More Precious than Gold....

I pulled down the lid of my ole' mailbox the other day and was delighted to find a small box in it. I was so excited! A gift! What could it be??? It was only about 2" by 2", so what could fit in that small a box? Was it fine jewelry? Did gold and silver rest nestled in the tiny box? I rushed in the house and ripped open the wrapping- inside I found something more precious than gold-- friendship!!!!

The gang at Inez Physical Therapy had sent me a ring- a ring in the shape of my my favorite collectable- a dragonfly!! I hooted with laughter- it made my day!! Thanks gang- I love you too!

Twilight- the Series

So have you heard of the series of 4 books by Stephanie Meyer? Well, of course if you live in North America, you have probably heard about these novels. Not to mention the movie, "Twilight" is scheduled for release on Dec. 12th of this year. These are a series of books, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn that are wildly popular with all the young readers. About 1/2 the kids at my college are carrying around copies of these books. I had read the reviews on these novels and when it said they were about- vampires- I thought- well these books aren't for me- I don't care for vampires or Sci Fi stuff. Well the students kept saying,"But Mrs. Evans- you have to read them!!!" and then one day a wonderful little student named Kim took it upon herself to buy the first novel-Twilight for me as a gift. I thought , well I should read it since she bought it for me and also I should keep up with what my students are reading and so I opened the book and ...I was hooked. It's like you get caught up in these characters' lives. I finished off Twilight and seriously considered driving to Walmart at 2 am to purchase "New Moon"- I did go first thing the next morning and I have been reading this series ever since. I am not saying they are the deepest and most profound thing you will ever read but you do get caught up in the story. One of the young girls at the college was standing there leaning against the counter and one of the young guys walked up to her and said hi, she just turned and looked at him and sighed then he rolled his eyes and said, "Ok, ok- I know-you're in love with Edward." and then he walked off. Edward is a character in these books, And girls- sorry but if you read these novels each of you will also fall a little bit in love with Edward...

Da Boys...

Living the Life...

Life through the eyes of a child...
Surfing Illinois style...

Little House on the Prairiie...

Remember when the show "Little House on the Praire" first came on and you saw the girls leaping through the prairie grasses...

Wils' Senior Setting- 16 years early!

My Heroes

This one is for you girls, you have helped me through some of the most trying times in my life.... To S, M, A, V, B, and C





When you have to walk that lonesome valley,

and you have to walk it by yourself,

the women in your life will be on the valley's rim,

cheering you on, praying for you, intervening on your

behalf, and waiting with open arms at the

valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules

and walk beside you....

Or Come in and carry you out....



Thank you girls....

You will never know what it has meant....

Laurel is becoming a wonderful cook!

Laurel actually made lasagna all by herself!! She is going to be a wonderful cook like her mother. *She definitely doesn't take after her Mamaw in this instance!

Autumn

"The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools."
Henry Beston

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins Galore!

Pumpkin's Place

Nine little pumpkins on a vine,
The biggest and the roundest one
Is going to be mine.
I'll carve his eyes, a nose, & mouth,
Like no one's ever seen,
Then set him on the window ledge,
The eve of Halloween.
He'll celebrate this night of nights,
Atop this special place,
So those who pass beneath his seat
Will see his glowing face.
by Martin Shaw

Laurel working on her family's farm....

Our Baby Girl is busy raking grass to use as mulch on their farm.

A half century ago....

My cousin Penni sent me this picture a bit ago. I think it was taken of she and I at our Mamaw's house. I am the one sitting in the floor with the big ears!

The Woman I Will Be

Another favorite poem...



The Woman I will Be


I shall wear diamonds and a wide brimmed straw hat with
ribbons and flowers on it
And I shall spend my social security on white wine and carrots
and sit in the alley of my barn and listen to my horses breathe.
I will sneak out in the middle of a summer's night
and ride the dappled mare across the moonstruck meadow,
if my old bones will allow.
And when people come to call, I will smile and nod,
as I walk them past the gardens to the barn
And show, instead, the flowers growing there
in stalls fresh-lined with straw.
I will shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel.
And I will be an embarrassment of all who look down on me
Who have not yet found the peace in being free
To love a horse as a friend, a friend who waits at midnight hour
With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For the Woman I will be when I am old.

Author Unknown

Wils' Pearly Whites

Little Wils, who has lost absolutely no teeth, saw all the attention Big Sis was getting for her new smile and thought surely everyone would want to see his pearly whites too!

Tooth Fairy Alert

Laurel has lost 2 teeth! Another mile stone in her life!

Sisters...

Sweet baby sister
to cuddle and hold
Gentle and soft
from head to toe....

Trilby gets a smooch!

Trilby is a daddy's girl....

My Little Mules

My donkeys, Baalam and Bathsheba, have been boarded with the Byers for a couple of months while the farrier worked on their feet. I bought the donkeys from a man who had just turned them into a field with a bunch of horses and let them fend for themselves. When I first saw them they were in horrible shape, emaciated and skeletal. Their poor feet had never been worked on and Bathsheba was almost crippled. Baalam is Bathsheba's son, although he is the larger of the two. They are so devoted to each other that if you move one donkey an inch from the other one they panic and scream in alarm. I took them in, and in my pursuit of making up for all the neglect they have endured in their sad lives, I fed them. ... and fed them .... and fed them. They became as round as butterballs. This, of course, has put more stress on their poor feet. The farrier told me I was killing them with kindness. He set up a diet for them and has been consistently working on their feet. They have slimmed down and the improvement in their feet has been amazing. The donkeys also have enjoyed the tons of love and attention that the Byers bestow on anything and anyone who is around them. I have two spoiled little mules! Steve and Cheryl Byers have a place on Turkey Creek called Marantha Stables and this is where the donkeys have been staying, along with all the Byers' other equine. I am looking forward to bringing them back home this month. When they are at home and they see the light go on in the bedroom-which they can see from their little barn -they begin to bray-AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS!! They knew it is time for food. So my neighbors have probably been glad for the peace and quiet for a while.

Farmer Boy

Little Wils has not met an animal he didn't love! He will dive right in and catch anything that moves, there is not a animal yet he has been afraid of. Like father ...like son....

The Baptism of Trilby Katherine

Today Chris and Wendy officially joined the church they have been attending and our precious baby Trilby got baptised. Trilby is wearing the gown her mother wore for her baptism as did Wendy's sisters, Lisa and Tricia, and niece Miriam. Isn't she beautiful!!

A Fragrant Chore

Harvest Time

Leaves of crimson swirling down,

Edges of grass are curling up like kittens taking a nap

Pumpkins lie like Cinderella's coaches,

Smell the scents of Autumn

Feel the crispness of oncoming winter,

A time of harvest...

(adapted from Harvest time by Patty Roberts)

In the late evenings you can begin to feel the cool night air blowing down the hollers of our mountains. The deep croaking of the frogs play fiddle to the twilight hours as night settles in. The animals are feasting continuously, trying to fatten up against the harsh cold winter ahead. Tomatoes line the banister of our porch, ripening for those winter soups and sauces. Harvest time has come to the hills.
This evening I began to gather in my herbs. I will place them in paper bags to dry and then into jars where they await to be used in fragrant dishes throughout the year. Nothing tastes as good as herbs hand-grown, sage for the Thanksgiving dressing and peppermint for the evening tea, also rosemary and thyme! This job is a delight as my kitchen fills with the aromas from my garden.
I am learning as I go, I am consulting my books, particularly the Appalachian Foxfire books and my Native American herbs book. If anyone has any input or suggestions for me I would love to hear from you!

One of my Favorite Poems....

I Am an Animal Rescuer
My job is to assist God's creatures
I was born with the need to fulfill their needs
I take in new family members without plan, thought, or selection
I have bought dog food with my last dime
I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand
I have hugged someone vicious and afraid
I have fallen in love a thousand times
and I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body
I have Animal Friends and friends who have animal friends
I don't often use the word "pet"
I notice those lost at the road side
And my heart aches
I will hand raise a field mouse
And make friends with a vulture
I know of no creature unworthy of my time
I want to live forever if there aren't animals in Heaven
But I believe there are
Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind?
We may be master of the animals,
But the animals have mastered themselves
Something people still haven't learned
War and Abuse makes me hurt for the world
But a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind
We are a quiet but determined army
And making a difference ever day
There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan
nothing more rewarding than saving a life
No higher recognition than watching them thrive
There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play who only days ago,
was too weak to eat
I am an Animal Rescuer
My work is never done,
My home is never quiet
My wallet is always empty
But my heart is always full
In the game of life,
we have already won
~ Written from the heart by:
Annette King-Tucker
Wild Heart Ranch Wildlife Rescue
Claremore, Ok

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my First Born Son: Christopher Wilson Evans. I am so proud of you son! I love you very, very much! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and dad and I sure wish we were in Illinois to celebrate it with you! All our love, M and D

Little Chris Berry Pickin' With His Dad
Little Chris and Dad Later Make Blackberry Jam!

Out of the Mouth of Babes...

The following Bible stories were apparently written by real students and are genuine, authentic and unretouched.

In the first book of the Bible, Guinness's, God got tired of creating the world, so He took the Sabbath off. Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark. Noah built an ark, which the animals came on to in pears. Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.

The Jews were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with the unsympathetic Genitals. Samson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah. Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the apostles.

Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread, which is bread made without any ingredients. The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Amendments. The First Commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple. The Fifth Commandment is to humor thy father and mother. The seventh Commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.
Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol. The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.
David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times. Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you. He also explained, "Man doth not live by sweat alone."
The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels. The epistles were the wives of the apostles. One of the opossums was St. Matthew who was, by profession, a taximan.
St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage. A Christian should have only one wife. This is called monotony.

Mamaw's Littlest Angel

Trilby Katherine is getting to be a big girl! She is 6 weeks old!

Late Sleeper Quote

"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!"

Pure Joy!!

Whenever I feel sad I just look at this picture of my grandson Wils and my spirits are immediately lifted! I wonder if he has just slipped all his peas to the pup or what?!? He is 100% pure boy!

A Wee Bit About Myself

I would like to share a little about me since you have graciously dropped in to visit a bit in my world. Probably the two most defining things in my life are my faith and my family. My faith exemplifies who I am and how I choose to live my life. I firmly believe in John 3:16

I am a Christian. I am sometimes hesitant to say this as it often brings up connotations of snobbishness and holier than thou mentality. Striving to model oneself after Jesus Christ is truly the farthest thing from that. Do I feel taking on the label of Christian lifts me up and away from those ‘sinners’ around me? Surely not for I too am a sinner, howbeit I am a forgiven one. Through the blood of my savior Jesus Christ my sins are wiped away. I am set free. I now have an advocate with the Father. A bridge if you will for this sinner, fallen from grace, to gain access back to my Creator. How liberating it is for me to know that I cannot be ‘bad’ enough that my Heavenly Father will not forgive me and welcome me home

My Family

This brings me to the second most defining thing about me, my love of my family. Here in the mountains family ties are everything. I want my family to know the same unconditional love that God shows to me. No matter what, I will love them. I may get angry, I may get hurt, I may cry and shout but I will never, ever turn my back on them. Unconditional love means just that. You are part of me and me of you now and forever, no matter what.
My family is my greatest joy. When you come into our family we welcome you with open arms and you become one of us. We take care of our own and you will always know that we have your back.


Friends
Another facet of my life that is very important to me are my friends. I have lifelong friends that have been my friends for years. Now their children are adults and they are my friends also. Once in a conversation with a person who was debating that your friends never really stay your friends my very wise daughter replied, "Well I really can't say that because some of my friends are second generation friends. My mom and their mom were friends for years and now I am friends with their children."



The Animal Lady

For years I earned the reputation as 'the animal lady'. I cannot see an animal hurt or suffering without I try to intercede. This habit of taking in orphaned, hurt animals quickly grew into a full time job. Our local game warden finally sent off and got a rehab permit for me and began to call me whenever there were animals to be cared for. Over the years we have taken in numerous deer, 50 raccoons, opossums, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, ground hogs, bobcats, turtles, and even snakes. Our life was truly a zoo. Domestic animals included dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, chinchillas, ferrits, guina pigs, birds, chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys to name a few. We have finally began to downsize as the expense became too much as did the daily care as we grow older. Our two little mules and our sulcatta tortoise and our blind dog Freeway is all we have for now. Both our boys are wildlife biologists and we often think that their upbringing played a part in their career choice.

My Work:

Finally, a bit about my work. My job title is Student Program Advisor, I help my students find the program they want to be in and aid them in choosing the best path to get there. I truly enjoy this job. I also teach literature and this is undoubtedly my passion in life. I love teaching. I love my students, I love touching their lives, I love seeing them grasp an idea or theme for the first time. I simply love to teach. I am employed at a little community college in Williamson, WV. We are on the Ky border and in the heart of the coal fields. My college is Southern WV Community and Technical College. We are small enough that I am on a first name basis with all of my students. I give them my personal phone number and email address and I love to hear from them. This job is ideal for me.

My Office

Southern WV Community College

"I get by with a little help from my friends." John Lennon

Quote of the Day

Happy Birthday Wils, this quote is for you:

"Before you were conceived I wanted you
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here an hour I would die for you
This is the miracle of life!"

Wils' Special Day

August 1st marked a special day in my grandson's life, Joseph Wilson Evans turned two years old! Wils celebrated his special day with his parents and sisters in Illinois. One of his favorite places is the park and his family took him there to mark the occasion. To see the wonder in a child's eyes at these special moments renews our faith in mankind.

Wils wonders why his cake is on fire!

Blowing Out Birthday Candles is Serious Business!

Wils and His Jello Cake!

Present From Auntie Sunny

Baby Sister Trilby Joins in the Celebration!

Monday's Quote

"True friends are those who walk in when the whole world walks out."

Friends

My friend Cheryl Byers sent me this piece on friendship and it made my day! If you guys don't know Cheryl, she and her husband Steve pastor the Inez Mountain Catherdral Church of God. They are fellow horse lovers and two of the most sincere, compassionate people on earth!

I Will Be Your Friend

1. When you are sad -- I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you're scared -- we will high tail it out of here.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining!

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick --Stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I'll pick you up and dust you off.

9. This is my oath...I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask -- because you are my FRIEND

Sunday's Quote

"Be especially kind today for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." John Watson

Church of God Theological Semenary

Sunny is attending the Church of God Theological Semenary in Cleveland. The semenary's campus is to the right of Lee University. We enjoyed walking the grounds of the semenary as well.

Visiting With Sunny

It was great seeing the sights at Lee University again. Lee has grown by leaps and bounds, the campus extends for 6 or 7 more blocks then it did when Sunny and Chris attended here! The huge old trees grace the lawns along with beautiful flowered paths and benches. The campus has the genteel look of the Old South.

Saturday's Quote

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. " - Philippians 4: 4-7

Visiting Sunny

While in Tennessee this weekend we spent the night with Troy Dustin and then stopped in to spend some time with Sunny today. She is staying with her host family, Andy and Jo Higgonbotham and we loved visiting with her. It was nice sitting out on their porch and enjoying the evening breeze. We feel our daughter is such a special person and she is a blessing to everyone who knows her.