May 01, 2006 - Msg 37408: Happy May Day Y'all!!!

*****SMILES*****
possum under a rock
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37409: Ain't the Porch nice and clean?
I swept everything and dusted with some of those dish towels that I got when.. oh,never mind! Ha!
possum again
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37410: Possum, The porch sure looks nice... now tell us the story about how you came across those dish towels. Hope all is well this morning. Got a busy day if all goes as planned. Thanks for the fish fry, SPOT. It was good to have the porch family together. My kids have about 3 1/2 weeks of school left. Time sure goes by fast around here. Happy May Day and Happy Monday. You guys have a great Monday.
Big Maude
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37411: Mornin' Porch,
It's a nice day here in GA, a bit cloudy but it will be sunny in a bit. I didn't make it to the Y for my workout this morning. We went to bed too late last night. Hope everyone has a great day! Or, as my hubby says, have a nice and productive day. He's a little type-A.
Big Maude- Time sure does fly by here. It feels like Christmas was just yesterday!
Mavis- A few years ago we got some bonsai at Sam's Club. Are you a member?
Rev- The reason I was asking about the milk is I was told there are people here who drive up to SC to purchase raw milk. Before I invested any $ into doing that I wanted to make sure it really is legal. I went to a seminar yesterday with Sally Fallon and she was talking about the nutritious properties of raw milk. More people get sick off of the bacteria of chicken and fruits than raw milk. It has so many good nutrients, but the dairyman's association are so powerful the farmer's can't compete.
I'm needing some prayers everyone. Its a pretty long story, but I'll try to summurize. I have 2 stepchildren that live in Phoenix. They usually come here every Memorial weekend and stay for the summer. My stepson (12) is excited and can't wait to come. My stepdaughter (10) for some reason has decided to hate me and will not speak to hubby. She's totally taking her Mom's side and has become a mini version of her Mom. She will lie and manipulate anyone and anything to get her way. Well, she's saying that unless hubby leaves me or I die then she will not come back. She also said that Bryson isn't her brother, only stepson. The thing is that I've been her stepmom since she was 2 and we were close until last year. I sent her a letter telling her that I'm sorry for anything I did, but unless she tells me what I've done I can't fix anything. Stepson said she spit in the letter and ripped it up. He totally loves and supports me. He said he hopes he finds a Christian wife like me. We just need prayers for stepdaughter to have a change of heart about her dad, Bryson and I. And, so that stepson is allowed to come. The last 2 years we've had to pay the ex double child support in order to get them to come. I'll tell you more about how messed up the ex is later. My main concern is stepdaughter and stepson. If they don't come it will then be for Bryson because he'll be lonely.
See Sterling, we all write novels from time to time!
Blessings to you and yours,
~Lucy
Get out the May pole!
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37412: Morning porchters. It is Monday, isn't it? Somehow the Mondays in spring don't seem as rough as the ones in winter. And it's May. I love May.
Thanks for dusting Possum. Yer a good Possum, in spite of all the talk about you going on. I declare I don't know how all these rumours get started.
Boo, thanks for the kind words. As I have said before, I love to make people laugh if I can. Not sure why that is. Maybe it's because I love to laugh. Not enough of it in the world. Anyway I'll be glad to help you clean up.
Welcome back Spot. Maude did a great job cooking while you were gone. In fact she uses a secret ingredent in her spaghetti you might try and get out of her. It was amazing.
Well we are close to flood stages here in most of our rivers and will be for the next month as the snow pack melts off in the mountains. If we have a warm normal month of temps, we should be ok. But if it gets warm fast and for very long, we are in trouble. They are calling for highs in the 70's all week with lows in the 40's. That will be perfect if it does that for the next three weeks.
Better get to work. Lots to do today.

Asa
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37413: Hey Lucy, we must have posted at the same time. I pray for your situation to get resolved.

Asa
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37414: Good morning ya'll - I am so excited! This weekend I bought an original yellow chrome dinette set for $40 at an estate auction. I also purchased some antique aluminum cookie cutters and some red handled biscuit cutters. I was excited! Now all I need to do is find my metal kitchen cabinets.

It rained all day here yesterday - my in-laws came to watch the race but ya'll know there wasn't one. But I had made a cake and had some snacks - so I was the hostess with the mostess!

I am way tooo chatty today . . .

homemaker
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37415: Wow Homemaker, I'm green with envy. That is a great find, and for only 40 dollars?!

Lucy, my prayers for your stepdughter, must be very difficult.

I have a prayer request this morning. You all remember our little terrier, Jingles (Ro has a pic of him in her photo album)? Well, early this morning her dug out of the fence and got hit by a truck. Dad was outside reading the paper and saw it happen. The front wheels and back wheels got him and he ran into a neighbor's yard. Dad picked him up and we ran him to the vet's office right away. The vet kept him but said he probably wouldn't make it. His pupils were fixed and dilated so I think it is over but the vet said to let him keep him for a few hours and see. I was torn because I didn't want him to die alone. Please pray for the kids. Sean has been crying all morning and it was real hard on my old dad, too. I sure hate that it happened but that dog was bound and determined to get out of the fence no matter what. We even burried chicken wire along the fence line. He actually pulled some boards off the bottom of the house and got out this time. Thanks for listening and for your prayers. I'll let you know what transpires.

Boo
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37416: Morning Porch! I don't give a hoot about it being Monday today, cause it's beautiful & I took the day off!! Boo Bless little Sean's heart, hope he does well, I will send him something in email that might make him feel better. Lucy been there done that, only it was the other way around for me. Prayers for your situation, will the stepson be able to come even if his sister doesn't want to? I would hate for the little fellow to have to miss visiting cause of what his sister is doing. homemaker we like chatty, keep right on talking. Asa hope ya'll don't get flooded, you got any waders? Best go get some work done on my website. I signed up for the site that Ro uses to post our pictures, I really like that site! Gotta get links & things changed on my website. Holler at ya'll later. Possom did you get me any dish towels while you were getting dish towels? heehee
*Mavis
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37417: Good morning, everyone. I only have a few moments now, but I wanted to drop by and say hello.

BOO: So sorry for your loss, and, of course, I will be praying for your family. Having just gone through something like this last summer with my own kids, I know how difficlut it is on everyone.

LUCY: You have my prayers as well. I pray your step-daughter comes around. It sounds like a diffilcut situation, indeed, but if you follow the instructions He gives, you can't go wrong. You can only do what you can do; God will take care of dealing with her heart.

Y'all take care until later.

Me-They
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37418: OUCH! Ya rocked right on my toe, MAVIS!

M-T
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37419: Well, I called the vets office because Sean wanted to see Jingles once more but he had already died. Sean is having a tough time and I haven't told Erin, yet. I'm not sure that I should. Any advice? She is four and still cries over my parent's dog that died over a year ago. I don't what I should tell her....help!

Boo
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37420: That's supposed to be, "I don't know what I should tell her"...I'm a bit unsettled right now. What do you think Me-They? I have been trying to get ahold of my husand and ask his opinion but he forgot his cell phone today and isn't answering his office phone.

Boo
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37421: Morn asa,boo,lucy,mavis,possum,big maude,hm,mt,marty,buckeye,ro,marty,and all....got to go to Miss Sherrys to work on her riding mower,it want start...lunch will be on her...dont know what....race is today at noon!...back in a bit with the supper menu....SPOT
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37422: Gosh Boo, I am so sorry to hear about Jingles. I just hate it when a creature of God dies. My prayers go out to your family at this time. I know for us our puppy is a huge part of our life. I hope Sean and Erin deal with it ok.

Asa
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37423: Boo check your mail, tell Erin the truth & read her what I sent. I know she is only 4, but I don't think you should lie to her. You're her Mom, you're not supposed to lie. M-T didn't mean to rock on yer toe, need some VICKS? (yep, I went there!) Spot you gonna mow Miss Sherry's yard while you are there? If you do, yer more than welcome to come mow mine too & I'll take care of supper.
*Mavis
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37424: Thanks friends, the support is such a comfort. I have to tell you, though all pets are special, Jingles was a very intelligent, special dog. Everyone knew it that knew him. This just hurts more than usual. I am ashamed of myself because when I carried him into the vet this morning I just cried like a baby and that is not why I am asheamed, I am ashamed because I felt foolish over crying in front of people. That dog deserved to have someone cry over his fate and I should never have been ashamed of it. I have a feeling that I learned something important about myself through all this (and the weekend I spent with my husband). I don't need to be ashamed of showing how I feel, I need to love with all my heart and show people how I feel about them. Maybe Jingles helped me see that.

Thank you for sending the email, Mavis. I read it to Sean. It was really sweet. I did tell Erin the truth. She went out first thing this morning and looked for Jingles and when she couldn't find him she came immediately to me with great concern so I had to tell her the truth. She only cried for a little while and them seemed ok. I know she will continue to think about it and cry off and on but she seems to be handling it very well. Thank you all for your prayers. Love you guys so very much and am NOT ashamed to say it.

Boo
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37425: BOO: You're right not to be ashamed for showing you cared about this special member of your family. I'm glad you told Erin the truth. It hurts, I'm sure, but it's for the best. It is tough when they are at that "in-between" age; they know enough but don't completely understand it. Kids are resilliant, and the important thing is that you handle her feelings with understanding not fairy-tales. And I"m sure you will.

Unfortunately, my wife and I had old dogs and new kids. By the time our daughter was five, she had seen the death of our Yorkie (15), Jack Russell (13), and C*cker spaniel (16). They passed away about a year apart. Let me tell you, it didn't get any easier each time (for her or us). Even though she still gets sad, she remembers the good times she had with them. I honestly believe that us being honest but comforting with her made the difference. For us and her.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

MAVIS: What am I supposed to do with Vicks? Rub it on my toe? I'll bet it stinks even that far from my nose.

Hey SPOT, you're not racing the mower are you?

M-T
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37426: Boy, I massacred "resilient." Blame it on phonics.

M-T
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37427: Yes M-T rub it on yer toe, don't you know VICKS cures EVERYTHING?? Wonder if we can use VICKS instead of gas in our vehicles? HHMM might work. Boo I am proud of you, never & I mean never be ashamed of your feelings. My dear mother taught me that a long time ago, & I believe it makes us better humans if we are honest & open. After all, it doesn't matter what other people think, as long as you & the Good Lord up above are hand in hand with your thoughts, it doesn't matter anyway. Glad the kids liked the poem, I love that little story. For the rest of you Rainbow Bridge here is the poem I sent the kids.
*Mavis
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37428: As someone who has to do relaxation exercises before he put on sunscreen, the thought of rubbing something as goopy and smelly as Vicks on my body sends shivers up my spine. Vicks, Vasoline, jelly, mud...they're all in the same "I'm not geetin' THAT on me" category.

M-T
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37429: M-T you beat ever'thang, you know that? teehee
*Mavis
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37430: True Lucy, but your novel wasn't rambling soapbox banter like mine was. Sorry about your step-daughter's attitude. It sounds like her mom has done some manipulating of your step-daughter's mind. With the lessons she is probably being taught by her mom, how does her mom think she will treat other people as well, not just you.

Sad about your dog, Boo. I know pets can be important parts of family life, and when one dies it can have a profound effect on everyone. But you did the right thing with not trying to hide the death from your kids.

Speaking of pet deaths, I regret to have to inform you all that Kai's fish, Thirsty Water, died a couple days ago. Seems strange because I don't think we had him too long. We didn't feed him too much and my wife cleaned his tank out quite often, so it was a surprise. Kai was a little sad, but a fish is nothing like a dog or cat, so she is doing well with it. I mean, you can't exactly cuddle or pet a fish, so it's harder to get as attached.
We did say a prayer for Thirsty Water that night though. I think that eased her mind a little.

And then, we went out and bought another one this weekend. She picked out the same kind of fish, a Beta. And this one she named - and keep in mind Kai is pretty logical - "Colorful Fish". He is pretty colorful, and he is a fish, so there you go. I suggested the name, "Hungry Food"(get it? Thirsty Water, Hungry Food), but she didn't go for it. We'll have to do some better research or something so this one lives a while longer.

On the home(selling) front, the lady's fiancee' came to look at the house Sunday alone, and according to the realtor, he liked what he saw. I was sweating bullets because it rained all day that day and we have a small water seepage problem in the basement in a couple places, so it just had to rain on the day when he was looking at it. Very funny, God! ;)
It's not like we were trying to hide it or anything, and we did put it down on the realtor's sheet of the house's condition. That and what does leak in does drain out through some drains in the floor, so it is not like it is standing water or anything. But as any seller knows, it is all about the presentation, and first impressions. And that was worrying me because dampness in the basement, no matter how minor, doesn't look that good to a buyer.

So today, the realtor did call and said the couple put in an offer. It is much lower than we expected and lower than what we will take, but she said everyone offers low at first, and we just need to counter-offer. So we(my wife and I) talked about it and we did put in a counter-offer, which I hope they will take. If they counter-counter-offer, we are prepared to go a little lower, but I hope it won't go too low. I am more prepared to take a somewhat lower offer(not the one they gave initially, of course), but I don't think my wife is. So I guess we will just have to see how it goes.

Talk to you all later!
-Sterling Holobyte


May 01, 2006 - Msg 37431: Boo, I am sorry to hear about your loss. I will be praying for you and your family. Dogs can be such a wonderful part of life, and with that, we can be so grieved when they pass. I guess that is a measure of how much we loved them.

Lucy, I will be praying for your situation also. I hope somehow you can find out and resolve whatever the conflict is.

Hey Asa and Mavis, good to see you two! A big hey to Me-They, Big Maude, Possum, and Spot, too! (Thanks for the grub, Spot!)

Homemaker, I have a vintage 1970's bathroom! I feel 30 years younger every time I go in there! (Until I look in the mirror, ugh!)

Romeena, are the illegal immigrants boycotting the delivery room at your hospital today?

Have a wonderful Mayberry May day all!

Mary Wiggins
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37432: Hey Sterling!
Good luck on the real estate deal. Maybe Barney could get you and the missus a sweet deal!

M.W.
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37433: Sterling most folks think the Beta fish need to be fed everyday, but in reality, the companies that raise & sell them, only feed every 3 days. Feeding everyday does tend to reduce the life span of those critters. Cleaning the tank or bowl every 2 days is recommended too.
Hey to you Mary Wiggins where you been? Art shows?
*Mavis
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37434: STERLING: I hope that Barney Fife isn't moonlighting as your realtor. Anyway, prayers that the sale comes through.

MARY: We are currently having our museum painted. A crew of about five hispanic men have been doing the prep work and actual painting for the past week or so (they are doing a great job, by the way). It's kinda funny, because they came in yesterday, on a Sunday, and worked like dogs all day long because they were going to take off today. I may not agree with the protest, but I have to love these guys work ethic and professionalism.

See ya!

M-T
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37435: OUCH! There you go again, MAVIS. You're gonna make me paranoid.

M-T
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37436: M-T I'll just move over another rocker, since you keep getting your feet in my way. ;)
*Mav
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37437:
Boo.. so sorry to hear about your pet. You and your kids are in my prayers. Our pets become a part of the family so it's ok to cry, grieve, etc.. Don't feel ashame about that. And yes, I agree with everyone that you did the right thing by telling your kids. Bless you and we love you too!

Lucy...Prayers for your step-daughter and the whole situation. I know that must be hard on you and your husband.

Will be back later....have a Jesus filled day!
-REV.

May 01, 2006 - Msg 37438: happy maude, mavis, me-they, mayberry deputy, day. shucks jumping the gun you all said happy may day. possum, your a fine sweeper and we're awfully proud of you. mary, great to see you. don't you just hate those lying 30 year old mirrors? sterling, sounds like kai handled it well. tell the folks what barney said, well now just put a bucket under it if it rains and you'll never notice it in the sunny days. mavis, you might have something there a car that runs on vicks. maybe a vehicle that runs on squezzins? me-they, you said you only had a few minutes and wanted to drop by, have you been hang gliding again? hope you had a great day. boo-sorry about jingles . remember the marys who weeped at the cross in public. we all have our hearts broken when a member of the family, pets, even old cars that had carried us around for so long, god loans us these special animals and people for a short time, so we can love them while there here and cherish their memories when their gone. home maker, those chrome dinette tables sure brings back the memories. asa, hope your water don't catch your place. i to like to make people laugh and think of the old saying, it's better to laugh than cry. WELCOME HOME SPOT AND MISS SHERRY.how many fish did you get? well i quess i'll save room for someone else to post. have a great evening. lucy, prayers for you. as far as raw milk, i was raised on it everyday until i was 20. and look how i turned out, maybe you should stick to store bought milk. one thing to keep in mind is the different ways they feed and cared for cows 30 or 40 years ago, now they give them supplements and keep them on special diets, penned up. so the milk can be differnt by what is feed and how they raised them. mdc- wake up... if you haven't quessed by now it's me, it's me, it's buckeye
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37439: BOO ... sorry for the loss for you and the kids
MAYBERRY DEPUTY
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37440: Good afternoon, all! Oh, Boo, I'm so sorry about little Jingles. That just had to hurt you and your family so much. I think you did exactly right by being honest with the kids. You might use the experience as a teaching tool, especially with Erin. In a little while, when the wound has healed a bit, and when she's choosing not to mind you, you could point out that Jingles got hurt when he chose not to mind and left the yard instead of staying where he belonged. Some very serious lessons can be taught through that experience - how God makes rules for us to follow for our protection, and we can get hurt when we don't follow them - you know the drill.

Sterling, I'm sorry about Thirsty Water, too. Though he was "just" a fish, he was important in the scheme of things. About changing his water - do you de-chlorinate the fresh water you put in his bowl? I used to keep betas years ago, and learned to keep a big jar in the kitchen, full of water. I cleaned the bowl every two days, just as Mavis said, and would use the water that had been sitting in the jar. Just refill the jar, to wait for the next cleaning. The chlorine evaporates out when it sits for a day or two, or so I'm told, and I never had a problem with my fish. You can use the Zip drops, too, but it's hard to get the amounts right for anything as small as a fishbowl. Send me a picture of Colorful Fish and I'll post it. I love the name! But Hungry Food? Eeeww!

No, Mary Wiggins, nobody is boycotting our labor and delivery department today, no way. Also, I'd be willing to bet that nine months from today, we'll have a big upturn in our census, a result of the "holiday" everyone took today. Makes me so mad.

Well, gotta run. Have a great evening, all. Sugarplum says 10-4. --Romeena
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37441:
Boo, let me also add my condolences. My wife and i both cried at the vet's when our dear old cat died a few years back. Better to get it out than to keep it pent up. All my best to you and yours prayers too!
Mary-a good one!
Homemaker- I was in Mervyn's appliance dept the other day and thought of you when I saw all their bright RED appliances! So is your table sort of like the one on Everybody Loves Raymond?
Do you remember those "Chatty Cathy" dolls?
Are you near Talladega??
ASA- can we get an update pix of your purdy back yard. I bet ya can see the Weber naow!
STERling- I am sure some university has done a study on fish names, ha. That's a good one!
Kinda like that bridge to nowhere in alaska.
How goes it with you and yours?
I think Texas Ranch House starts tonight.
Buckeye-That was a rare one about the milk. NOW I know what happened! ha No wonder ya like westerns. Too much milk from McCain's cow! ha
APB FOR SLIM, SMH, YMK, CHUCK, DIX, ALYCE, the ohio couple AND OTHERS! A chair's a waitin for ya here on the porch.
MDC



May 01, 2006 - Msg 37442: Thank you all for your prayers and sympathy. We are doing much better this evening than this morning! Bruce picked up Jingles body from the vet and he just went out to dig a grave on the land. I will take the kids out there a bit later and we will have a little memorial service for Jingles. Ro, great idea about using this as a teaching experience. I was thinking about it earlier, how I could talk to her about consequences of disobedience. We have already talked about heaven and how God will give us new bodies someday. I also plan to talk to Sean about how sometimes pain is just a part of loving someone or something but its worth it. Life's not about avoiding pain but about loving God and his creation. That isn't something my parents taught me. My mom was a very emotional mom who tended to get very distraught over everything and worried ALOT. After I lost my first childhood pet I grieved so badly that I never let myself get too close to another one and I see that pattern in my relationships sometimes, too. I want to change that and teach my kids a better way. Thanks for the encouraging words about showing emotions, Mavis. I needed that.

Later friends,
Boo
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37443: Oh, wanted to say sorry about Kai's fish, Sterling. Glad you went and bought her another one. One we get further along with the house I plan on letting the kids get another dog.

Me-They, you sound just like my husband. He wouldn't put vicks, lotion, sunscreen, etc. on if his life depended on it. I don't get it??

MDC, when and where does Texas Ranch House come on?

Boo
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37444:
Boo- It's a PBS special like Pioneer House, so check locally! Looks interesting.
MDC
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37445: The Code is "Bully"
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37446: mdc- i gotta learn to quit telling on myself. the raw milk is true, though. the big dairys use injections so cows will produce more milk. trivia;; dalvin coolidge was sworn in by william taft then the chief supreme court justice four years later in 1909 taft sought, won the presidency and was the only president to have sworn himself in as president. then resigned as chief justice of the upreme court. spot, your slacking up on supper ole buddy. big maude had supper on the table early. what's for supper? buckeye
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37447: Boo,I'm so sorry to hear about Jingles. I'm sad for you and the kids. Made tears come to my eyes and I didn't even know Jingles.Bless you all.
Sorry about Kai's fish also,Sterling.And Lucy,my prayers are with you concerning your stepdaughter.Praying for a good outcome-hang in there.

All I'll say about those dish towels is that I got 'em for free-ha ha

Y'all have a wonderful evening!
*****SMILES*****
possum under a rock
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37448: Hey Buckeye-hope I didn't rock on your foot!

possum again
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37449: hi all.
will thing are o k here for now.
Mavis i am on the look out for more and more wrapper , i did fined some that i can used and yse i can used the one from the big patch too.
Boo builling moder i have bin doing for a lone time and wined i can comeup what the money or one that i like i git it.
LOVE TOM
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37450: Aunt Bee becomes part owner of a Chinese restaurant
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37451: * This product has been discontinued.
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37452: Don Knotts passed away on Friday February 24, 2006 of pulmonary and respiratory problems. Don Knotts was 81. TAGSRWC will provide more information for fans as we receive them. Thank you Mr. Knotts for always bringing a smile to our faces. Please share your memories and well wishes at the Don Knotts Memorial Page here at Mayberry.com
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37453: The Andy Griffith Show is a unique television series in that it never goes out of style. Some viewers even suggest that the show is more popular today than during its original eight-year run. A glance at the membership of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC) would seem to support this opinion. Looking back, there were several notable series from that classic TV era so the question becomes, what makes The Andy Griffith Show special? And furthermore, why is it remembered above the others?

I’ve often heard people say, "I wish we could go back to Mayberry; back to a simpler time when life was far less complicated". However, even a cursory glance at the decade of the original series run reveals anything but a simple lifestyle. The threat of nuclear annihilation, civil unrest, and political assassinations were just a few realities of the turbulent sixties. But it was during this time that The Andy Griffith Show enjoyed its primetime success. Do people really want to return to the events of the 1960s, or is there something about the attitude of this television show that provides the appeal?

Reflecting on the series, the characters are what people most remember. The names Andy Taylor, Barney Fife, and Gomer Pyle instantly produce memories of a particular show or situation. Most often the comedic interaction between the characters comes to mind, but other impressions surface as well. We remember Andy for his selfless attitude and ability to find good in any situation. Barney had the best of intentions, but his methods always seemed to backfire. And Gomer may have seemed a bit naïve ("nave" as Barney would say), but his compassion toward others was undoubtedly genuine.

Upon further consideration, it would seem that the quest to return to Mayberry is more about a mindset than a physical society. And this realization may help to explain how a simple thirty-minute sitcom can provide such comfort in a world full of uncertainty. Recent events have been a vivid reminder of mans inhumanity toward each other. In contrast, The Andy Griffith Show continues to provide a wonderful lesson of humanity.


May 01, 2006 - Msg 37454: Sam and the Teenager

May 01, 2006 - Msg 37455: Welcome to Mayberry Sales & Service, specialists in Sales, Service and Parts! Here you will find a large selection of Outdoor Power Equipment, from familiar brands like: Yamaha, Honda, Toro, Wheel-Horse, Simplicity, Troy-Bilt, Echo, Mantis, Little Wonder and Stihl.
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37456: Sterling, your story does sound so much like the Barney Fife Realtor episode. (Like Me-They said) Just don't have Kai floating a boat in the basement when they come to tour the house!

Lucy, is the summer visitation in an actual court order? If so, it really isn't up to the step-daughter if she wants to come for the visit or not; and nobody should be giving her the choice. Unless somebody wants to face contempt of court charges, they should follow the court order. Good luck in your situation!
Sorry about your pet, Boo.
10-4,
Hazel
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37457: Buck eye we got about 50 or so to bring home..will post pics on ro"s site...been putting out mulch again,,got to read the mail....breakfast will be on Mavis at Shoneys!...back in a bit SPOT
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37458: All finished with finals! Yeah! God really looked out for me this time in a big way and I am soooooooooo grateful!

I'll catch up tomorrow. I have to go take a nap now. I'm all worn out from studying and worrying.

BTW Mama goes in for surgery tomorrow at 1:00 CST. They will remove part of her cheek and test to see if they got the perimeter of the cancer and if not then thye will take more (same day). Please pray that they get it all the first time.

But above all my God's will be done.

Love you guys, just thought you needed to hear that.


May 01, 2006 - Msg 37459: All finished with finals! Yeah! God really looked out for me this time in a big way and I am soooooooooo grateful!

I'll catch up tomorrow. I have to go take a nap now. I'm all worn out from studying and worrying.

BTW Mama goes in for surgery tomorrow at 1:00 CST. They will remove part of her cheek and test to see if they got the perimeter of the cancer and if not then thye will take more (same day). Please pray that they get it all the first time.

But above all my God's will be done.

Love you guys, just thought you needed to hear that.

Dixie :):)
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37460: Uh-oh nOw how did that happen? and two postings too?

I'm just special! I'm Ept!

Dixie
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37461: I'm blushing.....
Dix
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37462: Hi Dixie, I will certainly pray for your mom (and for you). Good to hear from you, as always Honey, and we love you too.

Possum, thank you for being so sweet....I'm glad you got those dishtowels for free!

Hi Hazel, thank you for your condolences concerning Jingles.

"Hey" to TOM, MDC, and Buckeye (sorry if I missed anyone).

Well, we had the little memorial for Jingles and the kids said goodbye. Erin took it well, said goodbye and then said, "Let's Go, we said goodbye!" haha Kids her age can be so funny. Sean had a real tough time with it and cried for quite awhile but was feeling much better by bedtime. He kissed me goodnight and said, "Thanks for the support Mom. You will never know how much it meant." Wow, that was a good moment to be a parent! Thanks for your prayers and kind words.

I have to go find Erin and make her go to bed, she is still running around like crazy. She has endless energy.

Did anyone see Wife Swap tonight? It was terrible! Talk about some mean and nasty folks on that show. They actually came to blows at the end. The world's gone crazy!!

Boo
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37463: Evenin' Y'all!
Thank you for the thoughts and prayers for my stepdaughter and our situation. I wanted to give a bit more info. I have hesitated sharing some of this info b/c of the delicate nature of our porchsters.
Since 2003 the kids were staying all summer long instead of the 1 month allowed since we weren't getting the every other weekend with them the papers stated. Neither hubby nor ex wanted to pay when she moved to AZ from GA (she moved b/c he married me and her dad lived out there). Anyway, as I said, everything was going great. In 2004 they came to stay for the summer and since I was pregnant they wanted to stay until Dec. to spend time with the baby. I was to homeschool them so they wouldn't get behind in school. On August 18th I delivered a 35 wk stillborn. I thought they'd want to return early, but they decided to stay. During that time we all became a close family unit. But, when stepdaughter returned home she stopped speaking to us. Her Mom said we were Amish and too religious (Hello, we have electricity and I love country music). A few months after that the ex was diagnosed with systemic lupus and told the kids she was dying. Well, that was 1 year ago and she seems fine. Stepdaughter really rallied against anyone her Mother disliked. When ex had falling out with her stepmother, my stepdaughter all of the sudden hated anyone not blood related. When stepdaughter came last summer she didn't want to have anything to do with us. She told many lies about hubby and I. Granted I was hurt, but I acted as if nothing had happened. Stepdaughter hasn't spoken to hubby since March 20th and that was only for 5 minutes when she was told it was Bryson's birthday she hung up on him. On hubby's birthday she wouldn't talk to him, nor Easter and we sent her a gift. I truly feel sorry for her because she has been so brainwashed. At the same time if she's going to come and possibly hurt Bryson (mentally, emotionally, or physically- she's 10 and weighs 180 lbs) then I'm not sure if she should come. I'm doing my best to put it all in God's hands. Please continue to pray for her and all of us with this.
Boo- I'm sorry to hear about Jingles. It sounds like Erin and Sean handled it as well as can be expected. We lost our hamster last year and we buried her and Bryson visits her grave quite frequently.
Spot- what's for dinner?
Dixie- Saying prayers right now!
Buckeye- The lecture by Sally Fallon that I went to on Sunday stated that more people become sick with chicken and veggies than raw milk. I don't know. I'm just trying to get info on it before I invest. I agree with taking out the bad stuff, but homogenizing/pasturizing takes out the good stuff for bacteria in our tummies.
Well, its time for night night. Y'all take care!
Blessings to you and yours,
~Lucy M.
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37464: Dixie you HAVE been studying too hard! Prayers for your Mama. Spot you didn't fix much of a supper & you know how Asa is, I'll have to groom an extra dog to pay for his meal. I'm making him get the all you can eat! Boo yer welcome for the encouraging words, sometimes it's easier for someone to see something from the outside better than the inside. Hugs to your kids tonight while they are dealing with losing a friend. Hugs to Kai too, she lost a friend too. I'm off to bed, got a long day tomorrow.
*Mavis
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37465: Hey Boo...Dix to bright!....prayers to all.....the morning menu well be country ham [salt cured],eggs your way,bisquits and red-eye-gravy..fried taterds [chunked], canalope,milk,coffee,h20..SPOT
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37466: Dadburn it! Now I rocked on Lucy's foot, I'm just gonna stand up for a while. Oh & about the milk conversation....it's the fallout, it's affecting our milk sorry, couldn't resist.
*Mav
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37467: Local Lucy hang in there....been reading the mail...prayers...SPOT
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37468: 3:15 here for milk a gallon.........er-wait a minuite.......thats gas!.....hey My Friend Mavis!...SPOT
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37469: Almost forgot, I finished up with my new "pampered pups" of my grooming business photo album tonight & wanted to share it with you all. I haven't gotten it on my website yet, I am just too tired to do much more tonight. You can see pix of my Feather too. *Mavis' Pampered Pups Let me know what ya'll think & vote for pix if you want.
*Mavis
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37470: "But Barney, I'm your muther-r-r!"
"I can just see you and your mother sittin' around the house with your hats pulled down over your ears."
"My mother has a clock in her stomach, too."
May 01, 2006 - Msg 37471: Night Porch!
*Mavis
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37472: Good grief, Lucy! What a load you're carrying. Kids can absolutely wear you out in the best of times, but when you're dealing with a kid with problems, it can get really rough. In your post, I spotted two things that (in my opinion) may be a big part of the problem. Skip the obvious fact that her nutty mother is brainwashing her - that's a given. At ten, she may very well be pre-hormonal and therefore will be totally unreasonable for a while. That's one. Second, you said she weighs 180. At age ten? Trust me, honey, she hates herself. She's probably being teased at school, perhaps Bryson (as brothers/stepbrothers will do) may have said something, and I'll promise you she's not liking what she sees in the mirror. She's going to take it out on everyone else, and her mother is probably stuffing her with treats to win her favor. Lawsy, what a mess. This is all long-distance conjecture, but I'll bet I'm pretty close to the mark. What do you think?

Well, I'll take my two cents' worth and head for bed. Bedtime prayers for all - Sugarplum says 10-4. --Romeena
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37473: Morning gang...eggs your way,toast,grits,country ham,hashbrowns,grape jelly and fried apple rings...milk,h20,coffee...have a blessed Mayberry day...will be at work at 2 and holler then!....SPOT
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37474: I think we had two breakfast?....well Asa will eat well....SPOT
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37475: 2 breakfasts, no waiting! I like it!:)
Mavis, cute pup pics. Feather puts up with a lot I see. LOL Barney can't stand for me to dress him up.
Dixie, prayers for your mama.
Lucy, prayers that things work out in your situation. Sounds like a hard thing your dealing with.
Boo, hearing about Jingles yesterday really is sad. I sure hope Erin and Sean will be ok with it. Is your Dad doing ok? What a horrible thing to witness.
Hope you all have a great day.

Asa
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37476: Oh BTW MDC. The Weber? Sounds like you are familiar with my neck of the woods. You been holding out on me? LOL

Asa
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37477: just a quick run thru shomeys for breakfast, busy day. PRAYERS FOR DIXIE'S MOM. is there anywhere the weather will allow us a cookout tonight? TIME FOR A PORCH GAS PRICE CHECK, for our traveling folks. lincoln, illinois is 2.94 a gallon. rafe- i woulda greased my shoes but when i do the cats follow me. have a great mayberry day. buckeye
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37478: Morning to my porch family. Gosh, so much goes on when you don't stop by! My thoughts and prayers are with you, Lucy and Boo. SPOT, thanks for breakfast!! Buckeye, Gas was about 2.79 yesterday afternoon. Hopefully, it did not go up overnight, but you never know. Hey to Mavis and Asa, Hazel and Dixie. Possum, can you get me some of those dish towels?? Big Maude
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37479: Mavis, nice pictures. The ones of Feather are always my favorite. I agree with ASA, Feather must be a real good sport! hehe......Hey ASA, have been trying to put clothes on your doggie again?? Seriously, thanks for your concern for the kids and Dad, and yes it was a tough thing for him to witness. Dad is very tender-hearted toward animals and he just stayed in his room all day yesterday. He finally ventured out last evening and tried to help Bruce with fix-it jobs around the house. Strangely enough, my main concern right now is my Lab, Leah. She and Jingles were good buddies and now I am watching her real close to see how she is handling all this. I am spending more time with her and making sure she is eating. Anyway, I am sure today will be a better day for all of us.

Praying for your mom, Dixie. Please let us know how she is doing.

If any of you watched Oprah yesterday, they had these doctors on the show who wrote a book called, "YOU, The Owner's Manual" and they talked about how to be younger and live longer, etc. Anyway, they said there are 5 things we should all include in our diet daily or at least a few times a week. Here they are: 1)Garlic 2) olive oil (but keep it in the refrigerator and try not to heat it--eat it in salad dressing) 3) Spinach 4)tomato or tomato paste, sauce (daily) 5) raw almonds (not roasted). They also talked about the benefits of pomegranite, either eating pomegranites or drinking the juice. I think I will start making a salad every evening to go along with dinner and try to put these things in it (except for the pomegranite). Just wanted to pass that on to all of you. Gotta go...

Boo
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37480: Hey MDC - yes my table is like Raymond's mother's table except it is yellow. My chairs are somewhat different - I really like hers! I have a lead on metal kitchen cabinets -

Applied for a pre-approved mortgage today. . .hopefully (am requesting prayer for this) - it will go through.

homemaker
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37481: I am sorry for the loss of Jingles and Thirsty Water. . .there have been some sad days without our beloved Bandit but we are able to remember him fondly. I still miss him. Rainbow Bridge helped me trememdously!

homemaker
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37482: Good morning everyone! Hey to all on the porch.

Prayers for LUCY's family (ROMEENA has some good insights, as usual), DIXIE's mom (congrats on your exams kiddo!), BOO's kids...did I miss anyone? Let me know if I did!

BOO: About the thick gooey lotions, I'm not sure about your husband, but I hide behind a clinical diagnosis!

LUCY: While I'm sure there are much bigger things in life to worry about than raw milk (you know that!), I would point out that pasteurization began for a very good reason. That said, I agree about the hormones and antobiotics in milk being very bad. A great alternative we use is organic milk. It more expensive but available in most grocery stores (and the price has actually come down as more people buy it). And if you're worried about the "good" bacteria in your digestive tract, try yogurt. It helps in that regard.

BOO: Have you read the "Superfoods" book? IT is very very interesting and involves solid research. It also includes recipes. It lists (I think) fourteen foods (and I think the ones you mentioned are on their list as well). The book was a bestseller a few years back so you should be able to find it in bookstores and the library.

Oops! Gotta run...The copy repair man is here...I'll finish my thoughts later.

Me-They

May 02, 2006 - Msg 37483: HI ALL.
IT A NICE DAY BUT CALLING FOR RAIN TONIGHT.

LOVE TOM

May 02, 2006 - Msg 37484: Thank you for all the sympathies regarding Thirsty Water!

Homemaker, I will pray that you are approved!(maybe you can pray that we will sell this house soon. Wait, that sounds like a condition, and there are no conditions in prayer. Ok, a good thought or two will do.;))

Speaking about the house, I think I already told you that the couple made an offer(low), oh, yep, I did. Anyway, so we counter-offered, going down $1000, and then they went up from their original offer, but only $500. So we went down another $1000, and last night we got a call from the realtor saying that they were staying firm with their low offer. So regretfully, we had to say we can't go down that low, especially with what we have done to the house(floors, paint, water heater, faucets, closets, all new).
Well, we gave the realtor our lowest price we could possibly go for future potential buyers. I'm thinking, hopefully, that this couple will look around town at other houses and see, like we did when we were looking up here, that this house is really the best one for the money. Other houses we looked at, either they were way too expensive, or they needed too much work done.


Boo, don't be too quick to poo-poo pomegranate(well, at least not for about 6 hours anyway ;)). There is some good pomegranate juice that you can usually find in the produce section of your supermarket. It is usually mixed with blueberry or cherry, and it is not bad tasting. A little tartness, but what can you expect, it's fruit juice! The only problem is that it is usually about $3 to $4 a bottle, and the bottles aren't that big. But, just a thought.

-Sterling Holobyte
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37485: Yikes! Which should I buy, pomegranite juice or gasoline? hehe That's not so bad considering my bro-in-law sells Mangosteen juice for 30.00 a bottle.

Prayers for your mortgage, Homemaker, hope all works out for you. Now I am going to have to watch Everybody Loves Raymond to see what his mother's table and chairs looks like....

Very funny, Me-They....my husband hasn't thought up a clinical diagnosis yet. I am thinking about asking him to rub lotion on my feet for my birthday...and maybe some vicks. hahaha

Gotta go take Mom to her dr's appointment. Bye!

Boo
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37486: HI ALL .
(LOST IN HIS PRECIOUS LOVE)
HOW I CHERISH TIME LIKE THESE,
WHEN I CAN LAY ASIDE
THE CARES AND WORRIES OF THE DAY
AND REST AT EVENTIDE.
I SIT SLONE AND MEDITATE
WHILE TWILIGHT SHADOWS FALL.
BRIDS HAVE HUSHED THEIR CHEEFUL SONGS;
SWEET PEACE LIES OVER ALL.
FIREFLIES BEGIN TO GLOW
IN MEADOWS ALL AROUND;
A PATCHY MIST IS HOVERING
CLOSE TO NOW OBSCURE GROUND.
I THE DARKENING FIRMAMENT,
COUNTLESS STARS APPEAR.
HEAVEN IS SO FAR AND YET,
GOD'S PRESENCE SEEMS SO NEAR.
HOW IS THE EARTH SO BEAUTIFUL,
SO GRAND THE SKIES ABOVE?
I THINK OF GOD AND FIND MYSELF
LOST IN HIS PRECIOUS LOVE.

LOVE TOM.
PRAY FOR EVERYONE.

May 02, 2006 - Msg 37487: Thanks for the poem, TOM. It would have lulled me to sleep if my boss hadn't rudely woke me up. Seems they don't cotton to napping after lunch. Next thing you know, they'll expect an eight hour day.

M-T
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37488: BOO: Yuck!

M-T
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37489: You know I never watched Everyone loves Raymond when it was on the air, but I quite enjoy the reruns of it. Go figure.

My lunch just ended and I am getting a little heavy in the eyelids myself Me They. Wonde what causes that?

Nice poem Tom. Your poems are always so refreshing to me. I should tell you more often how much I enjoy them.

Just got back from the Diner and I overheard Bee Taylor talking to Emma Watson about the latest goings on over at Possum's house. Well here's the latest. You know that so called dish towel salesman that came thru here last month? Well he was no salesman, he was...z z z - z z z z z z - z z z

Asa
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37490: Hey Boo how is the house comming?...hey big maude,TOM,asa,possum,sterling,mt,hm and all...tonight its fried pork chops cream taters,green beans and tea ...where is chuck?....here at work now, kinda busy....back in a bit...SPOT
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37491: Leave it to ASA to fall asleep just when the talk gets juicy. Dinner sounds great, SPOT.

Have a nice evening, folks!

M-T
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37492:
BOO, my dear, THAT'S what I was trying to tell you! Garlic, fish oil etc. I have a booklet called Eight Healing Foods of the Bible. All talked about in Lev. etc for good health and digestion etc. Email me and 'll send ya a copy. At this very moment, ole buckeye is enjoying it's rewards! Right buckeye?. (Atually, he thought he was suppose to eat the PAGES!) ha, just kidding with ya pipester!
Boo- I'm not a Wife Swap fan, the name itself kinda nausiates me, if that makes sense.
Texas Ranch House is good. Shows real life on an 1867 Tex Ranch., but i really like westerns, so it is very interesting to me.
ASA- did you forget that you have a pix of your backyard in Ro's album? Shows snow piled up on the Weber grill.
Dix- good job!
Lucy- prayers for you and yours and all you great folk!
Take care,
MDC

May 02, 2006 - Msg 37493: "All goes to muscle, that's a sign of us fifes, ya know"
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37494: hey everyone , read in the Charlotte Observer ( N.C.) that Floyds Barber Shop in Mt. Airy is on the list of 100 best places to get a buzz cut ,in a Readers Digest article that came out recently
MAYBERRY DEPUTY
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37495: Well hey there MD!...American Idol is on!....Paris is from near Atlanta...not far from the dog house....well back to Idol...moon pies and RC colas during Idol....SPOT
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37496: Please pray for Sean, he is going through another really tough time with the Tourette's. I don't know if the dog dying triggered it or what but he is jerking so bad that he is hurting himself and wanting to throw up. I can't stand watching it. Please say a prayer for him. I increased his medicine tonight but it takes time to work. Please pray that he can relax enough to sleep because he is crying right now. Thanks friends,

Boo
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37497: Quick Hey Y'all! Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers. I'm just giving the situation to God and see where he takes it. Its out of my hands.
Boo- Read What the bible says about Healthy Living by Rex Russell, MD. Hubby really likes Don Colbert, MD books also.
Romeena- I believe you're right about the hormonal issues with stepdaughter. I know my son didn't say anything mean to her, but he is consistently being told how little and cute he is. He's only 30 months younger, but he's 1 foot shorter and 130 lbs lighter. She really does feel bad about herself and her Mother encourages this feeling so that she only wants her Mom. She only has like 1 friend. I guess that's why I don't understand b/c she has tons of family on the East coast that love her and want to spend time with her. Stepson is able to come whether she does or not.
Mayberry Deputy- That's neat about Floyd's.
Spot- I'll take an RC cola right now!
MDC- I love Texas Ranch House. I love all of those shows such as frontier house, manor house, 1900 house, and colonial house. Its neat to see modern day people trying to live that way. Its always much more difficult than we believe.
Tom- Beautiful poem, as usual. Do you write all of these yourself? How's your wrapper situation?
I need to get some juice and get to bed. I have an endoscopy in the morning and can't eat or drink after midnight. Talk to ya in the mornin'!
Blessings to you and yours,
~Lucy Matthews
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37498: Boo I am saying a prayer as I type.....SPOT
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37499: Boo- Sorry to rock on ya. I'll be praying for Sean.
~Lu
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37500: Man, I'm just gettin' everyone! Hey Spot!
~Lu
May 02, 2006 - Msg 37501: Hey local Lucy....prayers for your problem also....all is quite here at the old power company...hope the night stays that way...what do you do in the real world Lucy?...SPOT