Just put on a little lipstick...

Dad and Sherry were in town this weekend to see a show at the Ryman, so we took the opportunity to have a impromptu family gathering.  We decided to go to Brentwood Hills church on Sunday morning to visit with some of our cousins on the Tucker side of the family. My cousin Will and his precious family will be moving to Uganda later this week and we wanted to make sure we got to see them before they departed.  After church the whole family group headed to Las Palmas for a nice tasty Mexican lunch. We were joined by Joyce, Elizabeth, Paul, Mike, Lori and their kids as well.  Will told us some about where they will be living, types of food they will have access to and their work there. He says they have a Chinese restaurant in Uganda, which is very similar to our Chinese restaurants here, but no Mexican food. Maybe we can ship him some chips and salsa occasionally. Please keep Will, Shawna, Gaines, Ana and Layla in your prayers!  You can follow their story at:  Will Tucker Family

One of my favorite stores now carries a Thelma and a Louise t-shirt.  I can't decide which one I want more ! Junk Gypsy

This month is National Nutrition Month and the ADA has some great resources on their site. They even have printouts that are helpful to teach your kids the importance of fruits and vegetables. The theme this year is "Eat right with color". Some others like encourage people to  Eat the Rainbow or Paint your Plate  during this month. I am currently reading Kris Carr's new book titled Crazy Sexy Diet . I am enjoying it so far and I agree with her message to have a more plant based diet to keep our bodies and minds in tip-top shape. Here are some of Kris' suggestions for eating the rainbow: Red – Red peppers, tomatoes, grapefruit, radishes, kidney beans, red rice, red quinoa Pink – Grapefruit, guava, pink beans Green – Kale, collards, broccoli, green beans, lentils, edamame Yellow – Pineapple, corn, squash, pears, split peas, millet Orange ­– Sweet potatoes, mangoes, carrots, apricots Purple and blue – Grapes, blueberries, eggplant Black and brown – Black bean

The images are of the damage from the tsunami in Japan are heartbreaking. I read a quote today from a mother who was caught in the tsunami and only able to save 2 of her 3 children. She said; nothing else matters except my family . I read another quote from a father who would not let go of his 3 week old baby so it could be examined. The reporter said he just kept saying; I must protect my children . This yet another reminder that the people we love are what really matters in this life. My heart goes out to the people of Japan, the rescue workers and the many volunteers who will assist these people in their time of great need. Verizon is always good about matching their employees donations dollar for dollar. I am thankful they offer us this opportunity.

Let me start by saying I realize  God is good ALL the time , but sometimes he still amazes me. Six months ago my best friend Amber began a journey with cancer. Originally they thought she had a dermoid cyst and when they went to remove that it was found instead to be colon cancer that had invaded and attached to her ovary. The doctor in Birmingham did a great job in removing all the cancer he could see. Further scans showed liver lesions as well. Amber endured six chemo treatments over the last few months which shrunk the liver lesions to operable size. This is where Dr. Beau Kelly came in. On Thursday, he removed those remaining two liver tumors and was able to get clear margins in the surrounding tissue. As you can imagine, she has had some surgical pain and recovery will take a while but we are so thankful for the successful surgery. Amber will be watched very closely for the next couple of years, but as of now (we are praying forever will remain)    is cancer free ! I feel

Breast cancer, it's not a new thing but it wasn't talked about openly in public for a long time. Women used to suffer in silence and not discuss their womanly areas .  I remember this episode vividly. I don't know if I saw the original airing in 1973 or if it was on re-run, but I remember it was shocking to me. Edith found a lump in her breast and she did not want to upset Archie, so she dealt with it all on her own. Archie wasn't known to be endearing and in this episode you saw a bit of his tender side. Here's a link to the end of the episode. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFA0R72wxks Through the years it became less and less taboo to talk about. I remember Kate Jackson, Olivia Newton John and Jacyln Smith all being diagnosed with breast cancer and speaking out about their personal battles. I think it is important for people, celebrity or not, to speak up and talk about their battle. It is encouraging as a survivor to hear others tell their story. I think it

 It was just too good not to share 

Lisa, Elizabeth, Laura, Amber, Carolee, Bobbye, Linda and Jenni Monday night, we gathered at Carrabbas in Green Hills to have a pre-surgery dinner with Amber. There were so many more friends who would have loved to join us but just could not make it that far on a weeknight. Wonder-wear for a speedy recovery! Thank you Carrabbas for feeding us a delicious dinner and letting us take up space for all our girl talk.  We love you Amber, and we are all praying for your healing!

Big truck - little SUV

Last week my friend Susan lost her father William Clark Kirk, he was 93 years old. I know that children are supposed to outlive their parents, but it is still so hard when it happens. Clark was a veteran and seeing his widow presented with our flag and hearing taps played was an honor. Thank you Clark Kirk for all your contributions to our country, your community and thank you for giving us our wonderful friend Susan. After the service, we stopped at the Rusty Fish Hook for a bite to eat. Evidently this was one of Clark's favorite restaurants. We love you Susan and we are here for you!

I was talking to a friend recently and they brought up Miss Lora. Wow did that bring back memories! Miss Lora was a lady who never married who served as a dorm mother and also as a bible school teacher. She was actually my mother-in-law's dorm mother in the 50s. Miss Lora was known for her passion for teaching children's bible classes and always made sure they were very interactive as well as educational. Miss Lora taught the 4 & 5 year old class at Henderson for decades. I can still picture the little wooden chairs all sitting in a circle. We would file in, take a seat and she would lead us in songs and tell us bible stories. Most weeks she used dolls to act out the parts of the story, while adding in  sound effects as needed. I still remember the story of the apostles and the rushing mighty wind (which sounded a lot like a vacuum cleaner). I always loved how she had the dolls dressed up in biblical attire.   Vinnie Barbarino  All these memories of Miss Lora remin

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose.  You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...                ~ Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)

Saturday we hosted our monthly dinner club. This month's theme was "Guilty Pleasures" or as some called it "Dietician's gone wild!" We have three dieticians in our group and I think they enjoyed the evening more than anyone else. The menu consisted of all those foods that we secretly love, but would not readily admit it. (after all we do work for a Wellness company). Everyone also submitted a song they love to sing along to, but only when alone in their car. Such a fun night! Menu: Long John Silvers Chicken and Fish McDonalds Fries Krystal chili cheese pups Wing Basket Wings Papa John's cheese sticks Cheetos Pringles Strawberries and chocolate dip Brownies Twinkies Swiss Cake Rolls and more.... Soundtrack: Release me - Wilson Phillips Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice  Blame it on the rain - Millie Vanilli  All for love - Color me Bad  Only in my dreams - Debbie Gibson  Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus  Love S