Well Done!

John earned his first money at the age of five fishing off a pier at Southport, NC. When the fishermen came in the fall, they just couldn't seem to catch the fish, but little John could. They watched over his shoulder and used the same bait but to no avail. Rather than go home fishless, they bought John's. At age 12 he worked with a milk delivery man running milk to the porches for home delivery. At age 15, he went to work as a carpenter's helper building houses. At age 16, he took his first "real" job installing municipal water and sewer lines. In 1970, he graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in engineering. By the age of 38, he was managing a multi-million dollar manufacturing facility. By age 40 he was simultaneously managing a second multi-million dollar facility in two different states. By the age of 48 he was working in corporate headquarters. To say John has been successful in his career is an understatement. Today, 60 years later, I salute him on this the last day of his career! He has always worked so hard, been dedicated to whatever job he had, and provided a wonderful home and excellent way of life for our children and me. I cannot thank him enough for that. I am so blessed to have him as my husband and eternal companion. I'm most sure Heavenly Father would say to him today "Well done". I now look forward to the time we can both be retired and spend the rest of our lives as full-time companions. Until then, I hope he fishes, artifact hunts, explores, reads, flea markets, and just plain piddles at whatever his heart desires. He has truly earned it! I love you John Sutton! Photos: Left 1986, Right 9.30.13

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Big Igus

Two years ago I posted a photo of one of my students called "Big Frank". At that time, he was the tallest 8th grader I had ever had in class. Well, his record has been broken in the person of "Big Igus" who I have in class this semester. Big Igus, at 14 years of age, is 6 ft. 7 in. tall and weighs 270! The short person in the photo is your's truly at 5 ft. 1 in. I guess you might say that this is the "long and short" of it.

8 Years Ago

Most people who remember the events of 9/11/01 can't help but reflect upon that tragic day for all Americans. We, the most powerful and most protected people on earth, had been attacked. That was unthinkable, but it happened. I was new at Huntingdon High School (in Tennessee) that year. When the news came on about was was happening in New York, I was in the Media Center with my new friend, Elizabeth Lott. She and I stood together and cried together as we watched the horror unfold. Just as all Americans seemed to pull closer together, Elizabeth and I formed a bond of friendship that has grown stronger with each passing year. I am reminded that amidst the tragedies of life there is a peace that comes with knowing that you have someone you can count on no matter what happens. God bless America and God bless my friend, Elizabeth Lott.

Early Morning Hilarity

If laughter really is the best medicine, (as the old saying goes) my teacher friend, Penny, and I got a major dose this morning during class change. One of my students, who is about the size of John, jumped back from her locker, hopped up on a stack of books, and started screaming "cock-a-roach! cock-a-roach! There's a cock-a-roach in my locker!" That in itself was hilarious but to add to the drama, one of the other girls said "You bringing yo family to school?". On the next class change the "cock-a-roach" reappeared and after screams from half the girls in the hallway, one of the girls said "they need to "investigate" this school. I'm not sure invesitgating the school would do any good, but what she really meant was "exterminate". Penny and I have laughed until we cried. It is one of the funniest scenarios we have experienced thus far this year. Stay tuned for more stories from the halls of South Girard School!

Giving Birth--April 2009

I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog! Four months of inactivity is a very long time--so long, that the title may lead one to believe that I really did physically give birth! Oh no no no! I would be in the Guiness World Book of Records on that one! I'm almost 61! John and I did become parents to our oldest Grandchild, Jayde, who came to live with us at the end of April. We are so happy to have her--she is a joy. However, we had forgotten how much energy it takes to raise a teen! School activities! Church activities! Friend activities! Boys! Homework! Seminary! Driver's license! ACT! Graduation Exams! Clothes! Whew! I can hardly catch my breath! Anyway, she is helping to keep us young and we are having fun with our girl, Jayder Tater Head, aka Tootsie Roll, aka the Roll, aka Jaydie Sue Sutton Button!

I'm gonna pop you!

That is what I grew up hearing from my Mama on a daily basis. I told her that she went around all the time with her hand cocked ready to pop me. The thing is, she has never stopped! Just look at that photo. As recently as two weeks ago when she was here, she threatened me numerous times. Today is her 82nd birthday and I'm 60 but she is still MAMA! My only saving grace is that she can't catch me! (Hmmmm . . . that is what Kelly says when I threaten to pop her.) For some reason I never saw her hand cocked at my brother. Wonder why? Maybe it is because he was "Buddy, the Captain" and I was as "mean as ever". Those are direct quotes from a letter she wrote to my Aunt Nell in about 1951. I think I'm damaged by that. I may need counseling. Oh well, I digress. What I really want to say is that I have been enormously blessed to have the mother I have. She taught me so many important things like always wear clean underwear in case you are in an auto accident. And you never wear white or patent leather shoes until Easter nor after Labor Day. And you can't go barefoot until the first day of May even if it is 100 degrees on April 30th. And that you can't go in the water until you can swim. And it's also okay to play practical jokes. And it isn't nice to pick your nose or to cuss. She also taught me to go to church, not to do laundry on Sunday, to keep a clean house, to love your family, and that all babies are precious. I appreciate all she has done and continues to do for me. I know she loves me and I love her. So I end with some of her famous last words--"whew, law, well I wish I may never, great day in the morning, I can't hep it, it don't make no, they say, it's new out, they're givin' out rain, I've got th' headache", etc. etc. etc. Happy Birthday, Mama, Ed, Edward, MawMaw, Mawk, LawLaw, Miz Lail, Fronie!

Great Grandmother & Great Granddaughter

Mama will soon be 82 and Jayde (our oldest granddaughter) will soon be 17, but age has not stopped them from being best buddies. As you can see from the photos, Jayde has been trying to beautify her MawMaw since she was two years old. It hasn't stopped yet and Mama loves it! Mama really wanted to get to visit Jayde while she was here visiting us in Alabama, so on Saturday we drove to Birmingham and brought Jayde down. It was a whirlwind visit, but we had a ball. I took them to out to eat, then to get spa pedicures, then shopping for Jayde's birthday. I don't know who had the most fun, but it was well worth the miles and time it took to get them together. Actually, I think I had the most fun watching the two of them!

UFO or UFG?

She is "Mother" to John, "Momma" to Jeannie, "Granny" to her 4 Grandkids and 5 Great Grandkids, but she is "Granny Panny" to me. She is my Mother-in-Law, Ruby Whaley Sutton and I love her dearly. Today is her 87th birthday and we are most blessed to still have her with us. Whether it be bumper cars, a tilt-a-whirl or a roller coaster, Granny never shied away from a wild ride. In this photo, she decided it would be fun to play on the trampoline with Kelly. We called her the "UFG" that day (Unidentified Flying Granny). That was in 1987, but I'll bet if she could, she would hop on one right now. She has been a wonderful Mother and Grandmother to us all. We wish her the happiest of birthdays with all the love we have!

Mmmmmm . . . Mama's Biscuits or Thump Molly's?

John and I always look forward to my Mama's visits and feel fortunate that she is still able to travel and spend time with us. She stays for a couple weeks each time she comes. While she is here, she spoils the pets by hand feeding them and spoils us by doing so much for us. She still likes to do things like sweeping the floors, washing the clothes, ironing, and best of all, cooking our favorite foods! John's favorite is her pinto beans or her fried chicken and gravy. My favorite is her homemade buttermilk biscuits. She makes them just like her mother did--thin, flakey, and crispy. Anyway, when Thump Molly heard that MawMaw was coming, she put on her apron, got out her dough roller and her biscuit cutter, and left a note begging Maw to let her help bake biscuits. Tonight, she got her wish and look what a beautiful pan of biscuits they produced! John was pretty happy about the fried chicken too! In a word--YUM!

She was a drop off . . .

. . . almost exactly four years ago. I came home from school to find a tiny calico kitten sitting in my driveway by the road. She was sitting there looking at me as if to say "Here I am! Where have you been?". I must say it was love at first sight. Although I officially named her "Calleigh", we just called her "Baby Cat". Born with a cleft palate, she shouldn't have lived past kittenhood, but she did and for these four years, brought us much joy. She was the most loving, sweet cat I had ever had. She had one litter of kittens and even though she nearly died after she gave birth, she was a tender, loving, and attentive mother. She loved sleeping on John's convertible top and made nearly every step he did around the place. Baby Cat's gentle nature was the best medicine for me after a stressful day. For some reason, she got under John's truck this past Thursday morning as he was leaving and was killed when he ran over her. He was heartsick because he loved her as much as I did. We may have other cats in the years to come, but none can take the place of our "Baby Cat".

A Fairy Tale come true . . .

It could be the luck of the Irish, but I really believe it was through the guidance of God that John and I found each other. John was a handsome process engineer at Great Lakes Carbon in Morganton, NC, and I was a pretty cute (if I do say so myself) accounting clerk for the same company. We met at the Xerox machine. We talked about books and even traded a few. The first was "Papillion". (We still have that very paperback!) For some reason the engineer kept finding his way up to accounting. Eventually, John asked me out and I said "no". (I couldn't possibly go out with someone who had a hippie van!) My co-worker, Evelyn Dellinger who knew John and his family said "Now 'Little 'un' (I was quite petite in those days), you ought to go out with him." He asked again and I told him no once more. Evelyn said "Little 'un" you need to go out with John. He has a good education, a good job, and comes from a good family!" Well, wouldn't you know I turned him down a third time! A couple of weeks later when our department was going to have a cookout at a mountain cabin, my friend, Jerroll Smith, insisted that I ask John to go with me. I objected, but she prodded and prodded and tormented me until I finally called him. When I asked him if he would like to go, he said "I don't know. I'll call you back." Well, I nearly died! I had asked a man out and he brushed me off! How humiliating! Anyway, in just a few minutes he called back and said he would love to go with me! I found out much later that he called and canceled a date with his long-time girlfriend to go out with me! Heh heh heh! As the old saying goes, "the rest is history". Today we celebrate our 36th anniversary and remember the many blessings we have enjoyed all these years--not the least of which are the precious children we were given and now the precious grandchildren we adore. Our years together grow sweeter. Just when we think we love each other as much as possible, remarkably our hearts grow a little more room for a little more love. We aren't perfect, but we are perfect for each other. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for my good husband and a happy, eternal marriage.

Disgusted!

The HBO Show "Big Love" plans to air a segment about their characters going through a Mormon Temple Endowment Session. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has requested that they not air that segment, but HBO says it's part of their series and will go ahead with it. Therefore the Church issued a news statement earlier this week which was on the news on MSN yesterday. The Church has also released a video on YouTube concerning the sacredness of our Holy Temples. The Temple Ordinances are not mysterious or secret, they are simply Sacred. I, as a devout member of that faith for 33 years, am disgusted, disheartened, and discouraged that something that I hold dear and sacred will be aired to the world in such a sleazy fashion. As a special favor to me, please watch the YouTube video and if you have questions, ask me! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x_-TQivCx8 The photo is of the Mesa, Arizona Temple where John and I were sealed as husband and wife for time and all eternity.

Kelly Won!

Kelly is a wonderful photographer! She takes all our family photos and most of her friend's as well. She entered a photo contest last month and wouldn't you know it--she won FIRST place in the Nature category for a photo of a grain field on the Blaine Family farm in Idaho. She also won BEST IN SHOW for a picture of Erika in a cemetery. That same photo of Erika was published in a photography magazine in the top 20 of that category. Kelly is our daughter, but we think she is one of the most creative people we have ever known. Luv U, Kelly!

To see more of her photos, follow this link: http://www.pbase.com/kellyblaine

To read the newspaper story about her, go to: http://www.henrycountian.com/news.php?viewStory=5639

'Bama Snow!!

On Friday, February 27 we had tornado sirens going off and a touch down of one a few miles away. On Saturday, February 28, it was 70 degrees and we had 5 inches of rain in about 5 hours. Water flowed like a river all around the house and the pool ran over. Fast forward to Sunday, March 1st and we had 34 degrees and 2 inches of snow! What a difference 36 hours can make! We were told that the last measurable snow here was in 2002. The snow before that was in 1994. Much to the dismay of my students, we ARE in school today because the snow left almost as fast as it arrived. We sure enjoyed it while it lasted!

Pronunciations and Spellings

Did you know that the correct spelling of "thesaurus" is "the sources". Did you know that "italicize" is pronounced "eh-licious"? Did you know that the "tech guy" who came to work on my computers is really the "tight neck" guy? Did you know that the correct spelling of "encyclopaedia" is "enclyoptidy"? I didn't know any of this. I sure am happy that I have 8th graders to teach me these things.

Big Frank

I have students of all shapes, sizes, and colors and I love them all, but I just had to show this picture of one of my boys. We affectionately call him "Big Frank". Frank was 13 years old in November. Yes, I said 13, not 23! He is 6 ft. 3 in. and weighs 250 lbs. Frank said his Dad is 6' 6", weighs 270, and played football for Auburn. Big Frank Sr. also ran track (40 in 4.4 seconds). I have a sneaky feeling that Frank will outsize his Dad and that someday Auburn may take a look at him as well. In the meantime, I will just ask him to stay seated so that I can talk to him eyeball to eyeball.

What daffodils mean to me. . .

For years and years, as soon as the daffodils bloom (and that is usually in February in the South), John would come to the front of the house and ring the doorbell. When I would go to the door, he would be standing there with his arm behind his back and a big smile on his face. I knew at that point that Spring had "sprung" because he would pull out a freshly picked bouquet of daffodils from behind his back and hand them to me with a hug and a kiss. May sound a bit corny or even mushy, but it still makes me happy to know that he still loves me that much--even after 36 years. As you can see from the picture, "Spring was sprung" just yesterday! I do love that man!

Heart of the Community

I can't tell you what a shock it was to be awarded the Secondary Teacher of the Year Award for the Phenix City School System on February 7 at the Heart of the Community Awards Program. I was so stunned that John had to help me up out of my seat when my name was called! Back in November, I was honored to be named the "Specialty" Teacher of the Year for South Girard School, but had no idea that I would get the district award for "Secondary" teacher. I am now nominated by Phenix City Schools for the Alabama Teacher of the Year. I am very humbled by these honors and hope that I will live up to the expectations for such. I will try to represent my school and the district to the best of my ability. Additionally, two of my good friends from South Girard also received honors. Sonya Whitmer, our drama teacher, was named the Classroom Teacher of the Year, and Lou Caldwell was named the Support Person of the Year. All in all, the South Girard Bulldogs were represented well!

Farewell to our Little Friend

A few months after we moved to Alabama, we met the cutest pair of Jack Russell dogs we had ever seen. They would just show up every now and then to visit awhile only to disappear for a few days. We called them Spec and Spot because of their markings. Eventually, we found out that they belonged to our neighbor, Bruce Boswell, and their names were really Kate and Katie. Shortly after we found out who they were, Kate met her fate on the highway between Mrs. Boswell's and our house. Katie aka Spec found a new playmate in the person of John. Eventually she moved in lock, stock, and barrell to our place and made every step John did. When she would hear the Boswell children, she would run over there to play. When the kids left, she would come back to hang out with John. For over 4 years we enjoyed watching her chase and tree every squirrel on Boswell Road. We always thought that if we could attach a propeller to her tail, she could fly! John made a pact with her that he would shoot out one of those squirrels at least once a week. She quickly caught on and as soon as she would tree one, she would look back at him to see if he was getting out the .22! Not only did she enjoy hunting squirrels, she went into a hunting frenzie when we got the pool net out to capture frogs! We all miss Katie Boswell aka Spec Sutton who also lost her little life in the same place her sister did. We are comforted that she is in the Happy Hunting Grounds where all the best dogs go. Go get 'em girl!

Will New Tennis Shoes Make You Run Faster?

When my children were little, the first thing they would do when they got new tennis shoes was take off running. They declared that new tennis shoes really would make you run faster! So, last week when I got my new Asics, I decided to put their theory to the test. I put them on, went out front on the sidewalk and took off. I can say with all honesty that "NO", you cannot run faster in new tennis shoes! Oh, wait a minute! I forgot! I can't run in any kind of shoes!

Introducing Thump Molly

Let me explain. When I was a little girl, my MawMaw Scott had a secret weapon to make her grandchildren behave. All she had to do was tell us that she was going to go get "Peck Molly" out of the closet and we would tremble in our shoes at the very thought! Peck Molly was a black sock or scarf that MawMaw wound over her fist and forearm. If we were bad, Peck Molly would come out of the diningroom closet, chase us screaming all over the house, and then when she caught us, would "peck" us on the head. It was a simple, yet effective means of kid control that she had used for at least two generations. I feel reasonably sure that good old "Peck" had been used by her mother as well. When MawMaw Scott passed away, I was 29 years old. As we family members were cleaning out her house, my Aunt Nell asked me to get some quilts out of the diningroom closet. I broke out in a cold sweat and said "I ain't goin' in there!" When Aunt Nell asked why, I said "Because Peck Molly lives in there!" Well, as years went on, I tried it on my children without a lot of luck. They were smarter than I was when I was little, so it didn't work. Then as the grandchildren came along, Kelly wanted me to try it on them as well. Nope, they were REALLY smart and knew immediately that it was just Honey trying to chase them down. John decided that since "Peck Molly" was outdated, that he would get another Molly--as in "Thump Molly" the Rabbit. As you can see, Thump Molly couldn't scare a flea but she has become a family icon in her own right. We just never know when she will show up and what she will be up to when she does. Thus, today's photo is how John found her when he got in from a meeting last night. Seems she has decided to go for a joy ride in the Barbie car she stole from the grand's toy box. She stole the sunglasses from me. Don't worry about her being on the highway though. John took her keys!

Deep Freeze in the Deep South?

I know you folks who live where there are REAL winters will scoff at my whinings, but it's January 16th and for the first time this winter, I broke down and put on my winter coat. It is 20 degrees with a wind chill of 13 with an expected high of 38. The worst part is I just overheard the administrators saying we are scheduled for a fire drill this morning! Just shoot me now and put me out of my misery!

Recessive Genes?

Kelly posted a photo of herself on her blog and said she was just one big recessive gene. Do you think she inherited that from me? Check out her blog and see what you think.

Remembering Daddy

Today would have been Daddy's 86th birthday. He has been gone almost 17 years now, but he is alive in well in our hearts and minds. I don't think we ever got over losing him--we just got used to him being gone. After everyone had gone from the graveside after his funeral, Brother and I went back to stand by his grave for awhile. Brother said, "Sister, there aren't many people who could stand by their Daddy's grave and say 'We have no regrets.', but we can." What a blessing that is to Mama, Brother, and me. For now, I will just say "Happy Birthday, Daddy" and "We will see you again!" (I hope you shot a hole-in-one today!)