EARTHQUAKE!!!

When I agreed to move to Illinois to be closer to Hubby, I NEVER in a million years thought that we would be in store for Earthquakes!!

About 4:30am on Friday we were all awakened by a shaking house and shaking beds!! I thought that there must have been a tornado come close to us, but in fact, it was an earthquake!!

I have NEVER been in an earthquake and didn't know what to expect. We did have a tornado come very close to us about 7 years ago. The house shook and we heard a "train" sound, but this was different. When I got up to go get the kids with the intention of heading for the basement, Hubby said, "I think it was an explosion or an earthquake!" We looked out the windows and didn't see any obvious signs of a fire, so Hubby assumed it was an earthquake.

Since he had witnessed many of them during his time in Russia and Japan he was confident that what we had felt was in fact an earthquake. I was a little more skeptical. I immediately turned on the news and after 20 minutes, they confirmed that what we had felt was indeed an earthquake. All I could think was, "why in the hell am I feeling an earthquake when I live in the middle of the country?" I was under the dilusion that earthquakes happened in Hawaii and California. I had no idea that they could happen here in the Midwest!!

We have had a couple of aftershocks, but sustained no damage (except for a pair of curtains that I put up very hastily that fell down during the tremor).

This seems to be a very interesting place!!!

Piggy's B-Day!!

Yes, I'm a little late in sending out these photos, but they were emailed to the family on the day of the party.

Piggy had a GREAT birthday here in Illinois. She had about 10 kids over to the house. I made a cake and she had a very old fashioned birthday party complete with pin-the-tail on the donkey and a piniata!! I was so glad she had so many kids show up, even though we have only lived here for a month!!

Expectations

The problem with expectations is that... when you turn 36 and have not met them you feel like a loser! Ha!


As I watched American Idol over the past two nights and saw that they were doing a Dolly Parton week, I HAD to reminissce about the past!


Dolly has always been one of my favorite artists, people, and celebrities of all time. I remember being a young girl and wanting to be just like Dolly Parton.


Well, I did get my wish in one way, but that's another story! Ha!


I really thought, so many years ago, that I wanted to be a country music star. I recorded some tapes at several of the dozens of "recording studios" in Nashville and Branson. I remember sitting outside the studio waiting for my most recent recording to be piped through the speakers for everyone passing by to hear. The main goal was for the 10 people, who happened to be passing by during the song, to stop and say, "Wow, that was great!!". Of course if you got that kind of response, you were sure to be the next best country STAR!!


How funny it was because ANYONE cold pay their $12 to record a song, have it piped through the speakers for the 10 poor souls that happened to be passing by, and feel like they are a STAR. Well, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing for a teenage girl with dreams of stardom!


What the hell!


Well, I ended up getting voted "Most Talented" by my High School Senior Class (not sure if that was for the singing or acting), got a scholarship to Kilgore College for Acting ($1500.00 - Whew!), got married, had kids, got fat, wear my hair in a ponytail and don't wear much make up. Oh, and I got half of my boobs cut off... So, Dolly Parton, you have no need to worry!! HA!


Needless to say, I never became a country music star, never performed in front of a packed house, never got one of my songs published, and never won a Grammy like I promised in my high school yearbook...


BUT...


When I get the urge to belt out a song (whether it's Patsy Cline, Reba, Dolly or Bette), I belt it out with pride and I can still hear the inkling of a great voice in there somewhere. What's more important, is that my kids think I'm the best singer they ever heard. That's the best award I could have ever hoped for!!