Recent Shootings

I have so many different thoughts on the 2 shootings that occurred in the last few days. It shakes your trust in fellow Americans when tragedies like this occur. We all have days where we want to go postal, but we control ourselves and try to work through it. To think that a fellow soldier at Fort Hood would shoot and kill so many of his comrades is more than difficult to understand. Buddy, if you don't want to go overseas, don't go. Quit. But please don't harm the wonderful people who are willing to risk their lives to protect our country. We do not need threats on our own soil, from our own men, on our own bases. It makes you wonder if this man's awful actions were part of a bigger plan of terror. The FBI was already aware of a Nidal Hassan who had possible links to terrorists. Was Hassan fulfilling part of a larger plan? If not, why didn't he find some other way to work through his anger? We always had a punching bag hanging in our garage where my 2 brothers could have at it if they had some anger to express. His JOB was to help people work through their thoughts and emotions.

Then, one day later, a disgruntled former employee, Jason Rodriguez, decided to shoot employees of the business where he worked TWO years ago. I remember a Bunko friend commenting after a woman was found chopped up in her husband's trunk. I can still hear G saying, "I told my husband, 'Honey, if you want a divorce, just go on down to the courthouse and file those papers. But please don't chop me up and stuff me in the trunk.'" Isn't that the truth? If you're mad about losing your job, don't hurt innocent people. It's bad enough when people want to hurt themselves, but please don't hurt someone else.

Have you thought about these two terrible tragedies? What are your thoughts?

FAILED FAILED FAILED!!!

Mama Henley's body has been through quite a lot in the past 10 years. It spent 4 years struggling with infertility and countless tests, probes, pricks, and medicines. Then, the old girl went through laparoscopic surgery, IVF (in vitro fertilization), ovarian overstimulation, and the conception of 3 beautiful babies. This body then carried those little ones for 30 weeks while my hormones raged and moaned and my uterus went where no uterus should go. Granted, Kate Gosselin's uterus stretched even further, but I'm just saying that my uterus was stretched to hither and beyond and it hasn't been the same since!! Within a year and a half, the old uterus was back to nurturing a baby as our 4th little angel was born 2 years after the triplets. A few years later, I had our 5th blessing. Needless to say, my body is not perfect like so many of yours. The days of wearing a small size are behind me. A struggle with weight and exercise has resulted.

As a young girl, I had three bad experiences that made me struggle with enjoying exercise. I was on a soccer team in the 4th grade with a bunch of 6th grade girls who were better than a bunch of 6th grade boys (and handsome like a boy too but that's another story!) I was a beginner and they were just hateful to me. I probably had some soccer skill, but I felt like a failure. I dropped the sport.

My appendix ruptured when I was 7, leaving a terrible scar and an ache whenever I run fast. As a middle schooler, one of my best camp friends was an EXCELLENT advanced tennis player. She would walk past me in my advanced beginner class and laugh at me for being in such a low class compared to her. I should have known then that she was not a true friend, but I didn't learn that until years later. I felt like a failure once again. The sad thing is that I had potential with tennis. When I have played as an adult, I have good aim. The ball goes where I want it to go the majority of the time. But I lost all confidence in myself.

Fast forward through years of trying aerobics, step aerobics, yoga, pilates, zia, etc. and so forth. When I go to group exercise classes, I freeze. I decided to buy a Wii fit with my birthday money. I was so excited on the day I took that baby out of the box. I chose a cute computerized imagine to be me. I went through setting everything up and then it was time for some tests. "No problem", I thought to myself. "I can do some balance tests!"

The first exercise for balance was trickier than I thought it would be. It took me a few minutes to even understand how I was supposed to keep in the blue lines. The Wii responded, "You're not very balanced, are you? Do you trip a lot?" FAILED FAILED FAILED. "What?", I thought. "No computer gets to tell Mama Henley she failed!!! You better watch out, you Wii Fit, you. I"ll STOMP on you & you know that won't feel good!!!"

The Wii Fit had me at hello. That little booger was not going to tell me I failed!!! I tried more balance exercises and thought, "I'm going to show YOU, you little Wii Fit, you." Again the words, "FAILED" flashed across the screen. FAILED FAILED FAILED. They might as well have been in flashing lights attached to the front of our house. I looked around to make sure I was indeed alone. "What? What do you mean I FAILED? I can keep my body at a funny angle so that you believe I am BALANCED. I am NOT UNbalanced. There is just no way I can't do this!" I switched to the mental exercises. I remember names and numbers and how to get to places I've only been once. No memory exercise can trump THIS girl, let me tell you. Well, at least until I tried the Wii Fit memory exercises. Something happened. The Wii Fit flashed those dreaded words again: FAILED. Now we were going to fight. Mama Henley's mind is a steel trap with a memory like an elephant. Do you want to know my 3rd grade best friends' phone number? 782-1340 or 787-1641. It's all there. Do you want to know my favorite college phone number? Right side left side zero. Look at your phone and dial 369-1470. I probably know 80% of the addresses on our Christmas list, and with almost 300 names, that's quite a mental feat. Oh no, not according to the Wii Fit. I FAILED FAILED FAILED. So began my quest to beat this machine. I've only been on the Wii Fit for a few days, but the day will come when you will hear the words shouted from the mountain tops. "PASSED PASSED PASSED. You are a balanced instructor level professional and you ROCK!!" Okay, Wii Fit, the challenge is ON!

Creative Dinner

Our friend, D, is an avid hunter. He has been to Africa and other exciting places to hunt. On the walls of their house, unique animals like the kudu are displayed. It is fascinating! He just had a little birthday and his wife, W, invited us over for a very last minute dinner with our 2 families. She made the best fried chicken I have ever had (sorry, Mama, I haven't had yours in years). It was fantastic! She also made yummy mashed potatoes and fried okra, a meal sure to win every man's heart. (I fear DH is ready for a trade-in on this model-me). She had set the loveliest table in honor of her love. I thought you'd love to see the antlers and china and just how perfect everything looked!

Wednesday Words from the backseat....

As a mother of 5, you constantly hear funny little conversations from the back of the car. I hope to start sharing conversations such as these on Wednesdays.

One of our latest went like this:

"It's not called a BA-Gina!"

Tuesday's Tip

I love creative friends! A new friend, V, told me about the cutest gift her twin girls received from my friend, W. For their 10th birthday, W gave each girl a cute new apron and some cooking supplies and recipe cards. They LOVED it. It was the perfect gift because someone else gave the girls cooking lessons. They took their cute personalized recipe cards with them along with their spatula and wooden spoon to their first cooking lesson. I thought this was the cutest idea for a birthday present!

My Mama Always Said

My mama is a colorful character, as you can see in the above photograph. She always makes me laugh and will keep you on your toes. Mama is a great cook, a wonderful organizer, and a true Southern belle. She stands by the mantra: "Honey, your bosom can be fake, and your hair color can be fake, but your pearls and your silver must always be real!" In fact, I just got off the phone with her and teased her about putting on lipstick before someone comes to help her get ready for a party. Her response was, "Honey, I have on my PEARLS!" She could have written "A Southern Belle Primer: Why Princess Margaret Will Never be a Kappa Kappa Gamma."

My mama is so much fun, so I thought you'd enjoy hearing all of the things My Mama Always Said. My favorite is, "Honey, dahlin' precious, always keep someone on the back burner."

Mama thinks that no matter how serious you are in a DATING relationship, you need someone on the back burner. Bri Bri, I’m so sorry. Maybe you should have come home for that prom because I had a mighty fine time with my date with the beautiful ringlets who had just gotten out of jail! (Thank goodness Mama didn’t know about the jail part and long-haired-rebel boy found the love of his life one day too.) I tell you what, keeping someone on simmer was never a bad idea in college!

How we keep the spark

A picture is worth a thousand words!