JULY 30, 2007 THE BIGGEST FISH STORY EVER TOLD.... A HOMER AND ME STORY FEATURING KYLE AND ZIP

THE BIGGEST FISH STORY IN THE WORLD!

A HOMER AND ME STORY

FEATURING KYLE

Well to continue the story of a weekend with Kyle.. I believe I left off about the end of lunch time and the beginning of the afternoon..

He really enjoyed riding on the bulldozer with his Unle H.. and I really enjoyed getting my shopping done in peace and quiet.. and I made peace with Homer by bringing him a cookie dough blast and all was well..

Kyle and I got home and put our groceries away .. and he actually kicked back on the couch in the AC and watched an old cartoon tape of my sons... yep .. I said it was old didn't I? hehee

I fixed dinner and when his Uncle H walked through the door.. the wrestling matches started.. to which I am not a big fan.. So after two bouts of crying and convincing Uncle H that Kyle was not trying to kill him.. hehehe.. we ate dinner..

This set the pace for the night.. wrestle.. crying.. sighing... wrestle... finally I got both of them by the ears and sent Homer to one bathroom to shower, and took Kyle to my bathroom so he could swim in my garden tub.. he has the best time making believe he is an olympic swimmer... the step down into the bathtub is his jump off place. So after he bathed, bathed all his action figures, and I washed his hair....... we had to use the battery powered toothbrush.. ( have you ever tried to use one of those things.. I swear I thought it was going to do a tonsilectomy on the kid! ).. I put too much toothpaste on it and he looked like he had rabies.. which of course he loved... hehehe

Back in the living room Uncle H had already made him a bed on the love seat.. and plugged in his favorite movie.. Critters.... kinda makes you wonder what really goes on in that little noggin' doesn't it.. hummm.. hehehe

He conked out after about 10 minutes into the movie.. I looked at the clock.. 8:30 pm... this means he will be up and ready to rock at 6:00 am. ...

But this is supposed to be a big fish story isn't it.. hang with me.. it takes a whole village to write one of these blogs people!

The next morning it was a beautiful day outside.. sunshine.. no clouds.. not a hint of rain in the sky... I was totally shocked.. I mean two days before we were at flood stageand the ground made these sucking sounds when you walked on it...

go figure! hehe

We loaded up into the truck with the by now famous Ninja Turtle rod and reel tackle box combo 12.95 plus tax at the Dollar General Store and headed for water.. that would not sweep us to the ocean if we got crosswise of it anyway.. ended up at the most beautiful lake in Arkansas .. or so I think.. Shores Lake.. I took pics of course.. this is the marker for the cemetary that is a part of the state park .. the land for the lake was donated by some people named Shores along about the time that the CCC was going good.. they built this entire thing.. from native rocks around the area.. the dam, the restrooms, the picnic areas.. all are hand shaped out of almost solid rock mountain.. It is truly beautiful..

Well now then, alrighty.. we fished, then ate the lunch we had brought from home.. bologna tastes so much better when it is mixed with the dirt from digging fish bait.. dontcha know it is true! Can I get an amen out there people? hehehe

Then we fished some more... and then Kyle had to go swimming, as I have already informed everyone, I swim not at all..( large heavy rocks float better than I do..) and the word panic does not begin to describe my reaction to not being able to keep feet on firm ground.. and nose above water at the same time.. if it is not moving I climb it.. animal, vegatable, or mineral.. I do not discriminate... if it is there and I am in water over my head.. it is a ladder plain and simple.. hehehe I am an equal opportunity spaszoid.. hehehee

Onward.. I sat on my 5 gallon bucket with all three fishing poles, baited, bobbered, and in the water.. for 45 minutes.. while Homer took the Kyle and he got wet..

Nothing.. not one single nibble did I get.. even the minnow on Homers pole wasn't wiggling.. I felt my mind begin to wander.. and when Kyle and Homer got back.. I was sound asleep on my bucket.. ( tip no. 324.. when sitting upon a bucket .. be sure to sit on the end with no opening.. I still have a ring around my .. ahme.... nether regions.. I really hope it is not permanent or anything.. aw ... it is probably water retention, huh? )

Kyle picked up his pole and the bag of Doritos and basically pushed me and my bucket out of his way.. and since I had been lecturing.. well let us say teaching, him how to bait his own hook and cast it out by himself.. ( hey, I spent 12.95 plus tax on a ninja turtle rod reel tackle box combo from the dollar general store... he was going to at least try, ya know!)

He plops down on the lid to my laz-e-boybucket and baits his hook.. not even crying when the worm pooed on his hand.. and proceeded to cast out like Bill Dances.. little brother .. Bubba Dance...

Homer grabs his pole and the bucket of minnows and heads in the other direction.. I suppose Uncle quality time had reached its maximum overload..

I just gave up and reeled mine in ... about that time Kyle gave a shriek.. and I looked to see his cork go under and stay under!..

Kyle was reeling for all he was worth.. and it was a fighter.. it kept pulling him toward the water.. and I asked him if he needed help..

He just kept cranking the reel and stumbling forward toward the water.. the ninja turtle pole was hanging in there..

He shook his head no to my question.. so I just started to holler for Homer to head our way .. and of course .. he hollers back.. "WHAT?"

I know better than to try to answer him.. which influenced him to continue in the most irritating fashion to yell "WHAT?" at me..

I grabbed Kyles belt loop and determined that the fish would have to completely jerk him out of his drawers before he got him and me into the water..

The Ninja Turtle pole was bent double and so was I .. trying to keep the kid on the shore, and the kid trying, to get the fish to shore.. he had not said a word yet.. just had this really crazed look on his face, and was trying to reel even though all it was doing was slipping by this time.. I begged him to let me help him.. He finally shook his head NO! I had started the thing of him doing it all by himself.. what is a lockie to do.. you continue to hold on for dear life and don't interfere.. sigh.. about the time he got it on dry land .. with a little help from me to lift it from the weeds.. his Uncle H.. walks up to us and says .. " You need my help or something?"

Neither of us could do anything but point at Kyles fish..

the biggest perch I have ever seen.. this thing weighed at least a couple lbs..( for Kyle to catch it I guess it was like a 6 lb catfish fight for a grown person with a good rod and reel.. Zebco.. the only way to go.. to hell with Ninja Turtles.. Kyle agreed with me!)

So the following photo is his big catch.. it looks like I photoshopped it a little.. ( little hell... I practically did a Mona Lisa on this thing..)

By the time this all took place it was getting pretty dark.. this was taken with night portrait mode on my little Kodak cw 330.. this collage took 4 photos to get it all together to look like anything.. but it is all the real and true stuff .. old fisher woman honor..

We loaded up and headed into Homer's Mom's house to show off the big catch of the day.. hehee

Kyle was so pooped out he didn't even make it to put the fish in the stock pond at Homer's Moms.. He went into the yard and stumbled over where Zip, the wonder dog was laying down, and plopped his butt on the ground, putting his head on Zip's back.. Zip just kind of sighed, this long suffering sigh ...

and I grabbed the camera..

And that is the biggest fish story ever told.. by me anyway!

All in all.. it was a great weekend!

lockerridge

JULY 27, 2007 UPDATE FROM THE TILLMAN CHESNEY FAMILY...

UPDATE TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE PRAYING FOR MY LITTLE FELLA HERE.. MR. TILLMAN CHESNEY.. A MIRACLE BABY!

IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILAR WITH WHOM I AM REFERRING TO.. TILLMAN CHESNEY IS A LITTLE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS BORN ONE YEAR AND 2 MONTHS AGO WITH A DEFECTIVE HEART.. HE HAD A HEART TRANSPLANT ON MY BIRTHDAY FEB. 4, 2007.. I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING HIS PROGRESS AND REGRESS FOR A LONG TIME NOW.. I HAVE CALLED ON MY FRIENDS NUMEROUS TIMES TO PRAY FOR HIM.. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU.. PRAYER DOES WORK ... GOD IS LISTENING.. I HAVE A TIME LINE PROOF OF THAT VERY FACT!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT.. PUT A COMMENT TO THAT EFFECT AND I WILL BE SO VERY HAPPY TO DO THAT VERY THING!

YOU REMEMBER HOW HE LOOKED WHEN I FIRST MET HIM.. BACK IN FEBRUARY..

AND HE JUST DID NOT FEEL GOOD.. HE WAS A YEAR OLD THE FIRST TIME HE EVER FELT THE SUNSHINE ON HIS FACE, HE HAD NEVER KNOWN ANYTHING BUT NURSES, NEEDLES, TUBES, AND OPERATIONS.. AND PAIN..

BUT THROUGH THE PAIN OF ANOTHER FAMILIES LOSS TILLMAN LIVES.. IT IS ALWAYS THIS WAY.. IT SEEMS TO ME..

I BECAME CLOSER TO GOD THROUGH THIS CHILDS PAIN AND SUFFERING.. THROUGH THAT DONOR FAMILIES PAIN ..

I BECAME CLOSER TO MY MAKER.. IT IS NOT ALWAYS CLEAR WHY THINGS HAPPEN .. IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO CARE ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE FEELING AND GETTING FROM AN EXPERIENCE.. BUT REST ASSURED, IF THERE IS PAIN... SOONER OR LATER GOD WILL GRANT GAIN FROM IT.

HE IS LIKE THAT .. YES HE IS.. GOD IS GOOD!

I HAVE COPIED THE LAST TWO CAREPAGE UPDATES AND POSTED THEM SO YOU CAN READ THEM AND SEE HOW WELL HE IS DOING.. HE IS VERY BACKWARD AND NO WHERE NEAR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NORMAL 14 MONTH OLD BABY.. BUT HE IS COMING ON FAST AND AS SOON AS HE GOT HIS NEW HEART.. HE STARTED SPROUTING TEETH .. HAS A WHOLE MOUTHFUL OF THEM NOW.. BUT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH FOOD IN HIS MOUTH.. BUT AS JODY AND JASON TELL US HE IS GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.. AND FIGURING OUT WHAT THIS WORLD HAS TO OFFER.. PRETTY DARN QUICK!

YOU ROCK TILLMAN!

225 July 16, 2007 at 02:37 PM EDT

Good Monday to everyone. I hope your weekend was wonderful. We had a wonderful weekend filled with firsts. Tillmans' first trip to the pediatrician. This trip showed that our little Tiger is continually working on becoming a BIG Tiger. He weighed in at 16 lbs. 2 oz. He continues to get stronger and stronger with his sitting up. Still working on the rolling over part as well as doing lots of sitting up. His other first was a visit to Mom and Dad's Sunday School class. He did well. It was great to see everyone there. Antoher key element to getting plugged back into life at home. We are just more excited and thankful with each passing day. This is GREAT! Have a Good day! We will update later in the week. Jason, Jody and Tillman

226 July 27, 2007 at 08:17 AM EDT

Hello everyone!!! I know it's been a few days since we updated. Tillman is being great this morning so I've finally got a moment to update you! Tillman is doing great!!! I am amazed every day and reminded exactly how blessed we are. Tillman is falling in to the normal baby life....for the most part. He's on a pretty good schedule with hour naps in the morning and late afternoon. During the middle of the day, if I'm lucky I might get a 2 hour nap from him at lunch time. And for the most part he sleeps through the night. Sometimes he'll have a bout of gas and that keeps us all awake. Physically, he's the hardest working little guy you could ever meet. He's still rolling over (on his own) for us during his therapy sessions but has yet to spontaneously roll over during a non-therapy times. He's right there on the edge of it but true to his nature, he'll do it on his own time. He's bringing his feet to his mouth on his own with no assistance and will even do it if you ask him, "Tillman, where's your toes?" He's raising his head up and even lifting his chest up off the floor when he's having tummy time. Just this past week he started using his arms to hold himself up a little bit. We're starting to see the beginnings of him putting weight on his feet. Hard to explain but mommy and daddy help create his own personal "johnny jumper" and we have lots of fun "jumping". Overall, Tillman medically and physically is doing very well. To me and his dad, he's doing better than I think we ever thought he could. We still have a ways to go but to know where we've been....it's ok. Before I sign off, I'm going to post pictures today. Hopefully right after I post this. But one last thing to tell you..... Ladies....Tillman has become a flirt! Until later, Jason, Jody and Tillman

lockerridge

JULY 26, 2007 WHY DOGS BITE PEOPLE

WHY DOGS BITE PEOPLE... HEHEHEHEE! I LOVE IT!

lockerridge

JULY 25, 2007 WHY I LOVE MY HOMER.

WHY I LOVE MY HOMER.

For those friends who are new to my blog.. my family is a little bit different.. to say the least.. I have the most loving... country as a mouse... brilliant as long as he has a plan.. partner anyone could ever ask for..

He is the defender of our home from the dreaded evil gopher scourge...

His inventions are always on the cutting edge of technology..

He is the type of guy that does the silly.. the unexpected.. just to see me laugh..

He takes me fishing... and takes my fish off the hook when I catch one...

More importantly, he will bait my hook for me!!! That is true love!

He lets me use his coveted Heddon Buzz Bait.... and doesn't mind if he has to go swimming to get off a tree at the bottom of the pond.. where I got it hung up ... even though he told me not to fish there..

And I guess the most important thing he does for me ... is just love me .. even on those days when he has to leave the house to get away from my mouth.. it is sometimes not real pretty.. sigh..

So I will close this blog with a little sweetness coming from my mouth.... It needs a lip face lift to get to a better state of pretty..

TO GARY FROM TERRI

I CAN TAKE THIS WORLD FILLED WITH THORNS, AS LONG AS I KNOW YOU ARE THE ROSE THEY ARE ATTACHED TO.

LOCKIE LOVES HOMER.. YES SHE DOES!

lockerridge