The Big Catch That Didn't Get Away

Our week-end turned out to be an exciting time around our house. Those of you who are not family may find it uninteresting, but here goes. My family will love this. I'll bring all of you up to date.

There were a couple of reasons why we chose Western Kentucky to move to. One was to be close to our children and grandchildren. We had never lived close to them and wanted to build a bond with our grandchildren.

The other reason was the lakes. My husband loves to fish. Whether he catches anything or not, he loves to go. Our oldest grandson loves it as my as his granddaddy does, so they go fishing about every week now that school is out.

Friday night we kept the three grandchildren so their parents could have their anniversary dinner and a movie. Granddaddy decided he and the oldest would go fishing. No big deal, they do it a lot. I felt uneasy for some reason.

They had been gone about an hour when Chet came in the door and to the family room. "Grandma, Granddaddy wants to see you at the truck." He looked anxious.

"What's wrong?" I looked up from the book I was reading.

"I hooked him." Chet sat down in a chair and I raced to the back door and the truck.

There sat my husband with his elbow bent and laying on the window with a big hook in it. "I think I need to go to the ER." He looked anxious also.

After seeing the skin gathered where the hook went in, I knew I could not get it out. I ran into the house and yelled, "Everyone go to the bathroom."

I heard replies of, "I just went." "Why do we have to go to the bathroom?" and the best one, "Just do it."

I gathered all three kids in the car with their grandfather and went to the ER. Now the ER with three who rarely go there is an experience. They found the door that would open when you walked by and the water fountain and magazines. All on the other side of the room so the door opened each time they passed by it.

Between 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock, three people came in with hooks in them. One man came in while we were there with one in his toe.

My husband finally came out with a band aide on his arm. Can you believe that? But Chet has a story to tell about the 240 pounder that didn't get away. Oh, yes, he broke his line when he hooked his granddaddy.

Back to Work

Finally, I have a writing life! I know I should write each day, but there have been days lately that I have not had a chance. Now that the yard sale is over, and we did make money, I'm trying to get back on schedule.

This week I started a 28 day course with Camy Tang. If you don't know who Camy is, look her up. She is a wonderful Asian writer and a hoot. Her books are so funny and so much like her. She is teaching me how to do a synopsis.

I hate doing a synopsis. To tell about my book in one or two pages is hard for me to do. I put the synopsis part off as long as I can. Camy tells me I will be able to do a good one by the time we are through and I will be able to write a synopsis for my next book before it is written. It has started out easy and interesting.

There are some very good books coming out in the future. It seems the new trend in western historicals are the mail order brides. I've read a couple of really good ones in the last few weeks. I'll try to get to them tomorrow.

We are getting ready to have Vacation Bible School. This is my first time to teach in Kentucky and I'm looking forward to it. One of the other teachers and I are planning to decorate our room today. Most of it is already done and I am so glad. I need to read back over my scripture to see what else we can do to make it authentic. The theme is Up a Tree and everything is about things that happened around or about a tree. It has been challenging. We only teach one night and my night is Sunday night. I will be able to enjoy the adult class after that.

I'd better get breakfast so I will be ready when the other teacher calls. Enjoy the day God has given you.

Yard Sale

Tomorrow starts our Big Yard Sale in Kentucky. It's on Hwy. 68 and goes for over 400 miles. Yes, I'll be there. I've gone through boxes for two weeks deciding what I could live without. I can't tell you how many boxes we have to set up in the morning, but a lot. I've priced some as I go and I need to go back to Wal-Mart and get more price stickers.

It is amazing what accumulates through the years. Some of the things I'm selling belonged to my parents. They were married almost 69 years and there was a lot of stuff my mother had saved. I found boxes and large envelopes that said, "Look at these when I'm gone."

That is something I am trying to eliminate for my children. I know I'm not going to be around forever, so I have started giving my children things before I'm gone. I don't know whether they appreciate it or not, but I want them to have certain things. Things that will remind them of family.

We are ready to load up the remainder of the boxes today, go to the bank and get change, and other things on my list. It will be a busy week-end, and I'll be glad when it's over. I hope I'll have a lot less junk around my house.