Welcome 2011...

2010 is now a thing of the past...I had a very difficult year personally as 2010 brought a lot of drama, sadness and heartache. I lost another cousin in December when she was still in the the beginning stages of her adult life. Sadly Rachel was only 23 yrs old and just recently achieved her dream of becoming a teacher. She taught first grade at Herrara Elementary School in Houston Texas. A brain aneurysm caused her to be on life support due to no brain activity and sadly her mom had to make the decision to take Rachel off of life support on Dec 23. So needless to say Christmas and New Years were sad due to the funeral services and what have you. Along with the sadness came some joy in knowing that Rachel had achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher and I'm positive she had a great impact on her students and left in their dear little hearts and minds much wisdom. Nothing can convince me otherwise after being privileged enough to read the heartfelt letters her 1st graders sent to my Aunt Linda and and a new year has arrived full force...Since 2010 went out like a Lion roaring and growling and snarling we hardly noticed 2011's sweet gentle Lamb like arrival. Here's to hoping for a year filloed with love, financial stability, and great memories!

Falling for fall...

There are just some things that you don't want to miss. Fall in my beloved beautiful Smoky Mountains is one of those things...Seeing all of the beautiful colors in the trees and landscape is breath taking. The days are growing shorter and the air has a crispness to it that you can't mistake for anything but fall. There are pumpkin patches and corn mazes springing up everywhere, not to mention the haunted trails and the Halloween decorations in all of the stores. I love everything about Fall. The candy corn, and the pumpkin rolls, the smell of cinnamon and apple...The Fall festivals always have something for everyone. Fall just seems to be a time of year when everything seems so carefree , it's a great time to make special memories with your loved ones. From now until Nov. 30th I'm doing Fall portrait packages for $75.00. For that $75.00 you will get a one hour portrait session at the location of your choice any where within 50 miles of Knoxville. You will also receive 2-8x10's, 4-5x7's and 24 wallets. For an additional $25.00, you can get all of your images on a cd that you can take anywhere and have additional portraits printed. Gift certificates are also available for Holiday portraits! Hurry and Schedule your appointment today as sessions times will fill up fast! To schedule an appointment please send an email to photographybymelinda@gmail.com or call me at 865-258-4027

Finding myself...

I just had a birthday on September 5th.Where does the time go? I can't believe I'm now 31. It's so odd to think about me being out of high school 12 years. Next year I've been out of school as many years as it took me to get through school...I've always been a dreamer...In highschool, I made all of these plans and goals for my life...It's taken me some time to realize how far off base I've become because somewhere along the way I lost myself.I forgot about the thought out goals and dreams for my life, I started living for others, and all of a sudden, my life goals and dreams just sorta faded away into the background. I've had some time recently to reflect on what I want from my life and decided it's time for me to smarten up and do things simply because I want to do them. You could say I'm working on finding myself.I'll let you know what I discover!

R. I. P. David...May you soar with the angels!

A tragedy happened in my family yesterday morning. My 16 year old cousin David Fox took his own life.Everyone always says, "My child would never do that", really, do you want to gamble on that fact? If this kid could do it then anyone's could. David was an exceptionally bright and even gifted child. He was respectful of his parents and teachers, he never had anything bad to say about anyone, he never touched a drug, or drank a drop of alcohol, he came from a stable loving home, he was infact the center of his parents entire world. This boy tutored his classmates and younger children because he always wanted to be helping people. I've heard so many people say about their children, that my child just isn't the type that would take their own life, just so everyone knows, death doesn't descriminate. Talk to your children, let them know that they can come to you with any problem and at the end of the day you are still going to love them. Give your kids room to grow and make their own mistakes, if you notice that you child is not him or herself seek out help for your child. Never say my child would never take their own life. My aunt and uncle are in a state of grief that most of us will never comprehend this morning because they never thought their child could take his own life. Please keep my family in your prayers, especially my aunt Fleeta and uncle Thurman Fox. Rest in peace David, may you soar with the angels!

Hi Handsome, My name is Rose...

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being..

She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze..

'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.

She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'

'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me..

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody! Can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets..'

She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

'Good friends are like stars..... .....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.'

My stake...

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with anything at all. Have you ever felt like every time you seem to find your place in this world, someone comes along behind you and knocks you off your newly claimed ground and claims your stake to the world as their own? Recently that seems to be happening to me a lot. Sometimes I feel like screaming and yelling and taking back my stake. Other times I feel like saying "Take it, just take whatever you want and leave me alone!" I hate mean people they truly do suck! They suck the life right out of everything. They steal your moment in the sun and leave you chilled in the darkness! They seem to always be on top of everything. They are the top performers in everything from work to recreation and it seems like they always are taking, never bothering to save something for the rest of us. You know what mean people? I'm way over it! You can suck the life out of everything but deep down we both know you're not really happy, you're not ever going to be free, and you sure as damn it won't break me! So you go right ahead and keep taking all you want or need from those that will still let you, as for me, as of today I'm going to take my life and start controlling it again and I'm going to quit allowing you to claim my worldly stake as your own...It was my stake first and it's mine until I grow tired of it, Do you understand?

Hands...

A man some years back, sat feebly on his porch.
He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands.
When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if he was OK.
Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was OK.
He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine", he said in a clear strong voice.
"I didn't mean to disturb you, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK.
"Have you ever looked at your hands," he asked. "I mean really looked at your hands?"
Slowly i opened my hands and stared down at them.
I turned themover, palms up and then palms down.
No I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making.
As he smiled and related this story.
" Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, have they served you well through your years?
These hands, though wrinkled,shriveled and weak have been tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.
They braced and caught my fall when as a child I crashed on the floor.
They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back.
As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer.
They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots.
They held my rifle and wiped my tears when I went off to war.
They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent.
They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son.
Decorated with my wedding band,they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.
They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse and walked my daughter down the aisle.
Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off of my best friend's foot.
They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.
They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body.
They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw.
And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well, these hands that hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.
These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life.
But more importantly, it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when He leads me home.
With my hands, He will lift me to His side and there I will feel "His hand in mine." When my own hands are hurt or sore or when I touch the face of my children, I know they have been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.
I too want to reach out for the hand of God and feel His hands upon my face.
Please take the time to look at your own hands. Have they done all they can for the Lord?
"Thanks to all of the folks I know who have "Worn Used Hands!"