Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! I hope your day is filled with family, collard greens, fatback, my mama's homemade dressing, corn, green beans, biscuits, my Sam's grandma's homemade carrot cake, sweet potato pie and can't forget TURKEY!!!!!!

You know I have to be sentimental and say what I am thankful for :

My Heavenly Father - Thank you for you never ending love and understanding! Thank you for my wonderful family and all your blessings you have given us. We give you all the praise.

1.Sam (the love of my life, my heart, soul, best friend, my sense of peace). I love you!

2. Steven, Jewel, Jessica, Sage and Gracie: My children, my life, my hopes and dreams. I love you all and couldn't imagine my life without you.

3. Mama - My mother, my best friend, my leader, my guardian angel, MY HEART! I LOVE YOU!

4. Pop - My daddy, my best friend, my financial advisor, my rock, MY HEART! I LOVE YOU!

5. Kenneth, Edward, Sherry - my brothers and sister who help mold me to the great person I am today. Y'all gave me love and plenty of fighting techniques to carry me through the rest of my life. Most of all I can always count on each of you! I LOVE YOU!

6. Mom, Dad, Bill, Liz and Mia - My inlaws who opened their arms and welcomed my entire family into their wonderful family. I am very thankful for your love and friendship. I love you all.

7. For all our friends - We love you all dearly and are very thankful
for your friendship.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Love always,
Darlene Brady

FOOSBALL??? Dat's de devil!!!

I got a not so nice comment on the previous entry to my blog from an anonymous person who was very upset about my Peyton Manning story. Go read it before you go any further if you want to really understand where I'm going with this.

Done?

OK.  At first I was like, okay, an upset Colts fan.  This person criticized me for my knowledge of football. I will be the first to admit I don't know everything there is to know about football.  Nor do I feel the need to know it. As I read on I became very upset with the things she said. This person  said I give real wives a bad name. For that I must respond.

I think I am a good wife to my husband! At least I take the time to actually learn about football. Whether I like football or not, my husband does, and I owe it to him to give it a chance. I am actually enjoying watching football this year with him. I don't know what every penalty is or even what all the numbers mean. I know the yellow flag means a penalty. I know you get so many tries to get it down the field and score. More importantly I recognize my husband loves football and I love him enough to show an interest in the game. I am not a girly-girl who is afraid to break a nail changing the remote during half time. I know nothing about fingernail polish except it goes on your nails. The only thing I know is I love my husband with all my heart and I want to share everything with him. He watches home improvement shows with me, I watch football with him. He listen to gospel music with me. I listen to the Pixies and Reckless Kelly. I wash clothes, he folds all the socks. I cook dinner, we wash and dry dishes together. Sometimes he even makes grilled cheese sandwiches for us to eat. I think it's a wonderful thing when someone you love is willing to try new things or do things that they don't entirely like just because it makes the other one happy.  To my husband: I love you with all my heart and am willing to learn about your interests to help us be happy together.

As Bocephus and Bobby Boucher Mama would say, are you ready for some FOOSBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GET OUT OF MY HOUSE PEYTON MANNING!

I am trying to get into football for the sake of my marriage! My husband lives, breathes, sleeps football. So I thought I would try and be the supportive wife and follow it with him this season. So usually I pull for the team with the nicest uniforms or who doesn't try and kill their opponents. With all the hype about the Manning brothers a couple weeks ago I wanted to watch that game. Now every time I turn the TV on, there is Peyton! I open the pantry for a snack, there is Peyton! I cook dinner, and there is Peyton! Not to mention his crazy commercial with the bad wig and mustache for DirecTV. Come on, Peyton, the Colts not paying you enough that you have to endorse DirecTV, Ritz Crackers, Chunky Soup...and then there is the commercial with the family. I am convinced the Saints didn't pay Daddy enough and his Social Security isn't enough that you had to help Daddy out. Peyton is like that new song you hear over and over and over and it drives you crazy. Like Fergie and her LONDON BRIDGE!!!!

One good thing about football is Willie Parker, who plays for Pittsburgh. You know the team with the guy with the long dreads that is in need of a desperate haircut. Don't ask me what position he plays cause I am not that advanced yet. Remember that I am a rookie. But that little guy can run fast!!! Then I like Vick, who is the quarterback for the Falcons. He all the time running for the end zone, unlike the other QBs that want to stand and watch everyone else.

Then there is college football! OMG!!! Last night we went to the inlaws to watch Ga vs Tenn. My sister-in-law is worse then my husband when it comes to the Vols. Needless to say when the Vols took the lead, my pregnant sister-in-law went skipping through the RV screaming! My son was wearing a Vols jersey with a Ga jersey on top, so depending on who had the ball he would take the shirt off. Then of course when the Vols took the lead all I could see was orange!

Wish me luck. I am going to learn the game of football one way or another!!!!!!!!!!

It's hard to say goodbye!

I am sorry to say this will not be a happy letter about my wonderful life in Georgia or how much I love my husband. Instead I am dedicating this week's letter to my Uncle Ray who passed away Monday night. Many of you had the chance to meet him and knew him for his long, drawn out stories of his past. Ray was one of those special people that could take 30 minutes to tell you something that would only take us 5 minutes. There were plenty of times I thought, please don't tell that story again. There were times I wouldn't pay attention to his story but when he started to laugh I would too. Then there were times I loved hearing about him working in the Feed Mill, or what his ma would cook for dinner (and you ate it or else). I had the privilege of being Ray's pick of the family I should say. At one time Ray, Mama, Pop and I lived in NJ together for about 3 years. I thought I would share some of our good times with you.

When I first met Ray he would only wear dress black pants and button up shirts. I was determined to get him into some jeans if it killed me. So Garth Brooks came to town and I had to go see him. I decided to sleep outside the record store all night so I could be first in line. Guess who  slept on the sidewalk right next to me..... YES, RAY!!!! I was 2nd he was 3rd in line. I am telling you, for a 65 year old man he stuck it out with me. As the concert approached I told Ray he had to go get some new clothes, so I took him down to the store and yes, got him some jeans, cowboy shirt, boots, he was looking sharp for a 65 year old man.

There were times when Mama and Pop would be out of town and it would be just me and Ray home. Sometimes I felt like an old married couple. I would come home for work and he would say, let's go out for dinner. Off we would go to some restaurant and sit across from each other and talk about our day. Then off to the laundromat to do clothes, then home to watch some tv. Ray was always the gentleman and had to pay for my dinner all the time. If we were shopping he would always buy you something you didn't need or want but the thought would get you every time. There is no telling how many knick knacks Mama and I have that we can't seem to let go of.

There was the time he got sick and wouldn't go to the dr. Pop tried to take him he wouldn't move. I came home and said, Ray get in the truck I am taking you to the dr.!!!!!  He looked like a little kid sitting in that truck pouting as I took him to the dr. But I did get him the smoking patch which I am sure gave him more time with us.

Then when Steven was born I lost Uncle Ray! I was no longer the apple of his eye Steven was. According to Ray everyone else in the world was wrong but STEVEN. Whatever Steven wanted he got. That was until about 2 years ago when the two of them started butting heads. OMG!!!!! There were times Ray would aggravate him just for fun and lord knows Steven did the same. But every time we left Ray both of them would be teary eyed.

So for those of you who knew Ray take a moment and see if you can find a happy thought and cherish it forever. Ray was an old man, who was set in his own way, and he had a heart of gold. He loved us all in his own way. Now we all have a special guardian angel watching over us.

So I say to my Uncle, friend, dinner partner, laundry mate, concert pal, story teller. Go rest in Peace with your family, enjoy your new home and new body. Thank you for being a part of our lives. I love you and will miss you.

Love Darlene Brady

P.S. Please keep Pop in your prayers!!!!!!

HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A 747......

OMG!!!! Darlene you're not in North Carolina anymore! Today I went off to drop off an application for a job with Fulton County Schools so I had to travel to an unknown land. My wonderful husband printed out directions from Mapquest. Got there with no problem. While I am doing my cabbage patch dance in the car and singing "who's the MAP READER WHO'S THE MAP READER!!!!" what do I see in the air coming straight for me, but a big ol' 747. Not one, not two, but three in a row. They were so low and me being from a small town in North Carolina, guess what I did? YES--like an idiot I ducked my head down so the plane wouldn't hit me. LMAO.... I am sure I am not the only one to ever do that. Okay, stop laughing cause that is not the funniest part.

Heading back home, I got lost. A panic phone call to Sam and I was on the right road, only to see a huge bridge. At least I thought it was a bridge until I saw this HUGE plane cross over the bridge. I nearly caused a wreck because I slowed down--as if I was really going under that bridge! I was in the PT Cruiser that plane would have ate me for a snack. So I did the only logical thing a woman would do, SCREAM AND HIT THE GAS. Later Sam explained that it was a runway. For us North Carolina folks, who puts a runway across the highway?????????

After seeing all this madness today, I will be on my deck looking for green little men in the sky......Atlanta has everything else!

My first BLOG!

Welcome to my blog! This is fair warning that everything you read on my blog will be about my husband or children, Unless I am mad at the Cable company, the cashier at Mcdonalds, traffic in Atlanta, Mr.Hamburger (Steven's social studies teacher), Riverview apartments for not cleaning their dumpster, or our neighbors who leave a coffee cup in the stairwell for 2 weeks (we finally had Steven to go downstairs and pick it up). Then there are the sales at Kroger I'll have to comment on. Like what in the heck are you going to cook with 20 green bell peppers for $10?????????

By now you have probably figured out this is going to be all about ME! I will try to keep it short and sweet, unless I'm really mad! Then again, when I talk about my new husband Sam Brady, I can write a book. So my first entry should be about him, since he did hound me until I finally gave into writing a blog.

After many years of dreaming of my Prince Charming, MY PRINCE FINALLY CAME!!!!! For the first time in my life I am truly IN LOVE! Sam has totally changed my life for the best and my childrens' too! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would fall in love and move to another state, for the last 6 years were spent living with my parents and working hard for my children. I love my parents and actually enjoyed living with them. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, telling my parents I was love with someone who lived in Georgia (we lived in North Carolina). After meeting Sam and seeing the love we shared, and many tears later (more like several tsunamis), they gave their blessing, and now here I am in Georgia with a wonderful man who I adore. We are blending our families together, creating an amazing love on the way. Now if I can get used to Georgia 400, the names of roads changing without a clue that they are changing, and our downstair neighbor cooking all that mexican food with some nasty smelling spices, I think I will love it here!!!!!!!

Till next time.......PEACE OUT FROM SANDY SPRINGS..........HOLLA