Gene Horne

Sometimes people come into our lives through no effort of our own, no good deed or action on our part drew them close to us, initially... But yet they enrich our lives and touch our hearts.  15 years ago my Memaw remarried.  I was in high school and I remember being completely floored that my Memaw had been out dancing, not too long after this amazement I was happily surprised when she eloped.  Othella Coile and Gene Horne had fallen in love late in life, they shared a love for golf and family.  They had both lost their spouses years before, raised their children (each having a son and a daughter) they were then beginning to enjoy grand children and the simplistic life of good company, loving companionship and playing golf together.  Gene was a master carpenter, he was truly given a gift and he put it to amazing use, when Gracie was born he built a changing table/dresser for her.  Designed so that she uses it now as her dresser, on top of which sits a jewelry box he made.  Each night her baby doll drifts to sleep in the rocking bed Gene made with Gracie's name carved in the head board.    

On May 12th of last year Gene passed away after loosing in his battle with cancer.  Gene lived 90 years of life to the fullest, loved to the fullest and enriched every life he encountered.  I love him and will carry his memory with me all my days.
After the service, Memaw pulled me aside and told me that in her basement was a rocking chair Gene had finished for Gracie... When I went down to bring it up I found Gracie sitting in it rocking peacefully.  I am thankful for his life and thankful that he came into our lives.

Summer Days Off

I love summer days at the lake. I took three days off from work this week and we headed to Watts Bar for some much deserved family lake time. John, Cassius, Gracie, Faith and myself.

It was overcast but the girls couldn't care less, they tubed, we went off rope swings, jumped off cliffs, Gracie learned to knee board and was carving before the day was done. 

Growing Frogs

A year or two ago Grace and I had the pleasure of raising tadpoles into frogs... It all started one day when I returned to work from my lunch break to find a freezer bag half full of pond water and little squirmy tadpoles sitting on my desk. My boss Lisa had brought them in for Gracie and I, they have a pond full every year.  

Our set up was simple and the process was super cool.  We had a total of 8 tadpoles and they all grew  into frogs and eventually were released into our backyard, I was foolishly hoping they would take care of our mosquito problem caused by the neighbors rank "pond" but that didn't exactly workout.  

We created a tank for the little dudes from an old, plastic apple juice jug that we cut in half.  At the time we also had an aquatic turtle, a Red-Eared Slider named Monsieur Stripe, so we had on hand water purifier and food.  They changed so much day by day, it wasn't too long before they were young frogs and we had to move them outside.  They were in a small water trough in the backyard for less than two days before all our babies were off on their own into the wide world.

A Few of my Favorite Things...

These are some random pictures of some of my most favorite things...

Camping

The Chimney Tops

John, having fun

HULA HOOPIN'

Lazy lake days

Dragonflies

Just a walkin' in the MC woods

Blue skies are good for the soul

....So are silly dogs...

fat dog in a little sweater

Smoky

Smiling faces are contagious

Master Caden

This picture makes me smile

Shredding with Gracie

Hiking with my husband

Friends!