Senator McCain Update: He's On His Last Leg, Folks........

Monday, December 28, 2009

Sad news........Senator McCain is "literally" on his last leg........that 5 1/2 year stint in the North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp pales in comparison to what ol' Murphy has put him through.......in just 5 short months.....

As you can see from his "before" and "after" pictures, he's had a hard life the last few months.  He had his leg chewed off by a big black dog with soulful eyes (I'm not naming names, Uno...); he was left out in the brutal 110 degree heat this past summer for days on end; we found him last week in the neighbor's back yard in the sleet and snow; we've lost count of the many times he almost drowned in the heavy rains; we rescued him from the lake once; and yes, Murphy has taken "advantage" of him on more than one occasion.

Not sure how much longer he was going to be with us, so thought I'd give you an update on him while he's still hanging in there...........

Dodo Dodo Dodo Dodo Dodo

Friday, Christmas Day, December 25, 2009


Okay folks, I need to let you know that the Blog below was obviously not written by me......but rather by my sweet sister.  When I first received this Blog in my inbox, I thought, "Oh no,  I have a Blog Virus!!!", but upon reading further, nope, its just my sister!!  Unbeknownst (such a BIG word!) to me, she had phoned my husband earlier and gotten my password to my Blogger account......and he actually remembered it!!!  Let me repeat that; He Actually Remembered It!!!!  WOW!  Now..... I had planned on blogging about our "Orphan Christmas" party we went to tonight and explaining the picture to your right, but I'll save that for another day......instead, I'm going to have you read the Blog below that my sister, Debbie, wrote tonight about her youngest sister, ME......I've never been Blogged about (that I'm aware of....) and it felt a little weird, but it probably will give you a window into my world.......Enjoy!!

P.S.  There's no way I could let her Blog about me without me having a say in it too, so you'll see my response in Red.......

Do not attempt to adjust your computer ---

There is nothing wrong with this Blog ---

You have now entered the

BLOG TWILGHT ZONE.

(Dodo..Dodo....Dodo...Dodo...Dodo...
Not to be mistaken by what Murphy does "mostly" outside!)

Murphy's Mom Blog has been temporarily taken over by ---- will let's just stay with "It's been taken over" (by a crazy sister, that's who!!).

For the past 2-3 years (actually, only a year....just seems like 2-3 years), Liz (otherwise known as Murphy's Mom) has been blogging about everyone and most everything that crosses her path.  Always interesting, never dull, sometimes  s t r e t c h e d, often funny, occassionally touching but always uniquely presented as only Liz can do.  The time has come "as the Walrus says, to speak of many things", it's my turn to talk about Liz (Ah Oh....).

Five Little Known Facts About Liz:

1. Favorite Food -- Grilled Cheese Sandwich with pickles on the outside, preferably cooked with an iron (Learned this from Boarding School.  You should try Popcorn on an iron!!  Right Lynette??!!)

2  Nickname --- Softie (Because I had a lot of "padding" as a child)

3. Hero - Lara Croft (Go Lara Go!)

4. Genetically gifted swimmer (you'll just have to ask her about this one) (Thanks, Dad, for the web toes......)

5. Dog Stealer (I prefer to call myself a "Foster Parent" ....)

Little Known Anectdotes About Liz:

As the youngest of three children (I always thought we had 2 too many kids in our family...just kidding; just kidding!!), she was both resourceful and vicious, which may have been necessary (Oh, it was necessary!!).  If Dorothy (Mom), James (brother) and Debbie (sister) wanted to go out to eat, Liz would be the one to go sit in Jim's (Dad) lap, curl up in his arms and ask him to take them out --- sure enough without fail, out to eat they would go (worked every time!!).  But given just a few successful attempts at this, she soon grasped the understanding of the word "bribery", so the next time she was asked to "work" Jim (Dad), she simply asked "What's it worth to you?" (I'm a quick learner!)

Again she was the youngest of three, however, she was not without her own resources.  When "wrestling" (we didn't have cable....we were bored) with her two older siblings, in order to defeat them (I didn't have a taser yet...), she soon learned that her long strong fingernails were a very effective weapon, and she wasn't afraid to use them.  So the two siblings took it upon themselves to "trim" those nice long strong fingernails, which to this day she hasn't forgotten or forgiven (Remember the story of Samson??  Well, my nails never grew back hard and long ever again).

Moving on, while attending boarding school in south Texas (it wasn't cause I was a bad kid...really!), close to the Mexican border, she would fly back and forth to her home in Dallas.  On one of those return flights she met a nice young man (he was really cute!) on the flight and decided that it would be a good idea to go with him and do a little Sky Diving rather than returning to school.  Even back then, you could see where she was headed -- To quote someone close to the source, she was headed for "Awesomeness" (I'm liking that description!!).

As we all are well aware, Liz is quite the dog lover.  Murphy is her baby and she would do anything for him.  She loves him so much that before she put the shock collar on him, which was intended to keep him from barking, she put it on herself, just be sure it wouldn't hurt him too much (I'm such a good Mom!!).  Well apparently it is quite effective (just picture Liz running around the house with the dog's shock collar on), because she still talks in a whisper when the collar is anywhere around (this is a true statement).  It was at this time that she decided that this was really something she only wanted to do to her enemies, and since she couldn't figure out how to get these folks to put on a dog collar, the stun gun became her next focus.

Her favorite Reality TV Show is "The Amazing Race", and it has been decided that she should compete in this race.  She can go anywhere and make friends, she can get total strangers to do things no one else would even try to get them to do, she can get her picture taken with cashiers from Home Depot for no good reason at all (right Liz???) (Oh, it was a GOOD reason alright.....that picture is "priceless" today!!), and I have yet to meet anyone who can last long enough to actually win an argument with her or successfully tell her "no" about something she really wants you to do (good point!).

She is a force of nature, she is one of a kind, she is my best friend (Ahhhh), my only sister and I love her more than words can describe (I love you too, Sissie).  She is ALWAYS there for me, gives me the most honest, loving advice even though it may not be what I want to hear. She defends me, she protects me, she makes me laugh, she makes me shake my head.  But most of all she makes me proud.  She loves her family fiercly, she loves her Lord passionately, and she loves her Charlie with everthing she is.

Love you Sissie

(I Love you Very Much, Sissie.....you're the BEST!)

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Thursday, December 24, 2009


"When we were children, we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time.  Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?"


Merry Christmas, Dear Friends!

Although our Christmas plans were "adjusted" just a bit due to weather; we won't see our granddaughters open gifts from Santa in the morning; we won't taste the delicious sweet rolls our daughter-in-law is famous for in the morning; we weren't able to attend the traditional candlelight service at Prestonwood with our lake neighbors; and we weren't able to spend Christmas Eve with Chuck's family which has been an Etheridge tradition for many years, we had a very "magical" Christmas Eve right here in beautiful Mt. Vernon.  Let me tell ya a little about it.....


What a treat to be able to visit with our dear neighbors, the Shea's, this afternoon!  We just don't get to see these guys near enough and always have so much fun when we do!  We dined at Pizza Inn (#2 in the State...go Bob & Sharon!!), played Rock Band in their living room, drank eggnog by the fire, learned all about their new restaurant, Urban Crust, in downtown Plano and caught up on life!  Their girls, Caycee, Allie and MacKenzie, all grew up overnight and are so hysterical to be around!  AND.....we learned how to make "cake balls".....whoa....you guys need to try these sometime!  D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!

We then headed to the Mt. Vernon Methodist Church, that we regularly attend, for the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.  Prestonwood Baptist in Dallas has nothing on them..........I don't know what it is about candlelight services, singing The First Noel and hearing the story of Christ's birth, but it always; and I mean ALWAYS, brings tears to my eyes.  I love the "feeling" and "sacredness" of these things........it makes the worries of this old world disappear and carefully reminds us why we are celebrating this event.  And the small, intimate setting at the Methodist Church was perfect; just perfect, for this celebration.  I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

So folks, on this Christmas day, I'm going to leave you with this....."May you never forget what is worth remembering; or remember what is best forgotten."  

Merry Christmas!!  Oh ya, it SNOWED!!!!  What a truly "magical" day its been!!
P.S.  Safe Travels Tomorrow, Ant Ellie, and we are Dubsing you for next year!!!

How To Tell If A Man Is Married or Not...........

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Have you ever wondered how to tell if a man is married or single??  Well, my sister and I used to sit at the mall and try and figure this out.......we lived in Vernon, Texas and were bored quite often, so this was a way to pass the time...

Well, let me tell ya how to determine a single man from a married man........check out the picture to your right......would you say this is a "married" man's butt or a "single" man's butt??  You're right; it's a "married" man's butt......happens to be my brother-in-law's married butt......

Yep, so folks, thats how its done.....check to see if the pants are cinched in the back.....if they are.....he's married......if they're not.....he's available...

Shhhhh.....Don't Rat Us Out.....

Friday, December 19, 2009


Wondering what Chuck and I've been doing this week???   Shhhhhh......don't tell anyone, but we made a quick trip to Washington DC  and "crashed" the White House Christmas Party...........we went incognito (well, one of us did.....)

I Could Have Taken Out That 80 Year Old Woman......

Monday, December 13, 2009

Are you on the edge of your seats wondering how the Family Road Trip to Wichita Falls went this past weekend??   Check out the pictures and take a guess.......Yep, I took these with my cell phone as we're traveling down the highway.........pretty much in line with what I predicted!!  Dad's topic of conversation, when he wasn't napping, wasn't disappointing either!  My favorite was........DAD: "So, what do you think of pregnant girls playing volleyball?"   Hummmmm.....can't say I've ever thought about that before..........

Okie Dokie.....that's what they say in Wichita Falls, Texas.......actually, they don't say that; Liz does; I don't know why I said they say that in Wichita Falls......geezzzz.........there I go again....rambling .......ANYWAY.....here's a few helpful hints I learned from Family Road Trip Weekend to Wichita Falls for Lance's College Graduation:

1)  Always a good idea to Mapquest your hotel destination prior to leaving home if you don't use a GPS.    I thought it might be "fun" to see if I could remember where the hotel was on my own....unfortunately, The Parents and Chuck didn't think it was that much "fun".......especially after the unscheduled tour of Wichita Falls in the car with everyone needing a bathroom.  I don't know why I insist on doing that!  I do the same thing with my inspection sticker!  Every year, I challenge myself to see how long I can go with an expired inspection sticker and tag before being ticketed.  My record is better than a year with an expired inspection sticker AND expired tag!!   I'm very, very proud of this record!

2)  When preparing for bed in a strange location, check to be sure the alarm clock isn't set.  I figure there is a creep in Losers-ville, Texas somewhere laughing his head off over setting our hotel alarm clock for a REAL early hour prior to his checking out.....

3)  If confronted by an 80 year old woman demanding your reserved seat,  just give it to her.   We sent my sister to the graduation stadium an hour and a half early to reserve us all seats.  She did good.  She reserved 4 handicap seats (two for Mom and Dad and two for Chuck and I) and half the row just in front of them for everyone else.   It was the perfect location.  Or so we thought until an 80 year old lady got in my face demanding our handicap seats.  I told her they were reserved and she just kept saying, "You're not handicapped....you can't sit there!!!" and demanding I give up our seat.  Yes, she was right.  I'm fortunately not handicapped, but my husband is and I would like to sit with my husband.  Plus, there was no other seat available for me if I gave up my seat.   She was relentless and pointing her finger in my face!!  My nephew Matt......you remember Matt......I blogged about him a week ago......well, he saw this was getting ugly FAST and pulled me and the 80 year old lady off each other.  I could have taken her, you know.......(thanks for giving up your seat, Matt......I knew there was another reason I liked you!)

4)  When taking pictures from a long ways off, double check to be sure you are taking pictures of the "right" person.  Yep, I took many, MANY pictures of the wrong graduate.  The graduate I have the most pictures of was sitting three rows behind Lance.  UGH!!  Sorry about that, Lance....Check out the pictures and see if YOU can tell the difference.......errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

5)  When showing a DVD presentation that you put together for someone 

you love, get your crying done and out of the way PRIOR to the presentation.   You would think after seeing it a ZILLION times while making it, I would be immune from being emotional; but NOOOOOOO ......I cried like a baby......UGH......

6)  Oh ya, when planning an event such as this, definitely, definitely, definitely hire Lance's girlfriend, Sarah Long to help in the organizing!  Without her help, we would have been stuck at a restaurant instead of the clubhouse of her apartment complex.  It worked out sooooo much better having this at a nice, quiet Clubhouse instead of the noisy restaurant.....plus, we wouldn't have had any sugar for the tea or any way to scoop out the potato salad.  Thanks Sarah!!

Well folks, thats about it.  It was a fun, irritating (see Item 3 above) and emotional (see Item 5 above) weekend all wrapped up in one.  We couldn't be more proud of Lance and his accomplishments and we love him so very much!  Now, on to our Calloway Christmas Weekend coming up this coming weekend.........stay tuned!!

To View Lance's Video Montage, head on over to ......... 


http://www.lizetheridge.com/Liz_Etheridge/Remember_When_DVD_Video_Montage.html

I Think I Ate A Spider Last Night......

Friday, December 11, 2009

GULP!.......I received an email several years ago that said the average person consumes 20 spiders over their life time while they are sleeping.......That little email fact (or fiction??) has taken up space in my brain all these years and refused to be removed every time I hit the "delete" key.  Why am I creeping you out with that piece of information?  I think I may have eaten one of my 20 spiders last night!  I woke up this morning with what felt like a spider in my throat......actually, its quite possible it was just flem, but what if it was one of my 20 spiders?????  I think I can actually feel it moving in my stomach after I washed it down with very strong coffee........

Today we head to Wichita Falls for my nephew Lance's college graduation tomorrow at Midwestern State University.  Wow.......Little Lance graduating........it seems largely impossible.  He is my brother, James' son (some of you know him as "Eddie"......he's going to KILL me for putting that in here....) and my only nephew on the Calloway side of the family.  Why, it seems like just yesterday he and I were driving down the road singing, "The Wheels On The Bus" and making up new verses to it.   Here's a sampling of a few verses we came up with...."The Gunman on the Bus goes Boom, Boom, Boom" and "The Robber On The Bus Goes Stick Em Up, Stick Em Up, Stick Em Up".......maybe this is a good time to remind you that I was the "crazy" aunt.........

Anyway, I will be picking up "The Parents" aka, Jim and Dorothy, in Garland and heading northwest today.  I know I rarely Blog about my parents (thats because Chuck offers so much material), but today, you need to know what this trip to Wichita Falls is going to look like.  First off, the trip is about a 4 hour drive from our home in East Texas and about 2 1/2 hours from Garland (where we add Jim and Dorothy as passengers).  My mom, Dorothy, suffers from Parkinsons and is confined to a wheelchair.   She took a bad fall on Wednesday which left her sweet face bruised and one eye almost swollen shut.  I haven't seen her yet, but Dad (Jim) says she looks like she lost a round to Sugar Ray Leonard.  She and her dog Missy will be sitting in the front seat with me as she gets car sick sitting in the back.  Now, lets move to the back seat.  Dad (Jim) and my sweet man Chuck.  We'll start with Dad.  My Dad is a conversationalist.  He has a wonderful ability to keep a conversation going......usually about things like, "So why do you think they make curbs 18" high as opposed to 12" high?" or "What would you say are your top 5 reasons for shopping at Wal-Mart?".....well, you get the picture.  I get my ability to talk about "anything" from him.  Now, let's move to Chuck sitting next to Jim in the backseat.   Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ......Yep, my hard-of-hearing husband, Chuck, who is going to be hearing "BlizZARD" when Dad mentions "CURB" is most likely going to be asleep most of the trip when he's not thinking about Dairy Queen Ice Cream Blizzards.   

So, there you have it!   Family Road Trip..........it should prove to be entertaining......But I still think I may have eaten a spider last night........

It Was A Super-Dooper Zipper-Down Day........

Saturday, December 5, 2009

What a Super-Dooper day.........which is weird since I dreamed our ex-neighbor, Kim, and my wonderful husband, Chuck failed to tell me that my zipper was down on my jeans in front of a large crowd for a very long time.....matter of fact, all night long....and let me walk around town gaping open.  Crazy, bizarre, no good, very bad dream.......  I must have dreamed it was Kim cause they are visiting this weekend, staying in the Browne Suite, otherwise known as our Guest Room.  Once I finally got over being mad at Chuck and Kim this morning (yep, they were clueless), we scooted on over to Winnsboro to get a massage from our very favorite masseuse, David.

Let me tell you a little about David.  First off, I have girlfriends from Dallas who drive the 2 hours to get here, just to get a massage from this dude.  He's that good.  He's a steel worker by week and masseuse by weekend, which sounds like a crazy bizarre combination, huh??  Actually, its a "perfect" combination.  Everyone should have a masseuse thats a steel worker.......they have arms of IRON; strength like SAMSON; yet, gentle enough for a woman!!  And for those times you're stressed and your shoulders are all in knots; you know, from walking around with your zipper down all night, who better than a steel worker to work those knots out!?  He works for this INCREDIBLE spa called Copperleaf Spa about 20 minutes from our house.  Never in a million years would I have thought a spa in East Texas could ever compete with spas from Dallas, Hot Springs or Cruise Ships, but this Spa not only competes, it flies right past them.  And to top it off, its a Christian spa........go figure!  Never heard of a Christian spa before??  Me either.....and actually thats MY name for it not theirs.......but they have the most amazingly wonderful people working there.   You really, really need to check this place out.  I've included their link below cause I know you want to check out the Spa and the Steel Worker Masseuse.......you know you do!

And to top off this Super-Dooper Zipper-Down Day, our little town of Mt. Vernon had their Annual Christmas Parade (and yes, we're still using the term "CHRISTmas") tonight and our neighbor, Steve, had a huge part in making it a success.....He played the part of a convict for the Crime Stoppers Float.  The only problem is, he was just a bit TOO convincing for my liking; being as I'm a "want-to-be" Private Investigator and all.  I think I'll be Googling him tomorrow...........


http://www.copperleafspa.com/
(P.S.  Helpful hints to Family Members:  Go here for Liz Christmas Presents.....)

I Fear A Lawsuit From the Chuck Fan Club........

Friday, December 4, 2009

Ok, here's the crazy Hard-of-Hearing Miscommunication between Chuck and Liz for this week:  LIZ:  "Chuck, did you put Murphy up on the bed?"  CHUCK: "Who has diarrhea??"

Well, now as most of you who have followed my Blogs know, without Chuck, I would have absolutely no material to write about at all.  And I've actually heard from his Fan Club implying that I'm picking on him too much, but hey, it is what it is, right??

So because I fear a lawsuit from the one and only (literally) Chuck Fan Club, I've decided to show you the "other" side of Chuck........my Charlie; his brothers' Bur; his granddaughters' Grandpa Charlie.......  I hope you enjoy learning about him as much as I have been blessed by him........he's truly a one-of-a kind guy that my world revolves around.....Click on the link below to learn all about my man.....

http://www.lizetheridge.com/Liz_Etheridge/Charlie.html

Vote for Murphy - He Promises Not To Raise Taxes

Happy Thanksgiving - 2009

Murphy is trying to get a Modeling Contract and needs YOUR vote!    Please vote for the little rascal at:

http://hhofdogcontest.com/results/current-entries?name=murphy+etheridge

Have a very Blessed Thanksgiving today!!

Who Is This Guy Matt??

Sunday, November 22, 2009


Have I ever mentioned my nephew, Matt, before?  Actually, I'm not so sure he would like you to think he's my blood nephew.....he would probably prefer you know he's my nephew by marriage to my niece, Jacque.   See, I'm considered the "crazy" aunt of the family......a title I'm quite proud of actually, and I think Matt thinks I'm just a little "out there" if you know what I mean.....  I see the eye rolls.....the slight tilt of the head to the right that says, "Who is this chick and whats wrong with her??"....

Matt is a kinda quiet guy...at least, around me he is....I "think" there's another side of him, but I haven't seen it yet.........he loves motorcycles, is a whiz at computers and electronic gadgets, and is a SUPER husband to my niece, Jacque.   He tolerates this crazy Calloway family pretty well.....  He and my niece Jacque have been married a little over a year, but Matt's been coming to family get-togethers for years now.  Bless his heart......how many years did we make the poor guy sleep on the floor in the Media Room with the family pets?  He was never really that interested in any of the lake activities like jet-skiing or boating, but he would come because Jacque wanted him there.....and we did too!  He would bring a couple good books, find a nice quiet spot, and he was a happy camper.  Sometimes he would hang out in the garage with Chuck, which is where all the "Married-To-A-Calloway Woman" men hung out.  We'd see him again as they were getting in the car to leave.

But you know when I knew; REALLY KNEW, that Matt was the right one for Jacque??  About 3 years ago, the family was at the lake as usual for some holiday; can't remember which one.....and we had found a spot for Matt other than the Media Room floor with Callie the stinky, shedding dog and Kittie Kruger, the one claw-cat.  Our neighbors weren't down that weekend and offered to let Matt stay at their house.  It was late one Saturday night; Jacque had already gone to bed at our house and woke up scared from a bad dream......all she wanted was her Matt.  I walked her groggy self over to the neighbor's house where Matt was still up reading his book.  As soon as he saw her, he quietly took her in his arms and knew instantly what was wrong.  He "knew" just how to handle her; how to make things right in her world.....and just like that; she was happy and safe.....It was like something out of a romance movie......This was HUGE for me........HUGE!

So, why am I blogging about Matt tonight??   Well, we had our Calloway Thanksgiving this past weekend and had such a wonderful time......Matt fixed homemade stuffing; didn't yell or even get upset when Jacque had him put frozen green beans in the backseat of his new BMW that spilled on the trip to the lake; he reminded Jacque to eat something when she hadn't eaten in 6 hours......this guy is in love with my girl, Jacque, and this one crazy aunt couldn't be happier.  I may not fully "know" Matt, but one thing I do know is Matt is one AWESOME nephew......Calloway blood or not!!

So, there you have it.  I'm not real sure what Matt thinks of Jacque's crazy, unpredictable, horrible cook Aunt Liz, but I can tell you Aunt Liz sure thinks the world of Matt.........AND....its not because he said "Aunt Liz isn't quite as crazy as Jacque made her out to be" as his favorite memory during Family Memory Time this past weekend.

Love ya, Matt!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK

What? You Want To Stop for Ice Cream??

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Have I mentioned my hubby, Chuck, is hard of hearing??  Well, bless his heart, as if having Multiple Sclerosis isn't enough, he suffers from loss of hearing most likely from the MS.  Well, over the last few years, we have had many, many interesting conversations......unfortunately, they usually aren't about the same thing.  Here's a typical conversation as we're driving down the road:  LIZ: "Did you put the trash out by the road this morning?"  CHUCK:  "Yes, I'd like to stop at Dairy Queen for some ice cream."  Hummmm...as I turn and stare at him with that rolling eye "I'm not believing this" look, he looks back at me and says, "What???".....At first, it was kinda funny, but now; it's just irritating.   This happens EVERY SINGLE DAY.

About the time it went from funny to irritating (3 years ago), I forced him to the Audiologist who said he needed hearing aids.  DUH!  So, we got him the very best hearing aids that didn't take away from his handsome ears.  They were state of the art; barely noticeable, matching skin color and very small.  We were so excited!!  No more weird conversations; no more strange looks at each other!!  Knowing my hubby, I thought it best if we take out the replacement insurance "just in case" he lost one....or two.  I remember that day well.  We were sitting in the audiologists office waiting on her to fit him with his brand spankin' new "very expensive" hearing aids.....Chuck was assuring and promising me he would be careful and not lose the hearing aids and we would be living in a new world from now on!  Oh, life is good!!

Fast forward.............1 week.  Yep, first hearing aid disappeared.  All we knew was he was mowing at the time and had the aid on when he started; didn't have it on when he finished.  He mowed an acre of land......under trees and tall shrubs!!  I was determined not to use that insurance policy one week after taking it out......so, I literally got on my hands and knees and in straight-line fashion, crawled the entire acre on my knees looking for that hearing aid.....  Did I mention it was "small".  Never did find the hearing aid or anything that resembled a hearing aid.  However, I did find an earring I had lost 2 years prior, a neighbor's key and a couple of snake skins.   We replaced the hearing aid and this time attached it to Chuck with a fish line and alligator clip, clipped to the back of his shirt.

Fast forward.........3 years.  The hearing aid isn't really working for him anymore (he has Tinnitus....cricket sounds in his ears) and we are back to having strange and bizarre conversations again. He ordered the Lee Majors 6 million dollar man hearing aid via Infomercial which is an over priced,  glorified amplifier.....and what a squealer it is!!   His neurologist referred us to a UTSW audiologist, which is suppose to be the best of the best, in doctors.  I was sooooooo excited!  I just knew this was going to fix the irritating, bizarre conversation mode we are currently in.  So today we went to see the UTSW Audiologist....Oh Happy Day!!  They call us back to do the hearing test and determine, yep, the boys' got a hearing problem.  DOUBLE DUH!  As we're waiting on the doc to come in and give us the miracle cure; not to be mistaken for "Miracle Ear"; to kill the crickets, I give Chuck the "Be positive; they will find a way to fix this....you're just too negative....you must think positive" speech.  I no more get these words out of my mouth, and the doc comes in and tells us there's nothing he can do about the tinnitus and, although hearing aids would help his hearing loss, he will still have those annoying crickets.  I don't remember much after that except hearing these words coming out of my mouth, "I'm not leaving this place without a solution!  You ARE going to kill these crickets and you ARE going to fix his hearing.  We drove 2 hours here and 2 hours back so you could kill the crickets.....now; KILL THE CRICKETS!"  As he started slowly backing away from me, he started spitting out solutions that some people had found to help....some "desperate" people had tried this......or that.....he said.

We did finally leave, much to the doctors relief, and discussed our next game plan on the two hour drive home.  At one point, I asked Chuck if he thought we needed to pull off the highway to let Murphy pee and he excitedly answered, "Yes, I'd love to stop at Dairy Queen for Ice Cream!!"

We Had To Say Good-Bye......

Sunday, November 15, 2009

First and foremost; HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAX!  I love you more than you'll ever know!!

Now, I know you guys are all sick and tired of me wining and crying over losing our dear neighbors, Mike and Kim, but please try and stay with me through one more Blog about our loss.

Well, last night, they made their final move from the lake.  After the hugs and "I Love You's", we all stood there, tears in our eyes, watching as the U-Haul drove away from the house and down the road for the final time.  I know this wasn't just hard on us as their neighbors, but also on them.  I could see it in their faces.  I could hear it in their voices.  I felt it in their hugs......

I have come to realize over time that its rare these days to find neighbors who "want" to know each other; that want to hang out together and know each others families; that want to get involved in each others  life.  Well, that's what we have here at the lake.  Its different than living in the city where the only neighbors you usually get to know are your alley neighbors as they come and go from work or take out their trash.  Mike and Kim were telling us that they have lived in their Garland (Dallas) neighborhood for many more years than they have had their lakehouse and yet, they barely know their next door neighbors.

When Chuck and I lived in Dallas in a similar neighborhood as Mike and Kim, our first house was a rental and we tried our best to get to know our neighbors.  They weren't interested.  We hosted a party at our house and invited all of our new neighbors and only one showed up.  Six months later, we purchased a house a block away, and the day we moved in, every neighbor on our new block, ONE BLOCK AWAY, came by, brought us coolers with ice and drinks, snacks and introduced themselves.  What a difference a block makes!  We went on to live in that neighborhood, Woodbridge, for another 8 years and have said many, many times how truly blessed we were, and still are, to have such wonderful friends there.  The Lord has always plopped us down in the neighborhoods where we could grow and gain some of the best friends anyone could ever ask for.

So, thank you Mike and Kim, for going to the BBQ joint with us on that first day we met.  And thank you for cooking for us all those Saturday nights; for introducing us to all of your families who are now a part of our lives; for fertilizing our yard and treating for grubs every year when you did your own yard; for all the quietly done things you did to help Chuck and I..........you will be so deeply missed.

So folks, that's it.  I won't be blogging any more about Mike and Kim moving......we are, however, going to turn the page and start a new chapter.   The next chapter is going to include these wonderful friends coming to visit and staying in their very own room here at the Etheridge house where the head of Chuck's Fan Club can cook her famous meals and we can have our Rock Bank concerts on Saturday night.........and Uno can steal Murphy's monkeys and Senator McCain doll.......Can't wait!

12 More Days.....The Countdown Has Begun.....

Monday, November 9, 2009

Well, have you been missin' me??  I haven't blogged in almost two weeks and I'm having blog withdrawls........so today, its officially BLOG DAY!!

We have 12 more days till Mike and Kim sign away their neighbors.......it's funny; I know them SO well, that when they just read that last line, they both said, "Geezzz Liz, its hard enough; stop it already!" but nope, not gonna do it!!!  They will have to feel our pain........

I've always called Mike and Kim my "minimalist" friends, as they are completely opposite of me when it comes to decorating.  To them, Less is More.  To me, More is even Better!  Anyone who knows me and has seen my house, knows that I like "stuff" everywhere......I'm comforted by my stuff around me.  I seriously wouldn't last 5 minutes in a white walled room with no pictures on the wall and no curtains made from hot glue.  I watch them pack up a weekend home; yes, a "weekend home"; not their primary residence where you have most of your stuff, but a second home where you keep just the essentials.  I keep hearing them saying things like, "How do we have this much stuff??" and "I thought we were minimalists".......and I laugh.  What they are forgetting is that once I finished decorating our house, I decorated THEIR house.....thus the reason for all the "stuff" they are having to pack up.  They are having an "Ah ha......." moment right now.  It just dawned on them why they are having to purchase more boxes.

This past weekend, they arrived at the lake as usual on Friday evening and we did what we all always do  on Friday evening, and that is head to the Marina for pizza (not counting the time a few months ago we boycotted the Marina for a few months due to the increase in price on the caesar salad!  Try as we may to keep up the boycott, we just couldn't; we love the pizza too much.....but you can bet we NEVER order the caesar salad anymore!!).  We got our usual 2 large pizza's and for just a little while, we pretended nothing was changing.  We forgot that we were less than two weeks away from not having our minimalist friends here anymore for these special Friday night get-togethers........for just a little while, things were normal.

But then Kim said she had to go to Home Depot for more boxes.  You know, because they have so much "stuff" here........and we were back to reality.

BTW, they still have "stuff" to sell if you're interested......check it out at my website on LizBay at 

http://www.lizetheridge.com/Liz_Etheridge/LizBay.html

Can You Hear Me Crying???

Thursday, October 29, 2009

I'm sad today.

Today, I got a form from a friend that is also one of the best local real estate agents here at the lake.  The form is one I've received many times before, completed and returned without any emotion.  But today, I would have done just about anything to not complete this form.  You see, I am the Treasurer of our homeowner association and when people sell their homes and move, they can't close on their house until I sign off on it.  I have to confirm they are paid up with the Association.   And today I had to complete the form on our next door neighbors, Mike and Kim.

Although I tried to convince my friend, their realtor, that they owed $28,000 and hadn't paid their homeowner dues for 8 years, she knew me too well.  Dang.  Dang.  Dang.  So, here we go.  They are scheduled to close in about 3 weeks and this just simply isn't enough time for their neighbors who love them dearly to wrap our minds around the fact that we will no longer have the wonderful homemade Saturday night dinners that Kim is famous for; we will no longer have the EP3 (the name of our group) Rock Band concerts in their living room till late in the night; no more Saturday night charades that leave us rolling on the floor laughing; no more lawn mower races between Chuck and Kim and no more Charlie's Fan Club President.

You see, Mike and Kim are family to their neighbors on Eagle Cove.  We vacation together; we shop together; we share our immediate families with each other; we know each others deepest, darkest secrets.  They are what helps us full-timers separate the weekend from the weekdays.  There has been a dark, black, rainy cloud hanging over Eagle Cove since they signed the contract a week ago.

I know I'm sounding as if they're going away forever and we'll never see them again.  Actually. they've promised us they will be back every other weekend to cook and mow for us (kidding!), and we did promise to put their name on the door of our guest room which I'm working on as I write.   Truth is, Chuck and I feel so incredibly blessed to have such dear friends like Mike and Kim.  We feel blessed to have the wonderful, unforgettable memories they have provided us and we thank them for making our life fuller.

You will be missed (at least every other week), my dear friends.

Lance #62

My nephew, Lance, playing his final Homecoming football game as Center for Midwestern State University.

Who Is My Congressman??

Saturday, October 17, 2009

I don't know about you, but I've never been that interested in knowing who my State Representative is in Washington or how to contact him/her.   But in light of all the crap (uh...I mean "stuff") coming down the pike from Washington these days, Chuck and I have felt the need to know who the dude is that votes on our behalf and to let him know easy it would be for us to FIRE him if he doesn't vote appropriately.

Soooo....I googled and found this really great site that allows anyone, no matter where you live, to easily find your representative; see what he stands for; see what he's done for (or against) you; see if he was one of those Democrats that "slipped" out of the room so they didn't have to vote on Countrywide; and how to contact him.  Thought I'd share it with you so you, too, could make your voice heard:

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

My neighbor, Becky, and I went last month to Longview in the pouring rain to our very first, but not last, Tea Party opposing this ridiculous health care reform issue.  It felt good, I've got to tell ya, to be doing something....ANYTHING......to be heard; plus, we got to carry cool signs and I thought we looked kinda cute too!

So, as most of you know, I'm not usually much into politics; actually, I took Government twice in high school cause I wasn't paying attention the first time, but I feel strongly that we'd be negligent to NOT be doing what we can to be heard; irregardless of what side you're on.

So, my Blogger Friends, use this website to find who represents YOU and see if they stand for what YOU stand for; and if they don't, let them know.  And if they do stand for your issues, let them know that too!

"In God We Trust"