A NEW DIRECTION

FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, I WANT TO POST SOME MEMORIES THAT I THINK WILL EXPLAIN SOME OF THE VIEWS WE HAVE ABOUT BOBBIE JO. ONE IN PARTICULAR COMES TO MIND TODAY- SHE WAS BUT8 MONTHS OLD AND MARTIN, SISSY (3YO) BOBBIE JO AND I WERE GROCERY SHOPPING. NOW, ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, I HAD GONE IN TO THE STORE BECAUSE THE POT ROASTS WERE ONLY .69 CENTS A POUND AND I WANTED TO STOCK UP. I AM NOT SURE WHAT PART OF THE COW THIS THRIFTY MEAT CAME FROM, BUT I CAN SIMMER ANYTHING UNTIL IT IS TENDER. IT TURNS OUT THAT THESE POT ROASTS HAD A BIG BONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM, BUT I WAS GAME TO GET SOME ANYWAY. BOBBIE JO WAS SITTING IN THE BABY SEAT OF THE BASKET, AND SISSY WAS CLIMBING ON THE CART. MARTIN KEPT SAYING OVER AND OVER, "STOP SISSY, YOU WILL PULL THE CART OVER AND HURT THE BABY!" I WAS INGROSSED IN CHOOSING ONE OF MANY POTROASTS, POKING AND PRODDING AND MEASURING THE BONE TO SEE WHICH OF THEM WOULD BE THE BEST BARGAIN. CHEAP MEAT AND I ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH! ANYWAY, OUT OF THE SIDE OF MY VERY ATTENTIVE MOTHER'S EYE, I SAW THAT INDEED SISSY HAD TIPPED THE CART AND BOBBIE JO WAS ON HER WAY TO THE FLOOR. I SCREAMED LIKE A BANSHEE, THREW UP MY HANDS, TRIED TO GRAB THE BABY AND MISSED. QUICK THINKING MARTIN SIMPLY PUT HIS FOOT UNDER BOBBIE JO'S HEAD JUST BEFORE SHE HIT THE FLOOR AND KEPT HER FROM SERIOUS INJURY. BY NOW, I AM BLOWING LIKE A BUFFALO, SISSY IS CRYING, BOBBIE JO IS SCREAMING AND MARTIN IS SWEATING BULLETS EVEN THOUGH HE SAVED HER. THE CART IS ON THE FLOOR, THE GROCERIES EVERYWHERE, PEOPLE RUNNING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED, AND THE STORE MANAGER AS WELL. ALL I COULD DO IS STAND THERE AND CRY OVER AND OVER, "MY BABY! MY BABY!" SOBBING LOUDLY. MARTIN IS TRYING TO CALM JESSICA DOWN, AND THE MANAGER KEPT SAYING, "WHAT HAPPENED? IS ANYONE HURT? WHAT HAPPENED?" WELL, IT WAS SOON APPARENT THAT NO HARM WAS DONE, I BEGAN TO CALM DOWN, AND TRY TO CALM THE BABY, JESSICA IS STARTING TO SNICKER AND MARTIN HAS A STRICKEN LOOK ON HIS FACE THAT SORT OF LOOKED LIKE IT MEANT, "WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?" JUST ABOUT THAT TIME, A MAN CAME AROUND THE END OF THE AISLE, WITH A BLOODY GASH ON HIS FOREHEAD. HE LOOKED SO CONFUSED, AND THE MANAGER SAID, "WELL, HELL, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" THE POOR MAN BLINKED A COUPLE OF TIMES AND SAID, "I SWEAR, I WAS JUST REACHING FOR A LOAF OF BREAD, AND A HUGE ROAST SLAMMED INTO MY HEAD! JUST OUT OF NOWHERE! THERE WAS A BIG BONE IN IT AND IT CUT ME. I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM, JUST FLEW OVER THE TOP OF THE BREAD AND HIT ME!" NOW, READERS, I AM A PRETTY STRONG WOMAN, BUT THE BREAD AISLE WAS ABOUT3 AISLES OVER- SO THAT MEAT MUST REALLY HAVE SAILED! AT THE TIME, I DID NOT KNOW (OR CARE) WHERE IT HAD GONE- NOW, THE MAN HAD THE ROAST IN HIS HAND, AND IT WAS THE ONE I WAS GOING TO BUY, SO I JUST GRABBED OUT OF HIS HAND, TOLD HIM I WAS SORRY, GRABBED MY FAMILY AND WENT TO THE FRONT TO CHECK OUT. TO THIS DAY, EVERYTIME WE SEE A POT ROAST WITH A BONE IN IT, WE LAUGH ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. THERE ARE OTHER MEAT INCIDENTS IN MY LIFE, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST.
TODAY, BECKY, CHERYL (DAD'S SISTER) AND LIBBY CHRISTIAN AND I WENT TO THE FLOWER SELLERS AREA OF HOUSTON TO BUY THE FLOWERS TO MAKE BOUTENIERS (I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPELL THAT) AND CORSAGES FOR THE FUNERAL. IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH MONEY WAS SAVED DUE TO THE EFFORTS OF THESE SWEET LADIES AND THEIR TALENTS. THE FLOWERS ARE YELLOW ROSES. BOBBIE JO LOVES YELLOW ROSES, SO WE WERE FORTUNATE TO FIND SOME REALLY NICE ONES. THE FUNERAL WILL BE SO BEAUTIFUL I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE EFFORT EVERYONE IS MAKING SO THAT I WILL HAVE TIME TO PREPARE MYSELF TO SAY GOODBYE TO MY GIRL. HER SPIRIT IS STRONG HERE, THIS MORNING, I WAS SAYING PRAYERS OVER BREAKFAST, AND RIGHT BEFORE THE AMEN, I SAID, "AND DON'T LET HER BOSS YOU AROUND!" SILENCE AT THE TABLE, AND THEN, A FEW CHUCKLED "AMENS". SHE WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF MY LIFE AND SO MANY OTHERS. THE FUTURE SHOULD BE INTERESTING.

OH, THE FUNERAL WILL BE TUESDAY, MARCH 17 AT 12:30 PM. PRIOR TO THAT, THERE WILL BE A VISITATION FOR TWO HOURS. WE WILL THEN HAVE THE BURIAL. DINNER WILL BE SERVED AT THE SOUTH SHORE CHURCH ON SOUTH SHORE BLVD IN LEAGUE CITY. PLEASE CALL BECKY (8323854866) OR SISSY (281-222-9691) FOR THE ADDRESS. DINNER WILL BE AT 4:OO. WE ARE SETTING UP AND EDUCATION FUND FOR JARED, SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO THE FUND IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. THANKS SO MUCH, TILL TOMORROW, NANASEE