Are you there God? It's me Blog.

The following blog was not written for big laughs or giggles.  It was written (by all the grandchildren) as a tribute to our grandmother Darlene Barbara Brock who recently passed away.  


Grandmothers are truly special people and bring so much into our lives.  They share their knowledge with a lifetime of experience to back it.  Our grandmother, Nonie, taught us so much and had such a strong influence on our lives- she shall live on in our hearts and memories forever.  


This is for you Nonie. We all love you.

                        A Tribute to the World’s Greatest Grandmother:

Darlene Barbara Brock

Nonie

Life is a journey.  Sometimes the path is filled with sunshine and songbirds.  Other times fog blurs your vision and rain clouds fill the sky.  As you journey through life, you grow and learn.  Darlene Barbara Brock, our Nonie, knew so much about life.  We are Darlene’s grandchildren and we would like to share some of the things she has taught us.

Nonie taught us the importance of hard work.  From dawn’s first light until sunset- as long as there’s sunshine- there’s work to be done.  Or as Nonie always said, “Man works from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.”

She taught us the importance of nutrition.  We all have fond memories of helping Nonie plant and harvest the garden.  Everything tastes better, fresh picked, and eaten outside.  Nonie made sure no one ever left her house with an empty stomach. When you came to Nonie and Papaw’s you were guaranteed to be fed a 3 course meal.  A few of our favorites are: gooseberry pie, mashed potatoes, fried pies, pumpkin rolls, fried chicken, baked beans, chili, and chicken and noodles.  As Papaw always said, “Your Nonie’s cookin’ is so good; it’d make your tongue slap your ears right off.”

She taught us you don’t need a medical license to practice medicine.  Everyone who’s ever met Nonie has first-hand experience with her first-aid.  Nonie had a natural cure for every ailment.  Puffballs were perfect for cuts, ‘backer was the best for bee stings, a scraped potato is great for spider bites and infection.

From spiders to raccoons, snakes to birds, Nonie taught us to care for all creatures’ great and small.  No animal was ever too scale-y, furry, or ornery for Nonie.

Nonie taught us how to show people that we care.  My fondest memories with Nonie are the two of us sitting by the fireplace making things out of beads, helping her break beans, and going over to Mamaw’s to watch TV and drink tea.  All the while she’d scratch or rub my back until we came back home.  She took care of all of us and was always there when we needed her.

Most importantly, Nonie taught us to love with our whole heart.  Nonie and Papaw.  Papaw and Nonie.  That’s the way it’s always been and always will be.  Their love was so pure and strong; we would all be blessed to have a love as beautiful as theirs.

Nonie is a strong willed, stubborn woman who taught me to stand my ground.  She had her feet firmly planted, her head held high, and her heart full of love for anyone willing to accept it.

Shortly after 2 a.m. on February 14^th Nonie joined Papaw in heaven.  Nonie got what she wanted most this Valentine’s Day; she’s back with the love of her life. 

Our memories of our Nonie, and the life lessons that she's taught us have become even more precious.  In times of grief we look to our friends and family for comfort, and the sky for answers.

We would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and shoulders to cry on; your strength and support are greatly appreciated.

A Day In The Life. . . of Rosie O'

A Day In The Life

of Bo's dog Rosie

First you must know that Rosie is not a normal dog, 

in fact she's quite abnormal.  

She runs like a deer, has ears like a rabbit, 

the nose of a blood hound, the voice of a goose, 

and the personality of. . . well, I'm not exactly 

what creature she gets her personality from 

but she does prefer the company of cats.

Rosie is not your normal dog.  

She makes very un-dog-like sounds that 

sometimes resemble goose honks 

and she has terrible separation anxiety.  

She's also deathly afraid of nail clippers, 

the word "bath",  and thunder,

She's also obsessed with lights and shadows.

That being said, 

Rosie is definitely the best dog I have ever had.  

But there are times when I come home 

to find some very curious things, 

and since I don't speak goose (Rosie's preferred language), 

I can't quite understand what has happened.

Since Rosie is not your average dog, 

I've often wondered what she does while I'm at work all day.  

So for your consideration, I've created the following story.

A Day in the Life of Rosie O'
5:00 a.m. - Bo's alarm goes off- time to get up
5:30 a.m. - Check the perimiter and the food bowl (not necessarily in that order)
6:00 a.m. - Have a temper tantrum as Bo tries to leave
6:05 a.m. - Wait for the sound of the garage door closing
6:10 a.m. - Go back to bed
10:00 a.m. Take a leisuirely stroll to the food bowl and 
           find a   fascinating light speck on the wall.
           Follow the light across wall and onto the floor. 
           Repeat a few dozen times.
11:00 - 2:30- 
     Trail the cat
     Catch the cat
     Bathe the cat
     Receive a bath from the cat
     Catch up on the feline gossip.
     Discover I have a tail.


3:00 p.m. - Have a pillow fight with the cat.  Find some magical fluff in the pillow.  Decide to spread the magic and pull all the magical fluff out of the pillow as a gift to Bo.
3:30 p.m. Discover the cat has a tail

Many have asked me to write down Rosie's many adventures; since she has so many crazy ones; like the the tale of the 'Magical Woods Ham'.  Due to this, I've added to my bucket list. . .

Write Rosie's Life Story.

Which has me wondering, do you have a bucket list?  If so, what's on it?  What do you want to accomplish in your lifetime?  Or in the words of Rosie O'. . . "Honk, honk, honk-honk?"