Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Three Things About My Kid Meme

Barb tagged me for a meme, Three Things About My Kid. This will be considerably shorter word-wise than Barb's and Bev's considering I only have the one kid, but I did dig up several pictures for this post. For those of you who might be sick of hearing about Jessica, feel free to skip this post altogether and move on to someone who's posted something funny or, you know, meaningful. :-)

This will be more than three things before I'm done, but I have to start somewhere, so here goes.....

I can't say too much about Jessica's personality without talking about myself, too, because Jessica is so much like me in so many ways. She is generous to a fault. She is quick to jump to the defense of those who cannot defend themselves, especially children and animals. She is soft-hearted and easily hurt, but she tries to act tough as a defense mechanism. She is sometimes quick to anger, but just as quickly the storm passes and is sunny and calm again. Laughter is never far from her eyes and lips. As evidence to her sometimes impulsive nature, read this, but she is also capable of long-term goals. She has wanted to be a clinical psychologist since she was 13 years old. Give her a task or an objective and she'll get 'er done. She's a natural leader, but she is willing to follow as well. She is scared to death of spiders, but loves snakes, rats, mice and hamsters, etc.

Jessica is a dishwater blonde, but she "helps" it with frequent visits to the beauty shop. She likes to give the impression that she's a dippy blonde, and she does have her moments, but I think she's been called a dumb blonde and called herself that so much that she's beginning to believe her own press. She is very intelligent in some areas, and dumb as a box of rocks in others. She can do college level trigonometry and calculus but she can't calculate how close the freezer door is to her nose. (She fractured her nose--black eye, the whole works!) She won a four-year academic scholarship to Arkansas State University and plans to pursue a degree in clinical psychology.

Jessica was born on November 3, 1987 at 3:03 am. That was a Tuesday, and I came home from the hospital with her on Wednesday afternoon. I wanted to go to church that night but my Mama and some of my sisters strongly suggested that I needed to stay home and rest a few more days before getting out. So I waited until that Sunday before I took Jessica to church with me for the first time. She was 5 days old, and she's been in church ever since. Except for the rare times I'm away for a short vacation or for illness, I never miss church, and she didn't either. When she started working, her jobs have required her to work some on Sundays and Wednesdays so she's not attended church as regularly as I would have liked, but I hope that she never strays from the way she's been taught. I hope she always remembers to keep God first in her life. I love her so much, and I think I might have to challenge Barb's statement that it's not humanly possible for a Mama to be prouder of her kids than Barb is of hers. Let's just call it a draw, shall we? ;-) We're both blessed with our kids, and Bev is just the teeniest bit proud of her kids, too. :-)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
I'll post several more pictures, but I think that's enough Jessica for now.

The trip to Mountain View has been postponed until this weekend, so I'll be leaving Friday afternoon unless something comes up to change our plans again. Hopefully that will give me time to recover from last weekend and perhaps get some things done around the hovel here. I'd like to line dry some laundry, especially some sheets and bedspreads, but it's dangerously hot here again. The actual temps are a little cooler, but the humidity is so high the heat indexes are over 100*. The heat index here on Tuesday was 112* and it's not supposed to be any better for a good while. I am SO looking forward to Fall and Winter. It can't get here fast enough to suit me.

I saw my first open boll of cotton Sunday, so I know Fall and harvest time isn't too far off. I love the smell of fall. The crisp air, the smell of cotton being picked, soybeans and rice being combined, smoke from a wood fire on a frosty morning....So many wonderful smells. I love a hayride, and marshmallow and hot dog roasts over a wood fire. Marshmallows should be browned on the outside and gooey in the middle. Yum! I'm more than ready for fall!
I haven't canned or pickled
anything in a week or so. The produce is beginning to slow down, but the rain we've gotten
lately should revive the gardens
around here. I'm looking forward to getting some turnip greens, mustard greens and maybe even some fresh spinach. I'm pretty fond of turnips cooked Diane Style, too,
with bacon, brown sugar, salt
and black pepper. I used to despise turnips, but when Lamar and I first married, we had some lean times and I learned to eat a lot of things I wasn't particularly fond of before that. A neighbor had a garden, and I've pried frozen turnips out of the frozen ground and peeled them to cook lots of times. I brown some bacon then throw in the sliced turnips and some brown sugar, salt and pepper and it's some good stuff, now.

xxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Most of these pictures are pretty self-explanatory, but a few of them might need a little description. Click on any of them to enlarge them.

The 4th pic from the top is Jessica and my Mom.

The 5th pic from the top is Jessica and Lamar's Granddad, Easter
Sunday 1988. Jessica is 5 months old.

The 13th pic is Jessica and my sister, Donna, back to the camera.

The 14th pic is Jessica and my sister, Cecil, holding Jessica's leg up.

The last one is Cecil, Jessica and my sister, Ducky, at Jessica's graduation.

16 comments:

Barb said...

I feel like I know her better now and that's nice because I'm following her new blog. Funny, the things she and Mandy have in common. Mandy won a four year academic scholarship too. And the spiders? It cool that they're both arachnaphobic AND majoring in psychology - they can counsel themselves! Or each other if they ever meet. Great post.

I wish I had a neighbor with a garden. I find my fresh produce at stands and in markets. One of the saddest things about summer coming to a close is seeing the gardens and the fields all tilled under, waiting to start all over next year.

You did a great job. Easy as pie to brag about our kids, isn't it? Especially when we have endless reasons to.

Big Mama said...

I love seeing all the pictures. It's obvious you are blessed with a daughter who loves you and no wonder since her mama loves her so much!

TJ said...

I loved reading about Jessica...she is a young lady to be proud of I'm thinkin'!!
I love fall too...I was just at another blog today that posted a picture of a cotton boll...I wasn't raised around cotton, I was raised around tobacco mostly...I love to smell a barn firing up the baccer!!!
You have a great day Diane!!
:-D

Susie said...

I think you have all these reasons and so many more to proud of your beautiful daughter. Thanks for sharing these with us Diane.
I've actually never even tried turnips. That sounds like an interesting way to fix them!
{{{hugs}}}

Addie said...

Loved all the pics and hearing about Jessica!

Great post!

Paulette said...

Dumb as a box of rocks!!! That is hallarious. I have never heard that before and could just hear you saying that. Too funny.
I enjoyed your post. I do believe I know jessica as well as my 21 year old daughter.
I am glad you are so proud, I hope Jessica goes all the way in college. I know a young lady that won a full scholarship and dropped out after a year. It sure was a waste.
Keep up the great writing.

Greeneyes said...

WOW , wonderful job Diane , it is such a treat to read about Jessica , it shows how much you love her and how you helped her grow into a terrific young lady ,
THe pics are great I love the one of her laughing outside and the kisser puckered
this post gives a nice feeling, love comes to mind
Love and Hugs
MISS G.

Anonymous said...

Hi...I have lurked about two weeks and figured it was time to say howdy. I enjoy your writeing very much. We have a lot in common.

I live a couple of miles outside Jonesboro. I also was raised dirt poor, but didn't know it untill 4th grade.lol

I also had a lean first year of marrage (1969) and dug turnips out of the frozen ground. Never put brown sugar on them, but will try it. Sounds good.

Anyway, wanted to say hello. I don't have a blog, i have a very dull life, nothing to write about.lol

Carole Burant said...

Hi dear Diane:-) I so enjoyed your meme and you certainly have every right to be very proud of your beautiful daughter!! If I'd have had a daughter, I would have wanted one just like her:-) I think she takes after her mama for having a very caring heart!!! Loved looking at all the pictures too and seeing more of your family...thank you so much for sharing!! Hugs xoxo

zztop357 said...

Hey,thanks for the recipes..i also found another place with the same recipes..its called recipegoldmine.com. they have a pina colada cake i want to try..
thanks sister
love you zz

Dick said...

A good job on the meme and I enjoyed seeing the photos. Jess has had a few days at college now & I know you two talk regularly. Is she having fun?

Nashe^ said...

i wanna comment. but the dad's breathing down ma neck to turn off the computer! gtg!


later, D.

RennyBA said...

How lovely of you to share all this memories and pictures with us. You know I love to read about my blog friends life and experience and this post was the top of the cream in that way:-)

Pear tree cottage! said...

Diane,
Your Jessica story is so warm and loving she is a very lucky lady to be wrapped in so much love.

I am back to catch up on some blogs I should visit more often and always feel so nice once I have read yours.

The world is full of so many lovely people I just knew it! :o)

jamie said...

I enjoyed reading your blog...I MAY try some of your receipes...I am not much of a cook!

Dawn said...

I hope Jessica is able to reach her goal of clinical psychology. there should be plenty of work for her out there!! Great pix. Have a restful week-end! There is fall in the air up here and I love it!