Tom's last day of work!

I took this picture of Tom (with my replacement camera) as he was climbing into his truck to go to work for the last time. He looks ready for the next step, doesn't he?
I completely ignored the wonderful time we had in Atlanta when I last wrote, probably because I had no pictures to share. My camera, of course, was absent and Barb accidently deleted every photo she had taken on the mainland! Anyway, I wanted to assure you that Lucy and Hattie were just as cute as ever and entertained us royally!

Barbara and I go to Atlanta

On Wednesday, May 19th, Hannah's 15th birthday, I drove to Little Rock to meet up with my sister, Barbara. She had arrived on Monday but, since I had to work at the polls on Tuesday, she was the pampered guest of the Fussells for a few days. After I got to Little Rock, we shopped a little (there are no Hobby Lobbies in Hawaii!) and went to visit Grandma Johnson. That night, while Stephen went off to claim the championship in his soccer league, we girls (Jill, Barbara, Lanie, Kate, Becca - a good friend of Jill's, and I) watched two night's worth of American Idol. I am not a fan but it was sure fun watching those who are!

On Thursday morning, as Barb and I were trying to leave for Atlanta, I realized I could not find my GPS. I tore the car apart but it was not to be found. I called Tom to get permission buy another one. I had never driven from LR to Atlanta and had zero confidence that I would be able to find 1245 McLynn Avenue! He told me to go ahead and get one; we decided we would give one of ours to Jimmy when we found the original. He drives the Wildcats on football trips and sometimes the stadiums are pretty well hidden. The car was headed to Best Buy when Jenny called. She said it didn't make sense to spend the money on a GPS when I had a perfectly good one SOMEWHERE! She volunteered to send the directions to my phone after she finished up at Lucy's "Last Day of School" party and I had to agree that she had a good idea. We turned around and headed for Memphis; Jenny and I were both sure I could find Memphis! I know the first turn I made was correct but, after that, I don't know what I did wrong. When I figured out something wasn't right, we were well on our way to St. Louis!!!! I called Tom, who agreed we were way off track, and we decided I WOULD buy a new GPS at the first place I could find that sold them. After turning around, the first town of any size we reached was Cabot. I pulled off and we spotted a Radio Shack. The manager there was very helpful and quickly convinced me that I needed a certain model that was on sale and had some features my other Garmin did not have. Naturally, even though his computer said he had three in stock, he could not find a single one in the store! A clerk suggested I get the model a step down but the manager was determined I get the one we had decided on. He called the Radio Shack in Jacksonville for me and they promised they had one. (I know that this is a lot of uninteresting detail but all these things will be important later in my story.) The Radio Shack in Jacksonville is pretty well hidden but we finally managed to find it. A very nice clerk tried to help me set up my new GPS but it had begun to rain and locating a satellite was a challenge!


Jenny called just as we were getting back on the road to see if I had gotten the directions she had so carefully sent to my phone and I had to admit that I had broken down and bought a new Garmin. I certainly felt much more comfortable as we began the drive to Memphis with turn-by-turn, lane-by-lane, practically inch-by-inch instruction! When we neared the town of Crittenden, we began to notice multiple emergency vehicles. Soon my GPS announced "severe traffic ahead" and told us to get off of I-40. We did. On our alternate route, we began to see more emergency vehicles and were, of course, stopping for each one. We caught glimpses of I-40 and traffic was at a standstill. Again my device announced "severe traffic ahead" and sent us to a second alternate route. At this point, I decided to call Jenny and ask her to look on the internet to see if she could find out what was happening in our area. She answered on the first ring, a rare occurrence, and I was interrupted as I began to ask my question. "I can't talk now. I am at a 'plastics clinic' with Lucy. She has hurt her face." Of course, Nannah panicked! In a little while, Barbara offered to drive since I was obviously aggitated. Soon we ran into a terrible thunderstorm; it rained so hard that we were forced to pull off of the road and wait for about twenty minutes before we could continue.

Soon after we started driving again, with me at the wheel, Jenny called to say that Lucy had two stitches in her forehead and they were leaving the hospital. She apologized for not explaining the situation more clearly but I had called while she had Lucy in the Ladies Room at the hospital and she was trying to keep her from seeing her face in the mirror. I had to laugh as Jen told me how Lucy, while the doctor was attempting to apply the third steri-strip to the already sutured wound, said, "No, thank you! No, thank you! I don't want another sticker."

When Jenny got home she was able to find out what had been happening on I-40 near Crittenden and it was a terrible story. Two policemen had been making routine drug checks of cars on the highway. They stopped a white van and two men got out with AK-47s. Both policemen were killed. As other lawmen searched for the shooters, every vehicle on the highway was being stopped and searched. Finally, the killers were discovered in a WalMart parking lot; both of them were killed and two more officers were injured.

Barbara and I still can't believe that my new GPS kept us out of harm's way and out of the way of the responding police, ambulance, and fire crews. My old one would not have done that and neither would the model the clerk in Cabot had suggested when the machine I had chosen could not be located in the store.

Here is a picture of Lucy, with her bloody "stickers" showing. They have been changed now; her parents snuck into her room and did it while she was sleeping. Jenny put this photo on facebook to show Lucy's boo boo and to give others an idea of her view of any noodle-based meal Lucy eats!




Miss Hattie is growing and changing so much! Just had to share this cute picture of her.


Tom and I bought Jenny a license plate for her car that says" HOUSE DIVIDED". The plate is half LSU's colors and logo and half Arkansas'. Jimmy's family bought Hattie two pairs of booties, one representing each parent's alma mater. Jenny titled this picture "BABY DIVIDED"!

P.S. It has now been discovered that my GPS, my camera, my laptop, and my empty cell phone case were stolen from my car!

Tom's retirement gift!

Tommy and I are still adjusting to the newest member of our household! Meet Alton, Tommy's retirement gift from Donna Tomlin, a lady who works with him at Goodwin Animal Hospital. Tommy is deathly afraid of spiders - has been ever since I have known him. Poor baby turned green when he realized that we would be taking a TARANTULA home with us!

Tom attributes his fear of spiders to an incident in his childhood. His older (by nearly ten years) brother, Alton, was watching him while Grandma Johnson was at work. Alton, however, was working nights and sleeping during the day. Little Tommy went out and climbed a tree. After he had reached a fairly high point, he felt a sharp pain and looked carefully at the branch he had just grabbed. Away ran a spider! He bailed out of the tree and ran into the house for help. Alton was sound asleep and totally unimpressed so Tommy sat down and wrote a note to Grandma that read something like this: "I will be dead before you get home. A spider bit me and Alton doesn't even care. love, Tommy"

My sister, Barbara, is somewhere between California and Arkansas. I am so excited! Watch out world - 2/3 of the Jurkens girls are on the loose! (I guess the whole world doesn't have to watch out - just Little Rock , Atlanta, Shreveport, and El Dorado!)

Judge agrees with proud grandmother: Hannah ranked SUPERIOR+

Hannah had piano auditions on Thursday. She was judged to be Superior+! Today was her recital and I can understand why the judge was so impressed! That girl can play the piano!!!!

While I was in Little Rock last week for the Pauls' house hunting visit, I got to go to one of Lanie's softball games. My favorite picture of Lucy hanging on the fence looking up admiringly at her older cousin, Lanie, keeps loading sideways from the way I want it so I'll just post this one. Lanie is in a "coach pitch" league so you can just barely see Stephen out on the mound. The other picture showed Lanie's broken left pinkie "buddy taped" to her ring finger but you can't really see that here. Didn't slow her down much though: she was 3 for 3 at the plate!

I just love this picture of Coach Fussell with the bat girl in his lap while their team is out in the field. Kate loves her job and takes it very seriously! When she hears the bat hit the ball, she is headed to the plate like a shot.

"Is the Johnson Wedding Chapel still open for business?"

Yesterday, long-time family friend, Steve Cottrell, e:mailed me that he had bought "the engagement ring". He even sent pictures and I can honestly say I have never seen a more beautiful piece of jewelry! Anyway, as I was busy sending good wishes his way, he was typing the exciting question, "Is the Johnson Wedding Chapel still open for business?" I was afraid that he was being a little premature, since he still had the ring burning a hole in his pocket, but he said that the location had been discussed and his future fiancee was in agreement that 263 Sunny Brook Lane would be the ideal setting for the ceremony!

Steve and his family have been important to the Johnsons for many years. He and his brother were part of the street baseball/football game we would break up every time we drove through the neighborhood to look at 307 Mimosa before buying. I just knew that Jimmy would not be included in anything because we had been such pests! Steve flew to Canada to be one of Jimmy's groomsmen and his brother, Kevin, is the minister who married Jenny and Eric. (Note: to us Steve is Weavie/ Weevie - according to him, Webster's says either spelling is acceptable - and Kevin is Spud!) Our families have been intertwined in too many ways to detail here but it is logical, important, and exciting that Steve wants to be married here. I have not met his bride-to-be, Wendy, face to face as yet but we have gotten to be facebook friends. I have a very good feeling about this union!

Kristi (Kriqui) Wetherington and James Wisinger were married here on March 21, 2009. Steve was in attendance and Spud performed that ceremony also. I am thrilled the occasion made such a positive impression on the current groom-to-be that our home will be the site of another wedding!

P.S. Steve is the generous friend I mentioned in a recent entry. He gave us many items of furniture when he moved to the Buffalo, NY area from Baton Rouge!

Maddy's first dance recital!

Maddy enjoyed every minute of her stage debut! This is the pose she struck when I told her I wanted pictures. Talk about an adorable drama queen! She had been planning on having stage fright until the dress rehearsal; then she found out that being on stage was the ultimate high! She was front row in both dances and knew exactly what to do! Her Aunt Jenny would have been proud!
After Sunday's performance, we went for ice cream. Unfortunately, our only Baskin Robbins is in a convenience store! She didn't stop dancing just because there was no music on in the aisle!

Hattie meets Hattie!!

The introduction of Hattie Elaine Paul to Hattie Belote Johnson was a very special moment!

Time to go to the ballet portion of Maddy's dance recital but I wanted to get this picture posted before I left home. Hopefully I will have time to elaborate on the fun week I have had later.

OOPS!

Fiddle, I misspelled "octopi" and messed up a few commas! If anyone know how to edit an already published post, please let me know. The only time I tried to edit something, I lost everything! Thanks!

Bunnies everywhere!

I belong to the world's most wonderful Book Club. My friend, Suzie, and I "organized" it nearly seven years ago. We started out as a group of a dozen ladies, some of whom I knew well, some I was acquainted with, and one I did not know at all! We have bonded in a very special way and our monthly meetings are eagerly anticipated and every absence is felt - both by the absentee and by the rest of the group. During our time in existence, we have lost a member, Carol Daugherty, to cancer. When we realized that we could never replace her we simply vowed not to try. At that point, our membership became closed.

One of our special traditions is to give a children's book shower for first time grandmothers. I missed last month's meeting while I was in Atlanta celebrating Hattie's arrival. Imagine my surprise last night when I was showered with packages and gift bags. My friends had decided that an Easter birthday could NOT be ignored. Everyone had shopped for a book featuring bunnies or Easter!

Most of you know that Jenny was born on Christmas Eve. Every year she gets a different copy of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. The poem remains the same but illustrators have such fun depicting their vision of Santa and his visit. Anyway, the book on the bottom right of this photo is THE NIGHT BEFORE EASTER, a perfect companion piece for Jenny's collection. Another sentimental donation is PETER RABBIT'S GIANT STORYBOOK. When Jenny was in kindergarten, she played Mother Rabbit in a production of "Peter Rabbit". Coincidently, the son of another member, not the one who gave the book, was Mr. McGregor! (Since Tom has been spending so much time in his garden, Jenny has taken to calling him Mr. McGregor.) Naturally, I sat down and read all of the books as soon as I walked into the house. Thank you everyone for the thought you put into your purchases, the special books you found, and, most of all, the generosity and love you have shown for the extended Johnson clan, not just last night but always!

I have had several questions about the octopus I was making when I bailed out on Tom at the U-Haul place. Below you will see a few of my octupi and one little fish. These are "tawashies".

A child slips a hand into the octopus' head or into the fish while bathing - a fun washcloth!

It's May!!!

Now that it is May, I decided to dedicate a journal entry to Tom's upcoming retirement! First I will show you our house and part of the yard he will be mowing when I tell you he is out on the lawnmower.

Now you need to see his tractor so you can picture him when I tell you he is mowing the "Back 40", also known as the "softball field" or the "soccer field".

Much of his time will be spent in his garden. I took this picture on May 1. Tommy is surprising me by truly enjoying his time working here. He had a smaller plot last year and all of us he will be feeding are very glad he has expanded

Here he is in his retirement present from me! I only hope he will slow down and use it! He has worked hard all his life and if anyone deserves some hammock time it is Tommy Johnson!

His official retirement date is June 1 but Memorial weekend is his weekend to be 100% off and, if he goes in at all on Memorial Monday, it will only be for an hour! He will only carry the emergency phone one more weekend!

It seems like no time at all since we were counting the days until he graduated from vet school. It has been the perfect career for him. He was meant to be a veterinarian! I should have known that even when we were first dating. I always said that I came third, after basketball and dogs! He did well in his first two careers - coach and U.S. Air Force officer - but I am so happy we took that huge gamble back in January 1974! He gave up a regular commision in the Air Force as a captain on flying status to try to get into veterinary school. There were times when we questioned our sanity - like the semester at the University of Arkansas when he was trying to pass Organic Chemistry with a high enough grade to even be considered for acceptance into LSU or Oklahoma State. Those were the two vet schools that had contracts with Arkansas at that time. OSU took three Arkansans and LSU took six; NINE students from Arkansas were allowed into vet school that year out of the 90+ applicants who all shared the same dream! He'll be the first to tell you that he didn't take college that seriously the first time around. As long as Coach Winningham wasn't mad at him, he was happy. That meant he didn't have the prettiest GPA to offer interviewers, even though he made almost (remember Organic) all A's when he went back to get his prerequisites. Bless the men on LSU's admissions board who knew that they were meeting a man who was serious about joining their profession and who had given up a good career to do so. (He repaid their kindness by saving them from a lawsuit! A frustrated applicant decided he was being discriminated against because of his age. The school's lawyers took one look at Tommy's class in which he would be graduating as a 35 year old and another student graduating at 36 and said, "Let them sue!!!")

I have gotten pretty emotional as I wrote this. I guess you all know that I think I have a wonderful man for a husband!