Road Trip

Kitty and I drove down to Tampa/Mulberry for the weekend to visit Bob's children and Willie James Bender (Fox) our 93 year old cousin. What a trip it was! He is a funny man, and he has all the family stories. He remembers everything and his mind is as clear as a bell. He told stories of mama's mother and father, her grandmother and father, Mitt and Matilda Bender. He told of his relationship with Mama and Daddy and how he helped to get them together. It was wonderful. I wrote everything down and hope to add it to the Heritage of Bay County Book (more on this later).
I got to see Mia, Gina, Carlos, and Sonya and they showed us a good time. Sonya is into Knitting and does a wonderful job. She gave Kitty and I some beautiful throws and a purse that she knitted. She is so talented. She's even Knitting skirts. I told her she should go into business, she could make money. Bob is in New Jersey with Stine while Kitty is here resting. We have an awsome family in that Daddy taught us to love each other. Love is an action word, it's not what you say but what you do, so thank you Bob for helping out. Kitty and I have been having a wonderful time. We both tired from the driving but it was well worth it. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. I got back in time to see Jada in her big yellow Fru Fru dress. Bee, Maya and Chris were here in PC over the weekend and came to Church. We all went to PO FOLKS our favorite place to eat after church to fellowship and celebrate Bee's Birthday. What a great weekend! I wish you all could have been here. Take care until I BLOG AGAIN. San, T-san, Grandma San, Sandra Gail or the Crazy Blogger.

Ready for Spring

This daylight savings time is kicking my you know what. It's pitch black when I get up for work and I have been dragging all week. It's been rough! Jada, Jason and Danielle are all doing well. Last Saturday, Jada, Danielle and I spent the afternoon at her first recital of the year. She did an excellent job. During her afternoon session she was critiqued by an independent teacher and graded and got a top honors. Jada has a passion for the piano, and we are proud of her. On March 20 she will be 9 years old. We can hardly believe it. I hope everyone is doing well. I want to go to Mulberry next weekend to visit Mama's nephew, Fox, he is 93 years old. I plan to write down all his stories about the Bender Family. He has a clear mind and told me that he still mows the yard. Kitty is coming on Wednesday and I will be taking a few days off to go South if all goes well.
So everyone stay well and think SPRING!

Black History, Our History

February is over and so are all the Black History Programs. We did a program at church last Sunday night and I did a program at the library on Tuesday night, and a book club at the Martin Luther King Jr center on Wednesday. I love watching the children learn and their reactions when they get it! It is so sad that they do not know any history beyond Harriett Tubman and MLK. I talked about the Four little Girls in the 16th Street Church Bombing in Birmingham 1963 and they were amazed. We read "The Watson's Go to Birmingham 1963 and they loved it. These were 4th through about 8th grade girls and boys. Tell your children and grand children or children that you are around your history and our history. They will benefit from it.
The photo's were taken at the library Jada is on the front row. I have other photo's with her helping out in a story. I will post later.


On the home front all is well with us. The city is gearing up for Spring break. It's suppose to be 77 today but it cools down at night. Angela has accepted a new job which affords her the opportunity to do a great deal of traveling and she is really excited. Keep her in your prayers as she embarks on this new adventure in her life. Remember to pray for the family. Maryjewel and I set aside Monday's for prayer, join us as we pray for the Pierce Family.

It's Raining, It's Pouring in the South....Snow Storms in the North

Talk about a lot of rain! It's been raining for two days down here by Georgia. Yesterday we had tornado warnings, water spouts and hail. Jason, Danielle and I were stuck at work and Jada was at Girls Inc her afterschool care. Jason called to say they were told to go to the middle of the store the weather service was tracking possible tornado activity in the area. He called Danielle, then me and I started to pray. Danielle went out in the storm to get Jada and made it home. She wasn't letting any storm keep her from Jada. I couldn't leave because of the lightening and the waves of heavy rain on the marina. When I finally left work the rain was pouring so hard and the lightening was striking all around the car, I was scared to death. I ran into a flooded area before I realize that I had a problem. Thank God the car didn't stall and I was able to make it to Jason's house safely to wait out the storm. There was no school today and the rain started again this afternoon. It has been a bad two days as far as the weather is concerned. Talked to Edna and she said that they had heavy snowfall and everything was shut down in NJ. What a week! I thank God that we are all safe tonight and let's look forward to better weather tomorrow.

House Blessing At the Pierce's

Last Monday night I enjoyed a wonderful party at the Pierce Family's new home. Jason, Danielle and Jada were the perfect host. People from the neighborhood and members of our church family including Pastor and Minister Williams were there to Bless their new home. Jada provided entertainment by playing several pieces on the piano including When the Saints Go Marching In. Everyone song along as she played. It was soo cute. Jason and his family are truely blessed and I am so proud. All I had to do was show up and enjoy the food and fellowship.
On another note, Edna is out of the hospital and attended church services today. Kenny preached today and Edna said it was just wonderful, he is a true man of God. We are so proud of Kenny.
Today was my 53rd birthday and I really enjoyed myself. Actually Jada was so excited about giving me my gifts that she couldn't wait until today. I was summoned over last night and she gave me a wonderful picture frame with a picture of her inside. Today we all went to church and Danielle's children's choir sang and Jada played a couple of songs. What a great birthday for me. You all have a blessed week and continue to pray for each other. San

Family Stories

This is the children's author that I was fortunate enough to meet and hang out with last weekend. She uses a lot of family stories and things that she has experienced(life) to write her books. This weekend I will have the time to pull out my stories again and write, write, write. Our family is so filled with funny stories and history that we could all write for years and not run out of material. I've learned that you can take the little things in life and use them to create a short story or even a book. Here's a funny story. When mama died and we had to break the news to Jada, she was only 3, it was very hard. Jason and Danielle were too emotional at the time so I had to tell her when she came home from daycare that day. She searched the house all over for her Nana. She turned to me and said "is she not ever coming back?" I said no but we will see her again in Heaven. She thought and thought for a while then she said to me....."If she's not coming back," Can I have her wheel chair? I heard Jason and Danielle's sobbing in the next room turn to laughter! That was the funniest thing and the thing that helped us to get througt that January day in 2004. We all have stories within us. It's up to us to preserve these stories for our children. So get yourself a journal or a blog and write you family stories. I wish I had written down every story that Daddy, Mamma and Majane had to share. Now it's too late, so don't wait.

Great Weekend with Books and Friends

This has been a very long two weeks for me. Two weekends working in a row, but it was worth it. The Library's Books Alive Book Festival was this weekend and I had the opportunity to hang out with a wonderful children's author all weekend, Deborah Wiles. She did presentations at two area schools as well as at the Festival. Not only do I love her books but I also really think she is a wonderful person. Some times you meet people that you like instantly and she was one of those kind of people. Her books are based on her life experience and family. I think the family part was what has me hooked on her books. Most of her books contain Black characters, one picture book "Freedom Summer," is based on a fictional story of two friends one black and one white and how they dealt with the closing of the public pool in a small town in Mississippi after the 1964 Civil Rights Act passed. skating rinks, schools, swimming pools, businesses all closed around the south so that our people wouldn't be able to use them. So much history in a 32 page picture book. I bought the book for Jada and had it signed by Deborah. Children need to know where we came from! What a great weekend. I am so inspired to continue with my writing of family stories. With help from God, who knows one day they could be published!