"Tell Me Why..."

Oh, the world goes mad. Mad, mad, mad. It has been almost two years since the devastating terrorist attacks in London, but two days after the introduction of a new prime minister, two car bombs were difused in the city. For some reason dear old London bothers me more than other international reports. I suppose it's because I've stood in or around those very places. I love London, and one of my fears is that it will slowly be swallowed by something indescribably dark. I don't often stop to consider the latest headlines. My world rarely extends the boundaries of my own front door, and whenever I tune in to the outside, it leaves me with a cold dread. It's easier to ignore that four Islamic extremists were recently indicted for plotting to blow up JFK in New York. Since I was sixteen, I've battled on and off with a loss of security and occasional periods of fear. It's a fear that reaches outside the realm of city, state, or nation. I suppose it's a struggle everyone in my generation can relate to. We're the 9/11 generation that has been forced to re-evaluate what it means to be safe...what it means to be American. Mad, mad, mad.

In other news, it is the fortieth anniversary of the "Summer of Love," and of course I'm reveling in the articles and interviews pertaining to the people, places, and music fueling the movement. It makes me happy. If I were to specialize in an area of history, I would definitely have to consider the counterculture. The recent love-fest has me digging out my Forrest Gump soundtrack and reading yet another John Lennon biography (this time by his wife, Cynthia). It finds me gazing seriously at my guitar and thinking longingly of vintage shops. Yawn. Okay. That did it. I'm sufficiently perked up in time for bed.

Early morning

Emily opened her eyes, looked at me and proceeded to belch and fart at the same time. It was so loud that her Daddy heard her in the bathroom. It must have made her feel better because she immediately grinned at me. I laughed. Johnathan's remark was, "If she sneezes, she'll get a wish." Babies have it made.

Our belongings are slowly making their way into boxes. I'm only pausing to write this while I eat breakfast. Most of the unused kitchen items have already found happy homes, and David's winter stuff is neatly tucked into a suitcase. It's slow go, but I'm a little less than two weeks early, so still hopeful.

I'm on watch. Severe thunderstorm watches and warnings still set me on edge even after all of these years. I don't understand why it makes me more nervous at certain times than at others, but it's definitely worse at night when I can't see anything but the brilliant flashes of lightning. The present storm has just settled in. The rain is coming down in buckets...sheets...raining cats and dogs...a real frog strangler if you will...but at times the rush of water eases just enough to be soothing. It's like a laughing stream just outside the window, but all the same, I wish I could be like my daughter who is contentedly sleeping through in my arms.

Sleep would be futile at this point, so I amuse myself with my own ramblings. I dreamed that my father was angry with me for being late to church. My lateness caused him to be late, which was not to be tolerated. It wouldn't have been half so strange if the church even slightly resembled anywhere I have ever been. Granted, we are almost always late for church, but Daddy is one of the few who has never mentioned it. I'm always fighting to get out of the house on time, but it doesn't happen despite my best efforts. Johnathan feels that there is little loss when the first ten minutes is primarily announcements. I mostly agree, but hate to walk into any room where everyone else is seated. I also dreamed that Johnathan put Emily on the couch where she promptly rolled over and off the edge. He picked her up and placed her back on the cushions where she immediately repeated the action. This process continued until I was yelling at him for continuing to put her on the couch.

I'm in possession of hot cocoa, Anne of Green Gables, and a Harry Potter movie. Surely one of the three can help guide me to the world of slumber.

Summer afternoon

Brittany's feet

Guests for round two of birthday number three

More guests arrive

Alaina (Grandma) and Great-Grandpa take a break

Great Aunt Diane introduces Gabby

Shade

Uncle Julio and Aunt Suzanne hold baby Emily

Cake! We need this girl to show David how it's done!

Stephen and Meghan

All smiles

Conversations with Poppy

Emily's first time swinging!

David swinging with Aunt Meghan

Laughing at the baby

Quiet

After the humidity and heat of the day dissipated, a slight breeze ushered in a perfectly pleasant evening. Nights like this make me think good things. They're indescribably beautiful in a comforting, familiar sense. Fall, winter, and spring call me to the Appalachian foothills, but summer finds me falling in love with the coastal region. Perhaps it's because in some fashion, my mind has been in Guyton for the past three summers.

I walked into the house with grass clinging to my bare feet, and I remembered Hannah and I slinging our grass-covered feet over Granny's utility room sink. We had to wash off before tracking our collection of dirt through the rest of the house. I had forgotten...

Things to know

The Ultimate Survey

time started: 6:51 pm
name: Brittany
nickname(s): Britt, B, Bambi
birthday: January 14
where were you born: Atlanta
zodiac sign: Capricorn
height: 5'6"
hair color: Light brown
eye color: Brown
shoe size: 8.5
ring size: 5.5, I think
skin type: Fair...very fair
grade: N/A
GPA: 3.68, I believe
tattoos: None
piercings: Two holes in each ear
hobbies: Scrapbooks, preserving memories, taking photos, writing

favorite
color: shades of red
food: Japanese, Italian, American...pretty much anything
candy: Reeses
type of cheese: Good ol' cheddar
pizza topping: Pepperoni
salad dressing: Blue cheese or caesar
sandwich: Avocado from ABC
cereal: Peanut Butter Crunch
fruit: Strawberries
vegetable: Squash is good...cucumbers, too
berry: Strawberry
cake: Hm. Strawberry with cream cheese frosting, or Pineapple Upside Down
book: Gone with the Wind, Wuthering Heights, Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the Anne of Green Gables seriers are all winners
movie: Impossible to pick one...The Prestige, Last of the Mohicans, The Shawshank Redemption, The Blues Brothers, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Little Women...
magazine: People...sometimes Vogue
newspaper: AJC?
tv show: Friends
website: My journals
radio station: 92.9 Dave, I guess...or 97.1 The River
font: Papyrus
cartoon character: Mulan
artist (painter): Thomas Kinkaide
actress: Kate Winslet
cd: Mixes of my own creation
song: Too many
music group: Overall, The Beatles...although I'm quite fond of MB20, Dave Matthews, and U2 at times...
music type: Classic Rock
day of the week: Saturday
month: April and October
season: Fall
holiday: Thanksgiving
shampoo: Aussie
conditioner: Same as above
number: 4 or 14
phrase: Oh, bugger...
store: New York and Company, Target, Pottery Barn
weather: Sunny, 72 degrees with a slight breeze
restaurant: Right now...Olive Garden
channel: I haven't watched TV in so long that I don't know...as long as I have Friends and movies, I'm good...what would that be? TBS?
teacher: I dunno...I've liked every teacher I've had...with exception of Ms. Rogers. Grr to her.
weekend activity: Generally visiting family
house color: Brick
sport to watch: Soccer
sport to play: I stink at sports, but I tried soccer, so we'll stick with that
animal: Dog
flower: Azaleas are pretty
guy's name: Tristan...hands down
girl's name: I've always liked Rachel, but I never had an overwhelming favorite...unless it was Liesel in fourth grade
board game: Mad Gab or Imaginif
party game: Dunno. Never played many games at parties.
story from childhood: Oh, lots. I remember my grandmother telling me the story of Little Wren, but I don't remember how it goes :-P
body part: Eyes

have you ever
been on a train: Yes
been on a plane: Yes (twitches at the memory)
been in a car accident: Thankfully, no
caused a car accident: No
run into a wall: Probably
burned a potato chip: Haha...no
almost burned the house down: Nope
smoked: No
been drunk: No
been high: Nope...unless it's the natural high that comes from spinning it circles
broken the law: This is a dumb question...people constantly break the law by exceeding the speed limit
burned a cd : Yes
had an online relationship: No
been rejected by a crush: Of course
cried in public: I'm sure
cried over a movie: My Girl still gets me every time
fallen asleep in a movie theater: No
given someone a bath: Heh...um...my kids
been to a boarding school: No, but I was always curious about them
been home-schooled: No
lost a valuable item: Yes. My favorite earrings always lost a mate...three of my favorite rings are MIA...strange considering that I wear them 24/7
bungee jumped: Noooo
skied: I don't think I'm coordinated enough
met the president: Nah
met a celebrity: Yes. Phillipe Candelero...Olympic Champion Figure Skater...he was big during the late 90s...always got really into his programs...all painted up for his Braveheart routine...always appealed to the ladies somehow. The end.

gotten a cavity: One when I was a kid
shopped at abercrombie & fitch: Yes...a long long time ago
made a prank call: A very lame prank call
skipped school:Yeah. My teacher knew where we were going and didn't care, so I'm not sure it counts. Then there was the few times I left after PSO...there was a forty-five minute gap until my next class!
faked sick to get out of school: No
purchased something that you knew didn't fit: Why would anyone do that?
climbed a tree: Yes
fallen from a tree: Yes...landed on the roots
broken a bone: A couple fingers, and possibly a toe
sprained anything: Nope
passed out: Three times, I believe...every time due to overheating
made yourself pass out: No
been to disney world: Three times...twice that I remember
been to a theme park (not disney): Six Flags
made a model volcano (working model): Yup. That was fun.
made a clover leaf with your tounge: I can't do that.

past
what did you do yesterday: Vainly tried to clean my messyhouse, paid bills, went out to eat, took David to the park for his birthday
memory you miss the most: Being so carefree
memory you want to forget: Just because you forget doesn't mean it didn't happen...so nothing
something you regretted after it was done: Plenty of things...mostly things done and said in anger

the last
song you heard: Not sure, but for some reason, Nirvana is stuck in my head
cd you bought: Abbey Road?
thing you said: "I know, but...grahh"
time you cried: Beginning of the week
movie seen in a theater: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
thing you ate: My attempt at a Butterfinger Blizzard
person who called: Hm. Mom, I think.
nail polish shade worn: Clear.
time you showered: Yesterday.
person who complimented you: Johnathan more than likely

at this moment
what are you listening to: Baby noises
what are you wearing: Cheerleading shorts and a GC&SU t-shirt
what are you thinking: About tomorrow
what are you scared of most: Illness...being alone
how many people are on your buddy list: 140...some of those no longer exist, though

future
occupation: Music Therapist, hopefully
marriage site: Been there, done that...let's hope there's not another one - hehe
honeymoon: Like I said...
place to live: Georgia or the Carolinas...although I could handle Europe
kids: 2-3
car: Jaguar
what are you doing tomorrow: Finishing cleaning, watching kids, heading down to Guyton
will there be a wwIII: More than likely.

friends
best friend: Jessica and Jessica
funniest: They all have their moments
loudest: Jana?
quietest: Erin's pretty quiet
craziest: We're not a very crazy crew
calmest: Erin...Kristin has calm moments, too...when she needs to
skinniest: Um...dumb question, but Meghan or Amy
best secret keeper: How would I know?
worst secret keeper: Again...how would I know? If they've been telling my secrets, they better hope they're sly enough to keep me from finding out
smartest: Most of us were in Honors together...you figure it out
(I deleted the next few of these because they were beginning to get on my nerves)

do you believe in
heaven: Yes
hell: Yes
angels: Sure
devil: Yes
god: Yes
buddha: Well, as a historical figure...nothing more
aliens: Who knows?
ghosts: I stay away from this one...if such things exist, I don't want to find out
spirit (soul): Yes
soulmates: I suppose
love at first sight: No...interest...infatuation, maybe
karma: I don't know enough about it
love in general: Yes
luck: Providence
yourself: Most of the time

crushes
who and when was your first crush: Chris...7th grade...perhaps Jeff, too
any now: My husband?
a celebrity crush: Where do I begin? Leonardo DiCaprio, Val Kilmer, Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt all qualify.
who do you want to be with right now: I like my husband just fine. :-)
who do you want to kiss: See above.
if you could go on a date with anybody, who would it be: Johnny would be fun, but Johnathan might not appreciate it...unless he could go with Liv Tyler
first thing noticed about the opposite sex: Eyes and smile
what do you look for personality-wise: Someone who can make me laugh and carry on intelligent conversation
biggest turn on: Eyes and smile
biggest turn off: Gross habits
something they wear that turns you on: Um...I dunno...I kinda like preppy...
something they wear that turns you off: Skater garb
the most romantic thing you want to happen to you: Kissing in the rain in front of the Eiffel Tower (someone will capture the moment in black and white film, of course)

http://images.art.com/images/products/small/10092000/10092591.jpg

what do you wear on a coffee date: Same thing I always wear
is it right to flirt if you're taken: Not the best idea
are eyes the passegeway to the soul: Maybe
do you want to hug somebody right now: Now that you mention it...

describe
mellow: Cool, calm, and collected
the perfect date: Hm. An entire day...breakfast, then off for a day of fun...picnic on the lawn...an afternoon of adventure, clean-up, a relaxing dinner on the town, then winding down with coffee and conversation at your favorite cafe
the perfect mate: 6'0", tall, thin, blues eyes, blond hair, nice smile...a musician who thinks too much...someone who makes the world go away whenever I just can't take it anymore
how m&m's are made: I actually looked this up. A machine makes the center, which is tossed around in a drum to get that smooth round shape...then they repeat the process with the colored candy coating.
why manhole covers are round: because...the man hole is round?

one or the other
coke/pepsi: Coke...loyalty to the native product...plus, it just tastes better
sprite/7-up: Sprite...why does 7-Up make me think of my Grandma?
boxers/briefs: Boxers, please
gold/silver: White gold
vanilla/chocolate: Hm. Depends. Vanilla ice cream...chocolate frosting...
flowers/candy: Flowers
book/magazine: A good book
tv/radio: Hm. Radio, I guess.
colored pencils/markers: Colored pencils
coffee/tea: Depends...I prefer sweet tea over regular coffee, but lattes above everything
sun/moon: Moon
day/night: Somewhere in between
hot/cold: Somewhere in between...I hate both
dog/cat: Dog
button/zipper: Zipper
cotton/feather pillow: Feather
blue/purple: Blue
plumber/trashman: Uh...weird question. Plumber.
jeans/shorts: Shorts
long distance relationship/none: Here again...it depends on the situation
mechanical/regular pencil: Mechanical
peanut butter/jelly: Peanut butter...although Peanut Butter AND Jelly is best
waffles/pancakes: Pancakes
letter/email: Letter
florida/california: Never been to California, so I can't say
pizza/burgers: Burgers
hat/visor: Visor
football/rugby: Football
iceskating/blading: I stink at both...iceskating is prettier
movie at home/in theater: Theater

first thing you think of when you hear
yellow: Brick Road
red lipstick: Geisha
socks: Feet
cowtipping: Tractors (the movie Cars)
harry potter: LOVE HARRY POTTER
red: Barn
blackberry: Lazy days
rose: "The rose"
rooster: Cock-a-doodle-doo
whipped: Cream
lollipops: Kids
dreams: Peace
love: Happy
guys: Fun
south park: Stupid
boy bands: Backstreet Boys
pengiuns: Cuteness!
girls: Natural enemies :-P
death: Black
spoons: Silver
Time finished this: 3:05 pm the next day (Hey, I have kids...)

More, more, more

Guests

More guests

In the kitchen

Mom and cousin Rhonda

Chelsea and Jeanette talking to Emily - Grandmother in background

Granny talking to Dad and holding Emily

Johnathan and Papa with the balloons

Neal, Rhonda, and Terri playing with Emily

Closeup

Cute picture...minus the spitup

Sitting pretty in her Sunday best

Beautiful baby

She was being cute, so we took a couple practice shots...

Then the fun really started. Scared baby?

Silly baby

Normal baby

Gazing towards the horizon baby

Elvis baby

Quirky baby

Birthday Party 1

Here are pictures of the birthday boy.

David's "Cars" birthday cake decorated by yours truly.

Dump truck. Unfortunately, this heavy plastic is not as conducive to sitting as his former metal truck. David took several spills trying to sit in the bed.

Too distracted by his new car to placate the picture-takers. The car is very cool if I say so myself. It makes all kinds of intersting noises and motions.

Cousin Amber tries to get in on the action.

Cars party balloon.

Dad: "Come here, David." David: "Oh, Cars..."

Dad: "Look. Blow it out." David: "Oh, Cars..."

David: "Oh, Cars..." Dad: "Okay. Cars."

Cars.

Still Cars.

Opening presents. A Thomas the Tank Engine tent from Granmere and Granpere

The tent. David is under it, pushing it around and saying, "Whoo whoo."

Looking out from inside.

Foam rocket

Learning to shoot the rocket with Papa

Puzzle.

More Cars.

Munching cheetos with Daddy and the rest of the family. Post-party relaxation time on the front porch.

Playing with his toys again the next morning.

Talking to the "doggies." So cute..."Hey shahsha..." (Sasha is my husky)

Always giving baby sister kisses.

Pictures of others will be posted soon.