4800.

"I was made for you and you were made for me, in this lonely world we were meant to be in love..."--DC Talk

A home theater in complete disarray, crossed projection wires, and a midnight trip to Walmart that results in a collision with a deer...honey, we sure know how to celebrate our anniversary! And all before 2 am. This is so "us," in the grand tradition that is Scott & Leigh Anne, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So glad we have this weekend in Atlanta to properly celebrate.

Thanks for the finest eight years of my life...for your leadership, friendship, companionship and unconditional love. I don't deserve you. Neither does anyone else, so I happily retain my role as your partner. I love you forever. We've got 60 years 'til 95 and our side-by-side deathbed...let's keep on living them up!

Heritage.

It's starting to feel a bit like spring here...hopefully we're just a month or so away from front porch sittin' & rockin' and singin'. Play some Patsy Cline, keep the sweet tea cold and the citronella candles lit and I'm a happy girl on my porch!

I haven't a clue when this photograph was taken (update--Mama tells me it was the early 60's, so thanks for clearing that one up!), but seeing it makes me want to be right there with them. My maternal grandmother, Ada Flora Jones Raley (simply "Mamaw" to me) is in the red dress. Mama looks just like her. To her left is my Great Aunt Lois, who died not long after I was born. Next to Aunt Lois is her brother, my grandfather, L. Levoid Raley, or "Papaw," as I called him until he died almost 13 years ago. Caroline and I got our wonky ears from him!

There was nothing like enjoying the world from Papaw & Mamaw's front porch. See that swing in the background? It fell once...with me on it. (And at that time I probably weighed around 100 pounds, so no fat jokes, please!) I was OK, and the swing recovered well enough to be moved out to my "aunt who's not my aunt" Pat Smith's house , where we can enjoy it again when visiting Meridian, Mississippi.

I love this picture...I love that my mother's parents and aunt are clearly represented. I love the awesome chairs and glider they are perched on. (So vintage in this day and age!) I love that Mamaw is dressed to the nines for whatever reason, while Papaw's chillin' in his shorts and gym socks. Knowing him, he most likely had the radio tuned to WTOK for the latest gossip, news, and the daily reading of the obituaries, which he never missed. And I'm convinced that either right before or right after this photo was snapped, both Mamaw and Aunt Lois probably had a big ol' bowl of peas or beans that they were shelling. To this day I love to shell beans...must be a genetic trait bequeathed from generations of Jones/Raley women. And come on...it's sooooooooo southern.

Yes, sun...you can start making your daily appearances...dry out all this rain we've been having...burn a little brighter, a little warmer. Because I am ready for some porch time with my family. And while I wish these three folks pictured here could rock away with me, I have memories to do me just fine...and I have my own little family to keep me company now. Whew, God. You are good!

Must-See TV.

By now my faithful readers have picked up on my love (obsession) for the TV show Lost. And for the record--Beckie, I've not written about it in over 2 weeks now--gimme some mad props, please! Last weekend while eating with Kelly & Danny I made the comment that I really don't watch much else on television. "Come on, I don't believe that!" was Kelly's response. Truthfully, I rarely turn the thing on. My wonderful husband watches Fox News and the History channel every single night, so I catch bits & pieces of those networks. We do love CSI and now it's back with new episodes--hooray! Just a couple of weeks ago I discovered Rob & Big on MTV, but of the six episodes saved on the DVR, I've watched only two. Sometimes I'll make an effort to turn on Food Network to see if Paula or Giada are cookin' up something fabulous, but really...there's nothing on TV worth watching nowadays. So when I say that I don't watch much, I really mean it!

After the return of CSI this evening (a subpar episode, though--in my opinion!) I started questioning myself and my TV habits, or lack thereof. Ok, Leigh Anne. You claim to be on the pulse of pop culture--yet you're excluding television. American Idol? Project Runway? Grey's Anatomy? The Office? Dancing With the Stars? The Hills? The world is watching...why aren't you?

The answer? First of all, I have two small children...not much else needs to be explained. What about after they're in bed at 8:00? Well, I either surf the net, take French lessons, study the Bible, or read for pleasure...four things I'd rather do than watch TV anyway. As usual, though, my brain really started pondering and I started thinking of favorite episodes of my all-time, best-loved series from the past. I realized that truly great television is just not being produced anymore. Allow me to elaborate.

Designing Women is my favorite sitcom. Ever. I know there are lovers of Cheers, Seinfield, Friends, or even The Andy Griffith show, as is the case with the entire Litton family. None of these compare to the antics of those Atlantian interior decorators--Julia, Suzanne, Charlene and Mary Jo. Yes, the show's creators/writers were huge liberals, but if you can look past the occasional political jab, Designing Women contained some of the most hilarious and thought-provoking storylines of all time. And Delta Burke's portrayal of Suzanne Sugarbaker still has me in gales of belly guffaws every time I watch.


Let's now sing the praises of the joy that was Moonlighting. Part detective caper series, part comedy, with a little bit of drama (both onscreen and off!) and a lot of Motown thrown in for good measure, Glenn Gordon Caron's creation is the standard that shows today are still attempting to emulate. That show Bones? Yeah, a Moonlighting-ish ripoff. Mulder & Scully of The X-Files? They so tried to be David Addison & Maddie Hayes. (And X-Filers--don't shoot me--I loved the show, but it was no Moonlighting!) What other television show could make a post office chase scene as knee-slapping as this?


Joss Whedon, Joss Whedon, Joss Whedon. He's so brilliant, so talented, so out there...he's the creative genius behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the last great hour-long series (in my opinion, of course!) until Lost came along. For seven sweet years BTVS provided some of most original, hysterical and controversial (lesbian witches, anyone?) hours of serial television. This show could be poignant one minute (Buffy comes home from a class to find her mother has died, unexpectedly, in their living room) and wacky the next (demons playing poker--using kittens instead of chips). The shiniest jewel in the crown of King Joss is the musical he wrote, produced and directed in Season Six, "Once More With Feeling," which has Buffy and her gang of Scoobies under a spell that causes them to break into song, revealing true feelings they've kept hidden from each other in previous episodes. Buffy fans hold this episode in the highest regard, and with good reason...it rocks! And yes, I do own the soundtrack...no surprise here. The fabulous James Marsters (one of my all-time favorite actors, ever--he's outstanding in everything he does) has one of the best numbers in the musical as Spike, the coolest vampire-with-a-soul in the world.

"If my heart could beat it would break my chest..." Brilliant lyric for an "undead." Sigh...

So...there y'all have it. These are my top three favorites. I long for a line-up that includes shows of this caliber...and to me, other than Lost and CSI, I'm just not seeing it in this day and age. I own all 5 seasons of Moonlighting and the 7 years of Buffy on DVD (and the Buffy spin-off, Angel, which was a bit more mature/darker than the Buffyverse), so I can relive my favorite episodes whenever the mood strikes. Designing Women is still not available (save for one special release DVD that has 4 eps--yes, I have it!), but you can be certain if/when it's released I'll be the first one to shelling out the dough, happily.

Hope I've inspired y'all to check out these particular shows, if you haven't already. Rent them on Netflix. Watch on Hulu.com. Whatever...just watch. It's really great TV. I promise. When I have ever failed y'all? Ok, don't answer that one.

Well, duh!

Yesterday afternoon my friend, Kim, phoned to say, "In the words of Julia Sugarbaker, 'Have you just completely lost your mind?'" (As in previous posts I stress again: you should be watching Designing Women. Now.) My mother chimed in with, "That better be an April Fools post!"

Ok, Ok...y'all got me...you know I could never be a flaming left-winger. Then I'd have to start getting my news from the major networks, CNN and MSNBC. Oh no!

Yes, the previous post was indeed my April Fools attempt...and most of you caught it because you all know and (hopefully) love me. Without any doubt I maintain that I will always be a right-wing, red state loving, Ann Coulter admiring, "uber-psychotic" (thanks, Kelly!), card carrying super-conservative Republican. Unless, of course, that party gets shot to heck in the future...and I hope I'm Home long before that happens. Of course I'm not too keen on my party's offering this go 'round...but still...lesser of two evils, I guess.

There's my April Fools explanation and political soapbox for ya...take it for what it's worth. Next year I'll have to try harder to fake out all you smart readers.

Change is good!

Yes, folks...I'm changing my political stance for the first time in my 33 years. Hillary's not that bad after all, and I know she can bring positive change for our country. Global warming, immigration, the war in Iraq, abortion rights, taxes...these are the issues that matter. Hillary's the (wo)man with the plan. Let's get behind her with our support, shall we?

Friends in low places...

...lower on the map, that is. Here's a final few pictures from our trip to Georgia last week. Yes, we're already mourning the lack of blossoms, buds, green leaves, blue skies and really warm sunshine now that we're back in good ol' Lee County. Still...it's home sweet home!

We stopped over at Brantley & Michelle Whitley's so the kids could play while we visited. Michelle was my maid of honor almost 8 years ago and now she's the mom of 5 boys! (The two youngest are biological, the three eldest were an added blessing from her marriage to Brantley.) The girls had a ball playing with Morgan & Collin:

When it was time to say good-bye, I (thankfully!) had my camera ready & was able to capture this precious hug from Morgan to Caroline. Seriously...this is super sweet.






Our traditional stop on the way home to Virginia from Georgia is in Marietta (right outside of Atlanta), for the best Mexican food in the wide world...PAPPASITOS!!! There's only 1 Pappasitos located outside of the great state of Texas, and of course it's in Georgia. Their quesadillas, fajitas, salsa, and homemade chips & tortillas are the best. Ever. Trust me on this one.
Joining us this time was one of my friends from high school, Kelly Colson Rutledge, whom I had not seen in over 14 years! Kelly brought along her 17 month old son, Danny...and let me just say that he is Way Adorable. (And he looks just like his grandfather, Bob Colson...but I digress...) Anyway, we had a great time catching up (and chowing down), while Danny & Caroline took turns throwing Goldfish, fried rice, and whatever else was available on the table. Libbey, as per usual, fell in love with Danny...she has a heart for baby boys, probably because she has a baby sister.Although I did not see them in person, I gotta give a shoutout to Jennifer Gill Sanders & Lauren Lauffer Evans (both of whom were bridesmaids in our wedding, too!). I talked to them almost every day while at my parents' but we could never match up our schedules for a face-to-face visit. No worries...that will happen this summer.

And this brings THE END to the Georgia-related posts. Life in chilly Virginia has resumed and I'll be posting about it sometime tomorrow.

Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines...

...and those pines are dropping a ton of pollen on this town, lemme tell ya. Still, the gloriousness of all these blooming trees, shrubs and flowers keeps me from complaining about the yellow powder.

Random observations from my time spent in the homeland:

*Seeing all the UGA faithful out in full force...nary a University of Tennessee shirt, bumper sticker or flag in sight. It's pure joy, my friends. Go000000000 DAWGS...sic 'em...woof-woof-woof-woof!



*The sudden musical urge that strikes the moment my vehicle crosses the state line: REM, Indigo Girls, Widespread Panic, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, Drivin' n' Cryin', Trisha Yearwood, The Allman Brothers and The B-52's. Yep, we've produced a lot of fine musical talent from our neck of the woods.



*Reminders that GA is still a Red State...haven't seen the first Obama or Hilary bumper sticker or yard sign all week. I have, however, seen many for Romney, Huckabee and McCain. (Though sadly, some folks must not have caught the press conferences of Rom & Huck bowing out.)


*Visiting my alma mater, Warner Robins High School, makes me feel rather old. It's changed, and yet it still seems the same. And I'm proud to say that outside of the Class of 1993, (woo-woo!) we have some famous classmates out in the world, including Sonny Perdue, the governor of Georgia! But who's famouser than Vicki,
Tori, or Kelly? (Blogging buds, fellow '93 grads!)




*I'm 33 years old, a wife and mother, and have lived away from home since 1996, and yet my mother must hold to the belief that I'm 16 and still in need of her parenting skills, aka meddling. Any phone call I take or make is invariably followed by her desire to know, "Who are you talking to?" or "Who called here?" You want the list...let's see...Michelle, Jennifer, Scotty, Shannon, Kim, Lisa, Ann, Scott Sr., Mandy and Lauren. Oh, and only 2 of these people actually live in Warner Robins, although Jennifer is close by in Jackson...and these 3 gals were bridesmaids in my wedding, so they kinda have to call when I'm located at the Briarcliff Road residence! Does this answer your prodding, Mama? I LOVE YOU!








*The availability of good barbeque makes me very happy. For some odd reason I simply do not understand, southwest Virginia (and northeast Tennesse, for that matter) have not received the memo on how to properly cook barbequed pork & beef, or the traditional items that accompany it in a meal. (Beans of any kind, corn, slaw, cornbread, etc.) Here in Middle Georgia the stuff is available en masse, which means goody-goody delight for my mouth & stomach. And before all you Texans or Carolinians go postal on me, I'm not saying Georgian barbeque is the best on earth...I'm merely pointing out the fact that restaurants in my neck of the woods (that are few and far between) have a lot to learn about this delicacy.

*Finally, Thomas Wolfe was way wrong. You can go home again. Yes, my hometown has changed in the 12 years since I've been gone...some of it is for the better...thanks for taking up residence Target, Starbucks, and Books-A-Million! Some change is for the ever-expanding & seemingly daily population growth...Warner Robins natives, remember when we had about 8 primary schools, 4 junior highs and 2 high schools? Now there's a million of each--ok, not really, but I swear there's an elementary school near every major intersection in the Houston County limits! And some change is for the worst...I drove by Commercial Circle today and mourned the loss of the actual circle...most of the buildings are gone, and do I even have to mention that that side of town is almost ghetto-fied? Oh, and they've pimped out the library in an apparent effort to make it all modern and visually appealing. Um...WR powers-that-be...you failed! And is Donald Walker still mayor?

I love my hometown...it's my roots, my heritage, my past (insert shudder here!), and still my present. Though Lee County, Virginia is my home, Warner Robins, Georgia will always be my hometown. I'm rather thankful for that, and that I can go home again and again.

(You get 1000 points if you know what the above letters stand for. Of course, Middle Georgians are excluded from participating in this portion of the blog! No points for cheating!)

Seriously, I just about wet my pants.

There's a nifty joint in Warner Robins called Monkey Joes and we thought the girls would have a big time wearing themselves out before naptime. For one solid hour they ran, jumped, climbed, bounced and laughed, and I managed to snap a few cute shots of our time there.


One of the hundred times Libbey went flailing in all her glory.


Politely landing on her bottom, Caroline proves that she can be sweet at times.

I saved the best for last:

There are no words. Well, maybe just a few. Mamaw Pinky, aged 61, braved the ginormous slide and lived to tell about it. I, on the other hand, will probably not live to blog another day once she sees this post. But really...who cares? This is the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life and I almost had the pee pants to prove it. (I said almost people!) Rock on, Mamaw!

Still, in peaceful dreams I see...

Way back when (and I mean my way back when) the Indigo Girls recorded a song titled "Southland in the Springtime." Since being in Georgia the past few days, it's been running through the soundtrack of my mind. "Georgia On My Mind," is there too, but that's just my usual anthem. Anyway...my favorite line in the chorus is, "There's no place like home, and none more pleasin' than the southland in the springtime..." So true, Amy and Emily...so true.

To me there is no place in the world like Georgia in early Spring. Then again, there's actually no place in the world like Georgia, period. Y'all know I am a Peach through and through. This time of year, though, is especially special. (And now my high school AP English teacher is cringing..."especially special?" Sorry, Mrs. Sipe!) My parents' neighborhood is gloriously awash in a Monet-ish display of color. The view from my window:
Azaleas

Dogwoods

Cherry Blossoms


Living in the mountains of (cold!) southwest Virginia, I sometimes forget that Spring actually debuts in March down here in the real south. Meanwhile, in Pennington Gap we'll be hoping for true Spring (not the little teases we'll have over the next month) come late April. The blessing in all of this is that I get to experience such gorgeousness twice this season! Yet none is better than my current view of Middle Georgia. Thanks, God...

We Are Family.

And if you're not in ours, this will probably bore you. No worries...it's still my blog and I'll post as I want to. Here's some family love (and a couple of meltdowns!) captured last Sunday, March 16, at Emma's 10th birthday party.
Caroline, Emma, Molly, Libbey, Logan, Cameron and John David. The only missing great grandchild is Liza, while Emma & John are the youngest of the regular grands.

Libbey & great Aunt Elaine, being super sweet and loving...

Caroline not being super sweet and loving! (Minor meltdown!)

My favorite shot of the day was taken of Cameron, by Libbey.

Happy 10th birthday, Miss Emma Katherine Poe! We love you bunches!

Matthew 25:40

Watch this--it's what Easter's really all about, and it's not what you think it's gonna be...

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me."

Random musings...before 10 am.

*Why is Caroline obsessed with ice? Better yet, whose idea was it to have a free-standing, under-the-counter ice machine that's readily available for a 2 year old? Oh yeah...that was me.

*Toaster Scramblers...Egg, Cheese, and Sausage...cholesterol laden and delightfully delicious. Must. Stop. Eating.

*"There's an animal in trouble somewhere."

*One load down, another to go...then it's happy folding time while Baby Love naps. This is my life. I claim Colossians 3:23. Always. (Look it up, peeps!)

*"Mommy, I watch Mah-ton...come on, Mommy...let's watch Mah-ton." She means Morton, from "Charlie & Lola." And she says it exactly like Lola. My child can fake a British accent! Yes!


*Does that "my vacs don't lose suction" Dyson guy make a dust buster? 'Cause my Black & Decker sure ain't picking up the litter like it used to. Wah-wah-wah...now I gotta vacuum. Or kill the cat.

*Haven't talked to Mama in 2 days. Thirty years from now, if a day passes without my girls calling, will I freak? Likely. Because I'm neurotic that way.

*How long can I stay in these pajamas before it becomes really pathetic?

*Better yet, how long can Caroline stay in that pull-up before I'm deemed a bad mother?

There's an open issue of TV Guide next to me...the headline is "TV's Hottest Scenes Ever." Number one is the first time Spike & Buffy do the deed...while the building falls around them...without a shred of nudity. Oh, I so agree, TV Guide...HAWT! Maybe I'll write a letter to the editor with my support of this. In the meantime, here's the edited version of said scene:

Yes, censorship folks...afterall, this is a family friendly blog.

*Did I quote Scripture and laud a sex scene in the same post? My LU girls are nodding their heads and saying, "Yep...that's so Leigh Anne."

*And so I've rambled enough for one morning...let's hope I don't get around to posting my thoughts of the afternoon. THE END. (Crowd goes wild...)