I Was Tagged!

I was tagged this week - not once, but twice. Wow how does that happen to a boring kind of person like me. How will I ever come up with 7 random things that you might be surprised to learn about me (surely I don't have to do 14) since I was tagged twice, 7 will do, right? .......Well.......here goes!

1. I went to 3 different schools in 3 different states during my junior year of high school.

2. I lived in 10 different states in the first 27 years of my life - (Michigan, New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Maryland, Virginia, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, then back to Maryland, Illinois and Indiana).

3. My greatest fear - being suffocated!

4. I was underage - according the great State of Massachusetts in 1960 - and Lee had to sign a permission slip for me to be able to get a driver's license there.

5. A tremendous disappointment to me in my life......my mother made the 'best fried chicken' in the world. I have her skillet she always used, but I have never been able to produce the fried chicken that Mom did. I guess having the proper equipment does not produce the 'best fried chicken in the world'.......what a shame.....I do miss my Mom (and yes, for more than her great fried chicken).

6. My all time greatest dream has been and is to visit London, England. (I'm still waiting, Lee)

7. I like uniforms - I met Lee while he was in the U.S. Army stationed in Alexandria, Virginia - best looking soldier at Ft. Belvoir. Now I have 3 men in my life who wear uniforms.

Click on the picture below to see my favorite uniformed men!

Bette's Men in Uniform

Mr. & Mrs. Brett Towle - 9-21-07

September 21st is now a special day for our family. That is the day that Brett, our oldest was married to Christy Durbin.

They were married in Greenfield in the afternoon which made it a little difficult for some of the family to attend the wedding. Leanne, Derek, Nathan, Lee and I were there. Christy's mother and Grandmother were also there from Plainfield and her Aunt came over from New Palestine.

The girls, Kirstin and Cindy, were there as well as Christy's two children, Claudia and Parker. It was a very lovely wedding and we wish them both well as they start their life together.

Click on the picture below to see some of the wedding pictures......

Brett & Christy's wedding

Dr. James Drummond - my brother!

It's September 19th and that means it is my brother's birthday! Many of you don't know my brother, but he is a pretty neat person. There is only Jim & I, and I am very proud of my brother.

Jim has lived in northern New Jersey for a long time, so I don't get to see him as often as I would like to. Jim was in the Navy when I was quite young and one of my favorite memories of a vacation trip was when my parents and I went to Long Beach, California to see Jim while he was a member of the United States Navy.

He has taught high school history for 35+ years, also teaching at New York University and now Philadelphia Biblical University. His love of history is a hugh part of his life. My historical interest has not gone past finding and recording for my children the names of our ancestors and a few facts regarding them, but Jim has accomplished so much more during his career!

Check out some of my favorite pictures of my brother!

Jim's Birthday

Hope you have a very good day today, Jim and a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Love, Bette and Lee

The Finest VS. The Bravest

Saturday night at Greenfield-Central Football Field, GPD faced off against GFD for the third year in their Charity Flag Football Game.

This year was a little easier for this mother. They don't make bleachers for people who are cheering for both sides. In the two previous years I would cheer for the police and then did equal cheering for the firefighters. I asked "What is a mother to do"? When you are the mother of a Police Officer and a Firefighter and they are facing off against each other, cheering done by that mother must not show any favoritism and I did very well, at least I think I did. That is my view of the cheering and I am sticking to it!

My firefighter son, Brett, was unable to be at this game, but in fairness to GFD, I tried to show pictures of both Police Officers and Firefighters.

It was a fun game to watch. Police have won the two previous years, and this year Fire was the final winner. Well at least on the scoreboard, Fire had the most points, but they are all winners as far as I can see.

Team Cheerleaders -
GPD Miss D Meeners & GFD The Little Flames.
Paige was involved in the cheering as the pictures will show.

Proceeds from this game benefited two local soldiers injured in Iraq, Lance Corporal Joshua Bleill & Corporal Jason Kokotkiewicz.

Many years ago, one of my sports playing sons told me in very firm tones,
"Mother, if I get hurt, you stay in your seat. Don't come down to the bench".
He must know his mother. Anyway, when Derek played football in high school and was injured in a game I stayed in my seat and all was well. He broke his nose and I survived the anguish of sitting in the bleachers when inside I knew my son needed me. He informed me all those many years ago, that he did fine without me.

Soooooo......Last year near the end of the game, Brett was injured and I stayed in my seat. Guess he didn't need his Mom for a dislocated shoulder. This year Derek was injured and I stayed in my seat. Guess he didn't need his Mom for another broken nose. Besides I saw Lana nearby the players bench and I knew she would take care of Derek. You know I was told 22+ years ago when my sons get hurt playing sports to stay in my seat. So I stayed in my seat.

Click on the picture below for some pictures of the game. I realize they are not the best, but a mother sitting almost to the top of the bleachers, looking into the sun, as near the 50 yard line as she could get (you know I have to be able to cheer for both teams) has a difficult time getting GOOD pictures.

Police-Fire Charity Football Game

2007 Towle Family Football Players

I happened to be at Derek and Lana's house this week and happened to notice pictures on their computer screensaver - new pictures of Brendon & Bryce. I told Derek I wanted a copy of the pictures.

A couple of days later I took a flash drive over and Derek downloaded the photos for me. I thought this afternoon would be a good time to download them to my computer. When I opened it up to my great surprise I found 162 pictures of the boys - some with Paige included - in their football uniforms for this year. I guess you can never have too many choices of pictures of your kids - well in this case - my Grands as I like to call them. So check out a few of my favorites of 3 of my Grands - Brendon, Bryce and Paige.

House Maintenance? or is it only House Trauma to the Inhabitants

Progress - be it ever so slow - toward the completion of outside home maintenance for 2007. I would like to say old people move slower, but this is almost to the point of ridiculous. How slow can you move? Guess that would just be an excuse. Can't say we need that, just some speed in the act of moving would help.

We have had help from California ..... Gene gave us two weeks in July.

We have had help from Hancock County .... Derek helped Lee with some 2nd story painting in August.

We have had help from our good neighbor across the back fence - Mike Greenwood, also in August.

Great job by Mike with the shutter installation. The picture below is Mike using the "hammer drill" - a tool I learned through this process is a tool no man should be without. Hmmm... Wonder if that was a clue.... Click on the picture for more of the shutter installation.

New Towle House Shutters

You would think with all the help we have had that we would be able to call it complete by now. Well we are making progress, but we still aren't quite there. Hope before the snow flies in Indiana I can report a completed outside maintenance of 3216 N. 50 E.