My Name's "Whoa, Damnit!"

As I can recall only one thing sets 6th grade apart from the others in middle school.

Tommy.Jack.Savage.

Now, you may think to yourself, "Who in the world is Tommy Jack Savage?" You may recall, from my previous Piggy Tales posts, an old gray mare by the name of Frosty. Well, as I grew, so did my search for adventure. Frosty was NOT a challenge. I needed EXCITEMENT. I needed something FIESTY. I needed something DANGEROUS.

Enter Tommy Jack Savage into my life.



He was a three year old green gelding with TONS of spunk. I spent more time on MY backside than on his. Every chance he got, he bucked. He ran away with me. He was ill-tempered, ill-mannered, and spirited. We got along FAMOUSLY. I loved that big old leggy baby. He was MINE. ALL MINE.

I took him to the 4-H fair that year. In amongst all of the professionally trained horses, we stuck out like a sore hoof. Instead of calmly, smoothly loping around the arena, we RACED. We galloped wherever TJ damn well pleased around the perimeter of the ring, nearly causing the demise of one judge who looked like he was having ZERO fun. We may not have placed that year, but we were made for each other. I was never one of those kids whose parents did the work for them. For one thing, my parents wouldn't be caught DEAD on that big galoot. We did the work ourselves and we grew together.

**Nota Bene: TJ is still alive and well. He is now 18 and LOVES my girls. Check out this post for pictures of the infamous big guy himself.

On Becoming a Woman

Fifth grade. On the verge of being a teenager. No longer a child, in my mind. I know that it was a rough time for my parents. For me too, for that matter. I have always been a bit...outspoken. Never the type to bite my tongue. That caused a rift between my mom and I, which I regret to this day. Dad used to say that it was because we were so much alike. I look back and agree entirely. There were good times though too.

I started playing sports in fifth grade. Volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, then softball in the spring. I liked sports. Heck, I STILL like sports. I prefer to play a sport over a cardio workout any day.

I wasn't too great at any of them, but I LOVED softball. In volleyball and basketball, I always ran around crazy, never quite understanding completely. On the diamond though, that was a COMPLETELY different story. My place was behind the plate. There, I knew what EVERYONE was doing. For some unexplainable reason, I adored having a softball hurled at me and having a sweaty old man breathing down my backside. "STRRRIIIIIIKE!" was my favorite word. My mom played softball too, when she was younger. She was always the bad ass behind the plate too. :o) I was always proud that we shared that ONE thing.

I should probably add that my dad coached me. It was a bit of a love/hate thing. I loved that my dad was involved in my activities, but MAN! It was ROUGH!! Just sayin'. He coached me on our school basketball team. I was TERRIBLE, so it was okay that he made me ride the pine a lot. It was always said that I spent more time on the floor than on my feet. I guess that my nickname (Hubs calls me Gracie basically to mock my complete lack of finesse.) was in the cards even way back then.

All of this culminated to the 5th grade end of the softball season party. My mom and dad offered to host a swim party at our house. Keep in mind, our house was pretty much a kid's dream, complete with go-kart, horse, riding trails, swimming pool, and pond. It was going to be a great time. Lo and behold, the day of the party came and so did a visitor (the FIRST time this particular visitor graced me with her presence). Any woman reading this can pretty much guess which visitor I am referring to. Any eleven year old girl with a swim party's worst nightmare. So while my guests were due to arrive in a few hours, I was learning the ins and outs of womanhood. To this day, I VIVIDLY recall my dramatic younger self crying to my mother, "I don't WANT to be a girl! I want to be a boy!" As if my theatrics were going to make EVERYTHING go away instantly... Needless to say, the party guests arrived and I had ALMOST as much fun as if everything were "normal". Thank goodness all of the guests were girls as well.

So the end of the school year ended, and I was officially on the brink of womanhood.

What About Andrea?

I've never done any of the question posts, but I figured that it was time to take a little looksie into my life. What makes me...ME! So check out Five Crooked Halos for Five Question Friday and link up. Or leave the answers in my comment spot! Be sure to let me know if you have linked up! So here we be!


1. What is one thing you miss the most about childhood?
I miss my grandmother. Every day I miss her. They say that over time, the ache goes away. They lie. The ache doesn't go away. Sure, it dulls a bit over the years, but the pain never leaves. Oh and I miss the simplicity of it all. I miss the ease with which I blew through life, flitting from place to place, time to time. I miss the lack of technology invading my life. I miss the feeling of "no worries". I used to have absolutely no fear of what the future held for me. Now, I worry if my girls will have the same simple life growing up that I did. I worry about their quality of life. I even worry about their retirement, and I'm only just halfway to MY OWN retirement! I miss the slow pace, easy come, easy go attitude.

2. Are you still friends with your friends from high school?
Well, my best friend Ashley (who makes fantastic jewelry, check out her blog here) went to a different high school, but we were friends during the high school years, so I assume that this is the same. In fact, I met my best friend when I was five. Amber has always been a great friend from high school, although I knew her before high school as well. I guess all of the friends that I made IN HIGH SCHOOL are no longer my friends.

3. Is there a catch phrase, cliche, or word that just drives you bonkers every time you hear it?
the c word. And all of you ladies KNOW the c word. It is a dirty, despicable word. And ta-tas! What the heck?!?!? As far as a phrase, I can't stand the phrase, "Don't hate on me," or "Stop hatin' on me." And sometimes, just sometimes, I REALLY don't like the word, "Mom". Most of the time, it is followed by...wait for it...Mom. And then again...Mom. So it goes something like this...MomMomMomMomMomMomMomMom. Mom, can I? Mom, why not? Mom, do I have to? Mom, why? I am sure you can understand my lack of fuzzy feelings for this word at times.

4. What is one thing that you think symbolizes America...besides "Old Glory"?
Hmmm...that's a toughie. I think that Declaration of Independence symbolizes what America used to stand for. But that's a subject that is off limits for me in this blog. Mainly, because I want to keep all of my followers. :o) In the famous words of Forrest Gump, "And that's all I have to say about that."

5. What are your 4th of July weekend plans?
Tonight, my husband offered to take me out on a date. To see Eclipse! He even offered! When I looked at him questioningly, he replied simply, "I'm Team Alice." Tomorrow, my in-laws are coming to visit!!! I haven't got to see my brother, nephew, and NEW sister in law since CHRISTMAS. Tomorrow night, we have a barbecue with some friends. Sunday, we will probably go to the lake and stay till Monday. We kinda fly by the seat of our pants, so only the weekend will tell. :o)

Enjoy your fourth, and fly Old Glory high!

My new rustic bunting from Rural King. It's so me.

Pick Nicks and Country Miles

By second grade, I was a big sister to Nicholas Wayne. He would have been five or so, by that time. He was also born in my parent's heart, and a gift from another mother. He was my best friend growing up, even though you wouldn't have known it to hear us bickering.

When I was six, everything we did was outdoors. Bicycle riding. Hiking down by the creek. Picnics in the woods. Walking on the trails my dad had meandering throughout our property. We grew up in a little house in the woods in a world where mosquitoes and deer ticks were the only predators my parents had to worry about.
We had picnics by the creek where it seemed as if time stood still, and the world was ours for the taking. That small woods allowed our imaginations to soar. I used to always think to myself, "Picnic. Pick Nick. My parents PICKED NICK." It was one of my favorite words for just that reason.

I remember my little brother telling me one day when I was in a particularly bad mood, "Sissy, don't be such a Johnny Appleseed." What he meant by that was don't be a crabby appleton, but through and through, that was Nick. Always happy. Always wanting others to be happy. To this day, he only wants to please others. I remember whenever I got spanked (with that dreaded flyswatter), my little brother would cry louder than I myself would. He has always had a heart of gold.

As I spoke of earlier, bike rides were a part of our every day routine, it seemed. Our route on our bicycles was a jaunt around the block. A four mile country block, mind you. Those bike rides will always be forever ingrained in my mind because it is the first conscious memory that I have in which I was told about my being adopted. So as you see, I have always known the truth, which is something for which I am so grateful to my parents.

Needless to say, by second grade, everyone knew that I was adopted. It was no secret, but kids had a lot of questions. Of course, I obliged them and explained that I was not "born under my mother's heart, but in it." And I was fortunate that none of my classmates ridiculed the fact that I was adopted. I think they thought that since I acted as though it were special, it made THEM realize that too. And I have those "pick nicks" by the creek and the long, lazy bicycle rides to thank for knowing that fact. The fact that my brother and I were picked. We were chosen.

3 Posts in One Day=Ridiculous

I just realized that this and the previous two blogs could have been condensed into one big old "The Girl Behind the Blog" post, but hindsight is 20/20. So here it is, the image you all have conjured in your minds...

Well??? Am I everything you dreamed of and more??? :o) Well, it's a good before shot. The after will be taken in the southern Caribbean next January. Hopefully, you stick with me that long. Or maybe not, depending on how the dieting goes. ;o) Welp, no more blogging tonight. It's time to join the rest of the crew in my cozy little bed. One day, there will only be two of us in there again...

Interview with MOI!

1. Last movie you saw in the theater...
Dear John. Movies are the ONE time that I get to go out for a "girl's night", so every once in awhile. I would rather watch it at home, but then I would have to be interrupted by "Mama, can you get me..." and cries from the baby.

2. What books are you reading?
Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith. I love Mr. Albom's books.

3. What is your favorite board game?
Oh, gosh! I am a board game NUT. But my favorite...Hmmm. Probably Things. Or Apples to Apples. And I LOVE a good old game of Monopoly. I get the wheelbarrow!

4. What is your favorite magazine?
Family Circle. It ain't just your grandma's mag.

5. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Ugh. Hon, go get Ev. PLEASE. Go get Ev. (mumbled, out loud) "Hon, go get Ev."

6. Favorite fast food?
Arby's

7. What's under your bed?
Like I would tell you. Pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. :o)

8. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Hoot Hoot!

9. Favorite pie?
Mama's apple pie.

10. Favorite drink?
McCafe me, please!

11. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Any and ALL

12. What did you want to be when you grew up?
a horse trainer

13. What are you listening to right now?
Kid #1 and husband arguing over breakfast. Well, not really ARGUING.

14. What was your best birthday?
Probably my best birthday was my best friend's 21st birthday. I met my husband that night. Boy, did I meet my husband that night...Not one of my finer moments, but God knew what he was doing when he made me think that I needed to be inappropriately drunk that night. :o)

15. Best Christmas Present?
My camera. It makes me happy. Canon Rebel T1i.

16. Where did you meet your mate?
In a bar. How cliche, but it worked out for us. Not to say that it works out for most...

17. Favorite movie?
The Sound of Music and Black Beauty, even though it makes me teary. Those are just a couple of the many fave I have though. I am a movie fanatic.
NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS, CONSIDER YOURSELF TAGGED. LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW YOU POSTED IT. I WOULD LOVE TO READ YOUR ANSWERS.