aquarium, not to mention the sweet deal of a room the girls had (compliments of Cathy)!
22. My first time getting up on water skies and finding out that they were trick skies at that. I never could make it up on normal ones.
23. Being at my daughter's wedding on Makena Cove, in Maui, Hawaii, with both entire immediate families and numerous friends in attendance! Watching her include her dad, my dad and Tom to walk her down the aisle.
24. Seeing my daughter "WAVE" in the homecoming parade! (inside joke)
25. Getting married to Tom, on Panama City Beach, Florida, 9-27-00. This being a couple of days after one hurricane and a couple days before a new one was coming.

Whew, done with the first 25! Stay tuned, I will post the 2nd part soon.

Life As I Know It (Part 1)

!!!!CMAFEST08!!!!

Well, what can I say but WHOOHOO! CMAFEST08 was great again this year! And, this year Mom and I had company, Aunt Linda. I think I can say without any hesitation that Aunt Linda Loved it! The first night started off with a fly over of 4 USA fighter jets! Then Phil Stacey sang a knockout version of the National Anthem. Each night started with this fly over, a great line up of artists and music and then each night ended with fireworks! Aunt Linda got to see Dwight Yoakum, Josh Turner and Jeff Bates, what else do I need to say?! We went to the Opryland Hotel and took pictures, shopped at the Opry Mills Mall, ate at Demo's (great food!) and seen & heard alot of Country Starz! Some of who were Sugarland, Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift, Kellie Pickler, Faith Hill, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Ashton Sheppard, Carrie Underwood, Jessica Simpson, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakum, Keith Urban, Kenny Rogers, Billy Ray Cyrus (WHOOHOOO for me!!), Little Big Town, Phil Stacey, Bo Bice, Keith Anderson, Chuck Wicks, Darryl Worley, Bucky Covington, Jack Ingram, Randy Travis, Rascal Flatts, James Otto and many many more. Well, enough of me going on, so enjoy some of the above pics!!! and the Sugarland video below (just click on the white arrow/triangle to start the video). ENJOY! as we did.

UPDATE-CANCER WALK

Well, I'm a little late with this, but my computer has been down more than up for the past week. I am typing this fast, just in case it decides to lock up again! We are all meeting between 7:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning at the Cracker Barrel in Caseyville on Highway 64. We will then go to the Fairview Heights Metrolink Station and take the train over to downtown St. Louis. It was brought up to use the Emerson Park Metrolink stop, but the last time we tried that stop, we could not get on the train. Hopefully everyone will be able to make it! I will have all the shirts for all at that time.

Just a note to all...Mom had her 2nd Chemotherapy treatment last Wednesday. She has felt pretty rough since them up to today. She is starting to feel a little better. Tomorrow, Joi is taking her for her blood test. Her hair has pretty much gone by the way, but she is still beautiful to all of us! We love you MOM! She has the best attitude during all of this! Here is a pic of her enjoying herself with Aunt Linda at CMAFEST08! I am adding a post after this one about CMAFEST, so stay tuned!

More bad news...Uncle Cletis has to have more surgery for the bladder cancer. We want to ask everyone to add him to our prayers also! We want to give him our support along with Aunt Norma, Donna and Veronica. We love you all!

CMA FEST 2008!

Well, I know I am kind of late posting anything, since we have been back since Monday at 5:00 p.m., but I have been tired! I had to work Tuesday morning at 3:30 a.m. and I have still not caught up on my sleep. Therefore, tonight, I am going to post this small post and put in a larger one this weekend. WE HAD A BLAST! Aunt Linda's first time and she got to see her guy, DWIGHT YOAKUM!!! WHOOHOO! I got Carrie Underwood's signature and some good pics (will show later) and mom got to see one of her honeys, ALAN JACKSON (of course, his wife was there too!-she was signing her new book-which of course, mom had to buy and get signed also!) So here are at least 2 pics until I can get some rest and put in a new post.

P.S. Yesterday, Wednesday, June 10, was mom's 2nd chemo treatment. She did excellent! Today she felt a little weak, but no nausea, had an appetite and was up and around! Way to go mom! We love you! Keep up the prayers, we appreciate each and everyone of you and your prayers!

P.S.S. Joi challenged everyone to put in their list of 100 things in their life. I am currently working on mine Joi and will be posting them shortly. Stay tuned...

FAN FAIR HERE WE COME!!!!!!

Well, it is 4:06 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, 2008. I am putting the finishing touches on my packing and waiting for Tom to get home, so I can say good-bye! We are going as far as Cobden, Illinois tonight and bunking with & picking up Aunt Linda, then on our way tomorrow morning. It is a girls weekend and it is alot of fun (sure wish my daughter was going!...STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES JOI!). I kind of love my daughter and would like her along, she doesn't really like country music, so we (kinda) understand. I Love You Joi! So got to go, be home Monday, June 9, afternoon sometime. I will fill everyone in at that time about our FAN FAIR weekend! P.S. Billy Ray Cyrus will be there again!!!! WHOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!