Me at 99 Years of age....

Ok so today I figured we would talk about getting on in age....LOL..The photo at the top of the blog I figure , is what i will look like by the age of 99. You see in Nursing school we were taught all those horrible things that we all have to look forward to as we age. I am about to give you some guidelines that you are going to find amusing or maybe depressing (if you are the vain type). Ok this is why i figure i will resemble the little creature in the photo. Notice that the top of his head comes to the car light, well let's see they say as you age you shrink about 4 inches or so, now those who know me , know i am already at a 6-7 inch deficit, so i figure after all is said and done i will be about that tall at 99. Next notice the size of the ears. The ears they say not only grow hair inside of them, they also become increasingly larger as we age .I'm thinking that's Gods way of helping us hear better, since your hearing gradually gets worse and worse. Now what a lot of people don't realize is that the hearing loss of some of it can easily be cured by getting your ears cleaned out professionally. Gross i know but it's a fact. Now concidering that i have a very strong Sullivan background and they are known for their big ears, this giving me a double dose don't you think. Now the nose, Not only is it predicted to grow, length wise but also it is predicted to become somewhat bulbus, (extend outward at the nostrils). There will also be disgusting hair growth there as well. Moving on down , even though i have more than my share of meat on my bones now, there is this thing called muscle wasting , that's when your muscles just waste away and nothing is left but the little boney parts. As a woman I know you know that your feet are suppose to grow with the pregnancy of each child, but i am proud to announce that i am still the size 7 that i was in high school. Just imagine if you put a size ten foot on that little creature. Now this is just the outward physical changes that we have to look forward to, but if God willing some of us may be able to ward old age off for a little longer.Just wanted to make your day....let me know what you think....TERRIC
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2ND WRITING: HUGE FAMILIES/WHAT YOU LEARN / THE SOUTHERN WAY

I GREW UP IN A VERY LARGE FAMILY. IN MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY I HAD 4 BROTHERS AND SISTERS, BUT I ALSO HAVE IN EXCESS OF 50 FIRST COUSINS AND 21 AUNTS AND UNCLES, PLUS ALL OF THEIR MATES.THE SECOND LINE OF COUSINS GET'S REALLY CONFUSING SINCE MY MOTHERS COUSINS MARRIED MY DAD'S COUSINS , WHICH MAKES THEM MY DOUBLES. I FINALLY REALIZED I NEEDED  TO LEAVE THE COUNTY TO DATE..LOL. BUT OH WHAT FUN WE HAD GROWING UP. FAMILIES ARE SOMETHING WE CANNOT BUY, CAN'T CHOOSE AND SOMETIMES WISH WE COULD IGNORE, BUT LIKE IT OR NOT THEY ARE OURS. NONE OF MY FAMILY IS RICH, NONE HAVE DONE ANYTHING THAT WOULD ROCK ANYONE'S WORLD , BUT THEY ARE ALL MINE AND I AM VERY PROUD TO HAVE GROWN UP IN A HUGE FAMILY AND VERY PROUD TO HAVE GROWN UP SOUTHERN.
    WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM GROWING UP SOUTHERN AND IN A BIG FAMILY. I'VE LEARNED THAT IF YOU DIE SOON ENOUGH YOU WILL HAVE GREAT ATTENDANCE AT YOUR FUNERAL, AND THE FOOD WILL BE FANTASTIC. I'VE LEARNED THAT MOST OF US COOK MUCH BETTER THAN YANKEES DO. NOW IF YOU ARE A YANKEE WITH SOUTHERN ROOTS CHANCES ARE YOU ARE A GREAT COOK TOO, CAUSE YOU WERE FORCED AT SOME POINT TO LEARN THE ART OF SOUTHERN FRIED EVERYTHING. I LOVE THE FACT THAT I HAVE COUSINS IN MANY STATES AND IF I'M TRAVELING THROUGH ALL I HAVE TO DO IS CALL. I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALL CLOSE EVEN THOUGH WE HAVEN'T SEEN ONE ANOTHER IN YEARS. I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR BLOOD RUNS DEEP AND THAT WE CAME FROM VERY HEARTY STOCK. YES THAT DOES SOUND LIKE I'M REFERRING TO LIVESTOCK OF SOME SORT, BUT I AM ALSO THANKFUL THAT WE TALK IN LITTLE METAPHORS THAT ONLY SOUTHERNERS UNDERSTAND. I REMEMBER WHEN I WORKED IN HOUSTON TEXAS AND MANY OF MY CO-WORKERS WERE FROM OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY AND FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. MY LITTLE SAYINGS WOULD CRACK THEM UP, THEY WOULD SAY WHAT THE ---- DID YOU JUST SAY??? I REMEMBER ONE TIME I REMARKED THAT MY HAIR LOOKED LIKE A BUSTED BAIL OF HAY, NO ONE HAD EVER HEARD THAT EXPRESSION, BUT I HAD HEARD IT ALL MY LIFE. I'M GLAD THAT EVERYONE HERE SPEAKS MY LANGUAGE. HOWEVER HAVING TRAVELED A GREAT DEAL MADE ME REALIZE JUST HOW DIFFERENT OUR SOUTHERN CULTURE ACTUALLY IS. I WOULD NOT TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING. I THINK OUR WORK ETHIC, OUR DEDICATION TO GOD AND FAMILY AND OUR ABILITY TO CREATE SOMETHING FROM NOTHING IS WHAT MAKES US GREAT. I AM SO GLAD I GREW UP POOR AND MISSISSIPPI, IT GAVE ME GRIT AND FORTITUDE AND I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.
     NOW I WANT TO HERE SOME OF YOUR BIG FAMILY STORIES, WHY YOU THINK IT'S GREAT TO BE SOUTHERN. WE WILL TALK AGAIN TOMORROW.

Shape Collage - Automatic Photo Collage Maker

Shape Collage - Automatic Photo Collage Maker: "Shape Collage is a photo collage maker software program. Automatically create picture collages in a variety of shapes with just a few mouse clicks. Available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux."

A NEW BEGINNING 2011

WELCOME,to the first writing of Southern Words and Ways for 2011. Wow we have just completed the first 10 years of the new mellinium and it seems like yesterday that we were all bracing for Y2K and all the doomsday things that it would bring to our world as we knew it. Here we are though, Even though many of our lives have changed in many ways we are still here experiencing it in 2011. I am so thankful that God has given me so many obstacles to learn from. I feel so much stronger and more relazed knowing that I have been through so much and yet I know now that  I can handle even the heaviest of burdens as long as i am willing to give it to the Lord . I will pray that all of you will be able to rely on God to take away your stress and grief this coming year. Grief alone can make us ill, and rob us of all that we are sometime. People who have not experienced grief cannot understand the impact that it has on a human being. Everyday stressors are also a leading cause of people missing work, and withdrawing from friends and family. Learning to cope, despite all that life has laid upon us is vital to the well being of the himan body. So I pray that in these difficult time all of you will give to the Lord and let him direct us towards where he wants us to be.
      In this Blog you will hear me share many details of human emotion and feelings. I hope to keep you laughing and thinking. I hope you will recognize yourself in some of my memories of growing up Southern and I promise the names will be changed to protect the innocent.(better hope you were innocent)LOL.
In the coming weeks and months I will be sharing everything from funny stories to recipies, and would love for you to share too. Until then I hope you enjoy and keep reading...........Terric