Photo of the Day--Mel and John

These were taken this past Christmas (07). That's my younger sister Mel and her beau John Corneck. We love Yankee John!! We tease him that's he's just a Yankee redneck and he agrees!

Photo of the Day--Mindy and Aimee

My nieces--Mindy Hudson on the left and Aimee Hudson Vaughan on the right. They are my brother Jim's daughters. Let's see, Mindy's 30 and Aimee should be 28 if I've got my dates right. Beautiful young women! Mindy lives in Greensboro where she is able to do lots of musical productions--she got her degree in Musical Theatre from Lees McRae and is one very talented singer and dancer! We love to go see her perform! And Aimee is married to Brian Vaughan, a policeman in Huntersville. Aimee got her degree in Biology (I think) from Western Carolina and just recently completed the nursing program and is working in the neo-natal unit at Carolina Medical. They are both huge dog lovers--Aimee has two pound puppies and Mindy has Toby, also a pound puppy. This photo was taken Thanksgiving 2007 at my house.

Photo of the Day--Bella

Believe I mentioned that I've been immersed and consumed with the "Putting Photos in Albums" project? I seem to have a pattern of going eight years! Last time I was caught up it 2000 and at that time it had been since Grant was a baby about 1992. Scheech! It's very time-consuming. And I got into Creative Memories in the late 90's and trying to embellish every page just makes the entire process way too time-consuming--which is probably why I had procrastinated and not kept up this project. So this time I'm not bothering with all that fussiness and embellishing the pages--just slapping them in there. Still, the task is daunting and is taking a lot of time. Seeing this old photographs that tell the story of our lives the past eight years as been at the least nostalgic and turns me inward. So much has happened in these years! We moved to Finley Park, we loved and lost Max, Grant and Olivia grew from a little boy and a moody middle schooler into a moody teenager and a mature and level-headed young woman respectively. Then we moved from Finley to Mo.Falls and completely changed our lives again. Ah, such is life!

So as I'm searching for all the pics and perusing them on the 20 or so CD's I have them saved on, I am constantly reminded of our beloved Bella. She's in so very many of the pictures. She was just always there mostly just an observer and constant protector of her family. She loved us so very much. This project provides me with, I guess, the last phase of my grieving process. Remembering her, cherishing her and letting it go. I still yet, even after, what--ten months, sometimes just in the corner of my vision and just for a very brief second or two think I see her. Hmmm....and just maybe it is the spirit of Bella still here with us!

This photo above depicts Bella as she would be most anytime she was not in the house with us. It's the view of our property from the front of the house looking out across the pasture. She would lay like this so often, just the mistress of all she surveyed, guarding, protecting all that was Shumate! Doesn't she just look regal? Both these photos were taken in the fall of '05.

Photo of the Day--Olivia "Casting" Jeremy

Just some photos came across that depict the "casting" process Livvie uses to create the lifesized portraits like she did for her senior show work. Here she's casting Jeremy. She wanted to feature her great high school friend in her senior show but it was too hard to get up with Jeremy for any further sittings. Knowing Jeremy, I'm surprised he sat for this messy, time-consuming process! But he loves his Livvie! That's Aaron provoking Jeremy.

It takes 45 minutes for the "stuff" (can't remember what its called--senior moment) to set up.

Those are straws brave Jeremy breathes through!!

A real trooper! And a very handsome young man!!

Remodel--Fireplace 2

The mantle was so very heavy! I believe it's slate--but I'll have to ask Jug to be sure. He had to rent the "lifter thingy" to get it up there--it was extremely heavy.

The muscle men pose satisfied with their work!

The result.

Remodel--Fireplace 1

Finally found the fireplace pics. Blogger only allows a maximum of five photos per blog therefore the two fireplace blogs.

Little history: Jug has a lifetime of construction starting when he was seven years old! His father, Ven, and Shumate uncles were brick/block layers. Ven took little Jug with him to work during the summers as their "helper". But it was not a cute little title for a little boy--he actually was worked like a pack mule. He hated summers. All his boyhood friends got to play all summer while Jug worked like a man. He couldn't wait for school to start back every year so he could rest! But he learned a trade and he learned strong work ethics--and he learned to cuss like a sailor!! Funny--my brother Jim tells me (Jim worked with Jug and Ven during the 80's some) that Jug and his daddy would cuss and swear so that his ears would burn but I've never heard Jug talk like that!

Course as Jug grew to a man he learned to lay the brick and block too. Eventually they expanded to laying rock during the recession of the late 70s, early 80s. Jug says that to keep work they knew they needed to find the folks that could afford to build during those hard times and the people that had money enough were wanting rock. They worked a lot in Winston during those years. Jug taught himself how to design and became the rock mason with his daddy helping him.

Another interesting bit of history: Jug and I were talking recently about his building/construction skills and how fortunate he was to have learned such a valuable trade. I asked him how that came about--just when had he learned to build? I knew he'd learned to lay brick/block and then later rock but what about carpentry? His father was not a carpenter. He said he'd just really watched the carpenters on the construction sites and just picked it up--he's a natural engineer--with an aptitude for how things work, taking something apart and putting it back together, that sort of thing. So I then asked him: "So what was the first thing you ever built on your own?" And his reply: "I guess it was our kitchen!" I 'bout fell off the chair! He was referring to our kitchen that we added on to our house on the lake right after we got married. I had no idea! I thought at the time that he already knew everything he needed to know to build our kitchen! And he was just flying by the seat of his pants the whole time! Just learning as he went!! Amazing what a little confidence and a bit of knowledge but a huge amount of desire to learn more can do!!

Jug studies and measures.... That's the hardwood floor lumber piled up behind him.

Grant and Olivia learned a thing or two about rock laying. We actually used man-made rock--it lays just like real rock but is much lighter and costs less too. Kim didn't lay a single rock! Painting was my contribution.

Jug's always said that rock laying was like fitting a puzzle together. See how they've got the rocks laid out like that? That's so they can scan the pile looking for that perfect piece to go in the hole they're filling. Jug's rock laying style has very little mortar showing and I believe he calls it "dry laying"? Or some such.

And on it goes....note Grant's graffiti. Can't remember what it says--I'll have to ask him.

More next post.

Photo of the Day--Suzy

'Kay--little background is necessary here to fully appreciate these photos that tell a little story.... on the right is my older sister Suzy. We're at the beach (Sunset) and it's June 2002. That's her future daughter-in-law Carrie Reid (now Kerley) on the left. You must also know that Suzy is NOT a drinker--period. She very rarely partakes and then just tea-totals. Well, this particular evening some of us were bravely taking shots of vodka. As a family, we are not big drinkers--we'll have it at holidays and cook-outs but nobody drinks very much. I came across these photos while working on putting photos in albums---had to go back to 2000. I had completely forgotten about this hilarious adventure!!

So here's what it looks like was happening to me: Suzy, "the big drinker"--NOT, says "yeah, I'll have one of those shots." So Carrie obliges. They tell her how to do the lemon first, etc. And she looks so nonchalant, so confident about doing this. Heh--little did she know!

Note: these are poor quality photos--they're a "photo of a photo" as they were taken before I was using a digital camera exclusively.

Now we have Suzy's other future daughter-in-law, Kara Felise (now Kerley) making sure Carrie does this right and that Suzy gets a proper dose! OMG--this just cracks me up!!

I must have missed the actual taking the shot photo! But think she's taken it here, looks like anyway. That grimace!! That's Adam Johnson in the background.

OMG!!! If you know Suzy, you can just hear her coughing, sputtering, gagging and carrying on!!! And Carrie's expression!! I just can't help but just crack up laughing every time I look at this. She can barely get her breath here! She, I'm sure had NEVER taken a shot of alcohol in her life and had NO idea! Oh! How I love my sissy! There ain't nobody like her!

So here she is still in the throes of the alcohol burning and setting her on fire and high-five-ing with Brian (my niece Aimee's husband) Vaughan. This is just priceless!! Hey--family--let's do this again!!

Also--as a side note: Need to post some recent photos of Suzy. She's lost another person in weight! Yeah--you go Suzy!! She's off all her meds for diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol and is able to exercise now.

Remodel Master Bath

Well.

Rather atrocious, huh? Very 80's! Great tile workmanship, I guess, but OMG, just horrible! So busy, just too much. We completely gutted this bathroom. Except for the inside of the shower--we got a bit lazy and just left the tile in there.

Doesn't even look like the same room. Master Craft did the cabinetry--same as in the kitchen. We (as in Jug and helpers--Kim didn't lay a single piece) laid all the tile.

A LOT of mirrors in this space! It was like the "Funny House" at the carnival. Mirrors reflecting mirrors everywhere you turned.

This is my side of the bathroom. Not crazy about the upholstery on the little seat but haven't gotten around to recovering it. Need to do that.....

The medicine cabinets I found at Metrolina (FABULOUS flea market in Huntersville that Michelle turned me on to) and I striped them. Not sure I really like having two there together like that but it'll do.

Remodel Master Bedroom

Master bedroom before. Notice the sliding glass door on the right. I know this is a bit confusing but that lead into what is now the living room. The living room now was a "aviary/sunroom" for the previous owners and was surrounded by sliding glass doors. So we closed the sliding glass doors up here in the bedroom. Took out the carpet and replaced with hardwood.

I'm most comfortable with rich, warm tones of green, red, brown. Just feels "homey" and relaxing to me. That's the front "Crackle Barrel" porch you see out the windows. Also note the trunk in front of the bed. This is a family treasure. My paternal grandmother, Annie Bess Palmer Hudson made one of these for each of her eight children--my father, Smith Hudson was her youngest child. She was a very artsy-crafty lady! She was constantly making something. I remember well her wall art of colorful cut glass and beads and she made purses of the same materials. Back in the 70's it might have been all the rage--don't know--but I remember thinking as a teenager that they were the tackiest things I'd ever seen! Wouldn't I love to have some of her work now! I do have one of her oil paintings and Mel has a three-piece painting that was intended to be a fireplace screen. Granny Hudson was very talented/gifted artist. Daddy was too--we all have some of his water colors.

The small round table in the left was also made by Granny Hudson. I acquired it when our Aunt Bet died and how I cherish it! It's so in vogue now! It's sea shells or oyster shells that have been immersed/covered with that shellac that does like a thousand coats in one coat?? Something like that--just love it. And the chair is a treasured piece too. My mother had it when she started her adult life--no idea where she acquired it but it was just one of the very few things she kept over the years of her life. She was definitely NOT a pack-rat--hated clutter and old things and was not sentimental about much of anything. So I really treasure having this old chair--with it's original upholstery.

The oil painting above the bed was purchased at an auction--don't know the artist but I just like it. After doing a couple of (very bad) oil paintings myself a couple of years ago now, I appreciate art so much more! It's so very challenging!!

That's the bathroom through the arched doorway. More pics of the bathroom in another post.

Same view after. Master bath pics next.

The smaller pillows on the bed my friend Michelle (please visit her blog: www.thevintagehomeofwilkes.blogspot.com ) made them all for me. Man, is she ever talented!!

Photo of the Day--Grant and Olivia

My babies. Taken 2006 in the window seat in the dining room. I have several photos taken over the years of the two of them together like this. They're six years apart in age and because Olivia had had six years as an only child and got all our attention she was able to accept her little brother when he came along. Accept--yeah, but she still had her moments of intense jealousy! I remember one instance when Grant was still just an infant hearing Olivia in the shower just sobbing and saying between her dramatic sobs: "I wish they'd just send him back!!" Funny! Regardless she considered him to be HER baby and she loved holding him and playing "Mommy". When Grant would wake and cry, Olivia and I would race to him! Course then there were the years of Grant's toddlerhood that a day didn't go by that I didn't hear: "Mama make him stop!" And "Grant! Stop that!!" He was forever interfering in her prissy little girl play. I think she has such a capacity for love and love her brother she certainly does. She's always nurtured him and petted him.

I've been uploading remodeling pics, a few a day, until I got to the master bedroom. For some reason I hadn't taken "after" photos of the master bed and bath. Well, no reason I can't take them now--except I'm such a lazy slug I haven't made my bed yet to get these photos!! Will soon!!

Photo of the Day --Meghan

This is my niece, Meghan Johnson--she's my sister Mel's daughter. Her dad is Rodney Johnson. This was taken Christmas 2007. Mel also has two children and Meghan's the oldest and then Patrick. Meghan is also a student at UNC-A. Meghan is probably the most photogenic person I have the privilege of photographing. I've absolutely have never taken a bad picture of her! She's quite sassy too! And absolutely beautiful! She should model, for goodness sakes!

Remodel--Kitchen Dining 2

Another shot standing in the living room after the living room floor had been raised. The closed off opening to the right of the glass door was a sliding glass door going into the small dining area off the kitchen. Remember--click on pic to see larger.

The finished kitchen dining area. Aren't the floors beautiful? This table and the wardrobe in the center we got at an auction. I know a dining room probably isn't a proper place for a wardrobe but I like it there. Both these pieces just happened to come from the estate of my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Elizabeth Grinton. Let's just say I had some issues with this very strict teacher!

My great friend Michelle, as stated earlier, helped us with decorating. She was invaluable with color selections. I knew what I liked--warm earth tones--rich, deep colors and she helped us make sure we didn't select colors that wouldn't work together. Here in the kitchen, kitchen dining and the mudroom, she suggested this yellow. I've never been a great fan of yellow but went with it. I must have painted this room five times before I got it acceptable for me! I glazed over the yellow with green from the living room to tone it down a bit. I still like it! Oh, and btw, all the walls of this house had already been done using the technique called "knock down". The builder of this house in the early 80's was from California and he was just ahead of the times for us around here. It's pretty common now to have textured walls but it wasn't back then. We loved the texture and didn't alter it--just used it to create great effects using glazes in some rooms--like the big dining room--which I forgot to mention when I posted that room but I painted (actually Grant painted that room the first color and he will still tell folks "I covered these walls with one coat!") it a deep but kinda bright red, then glazed over it with a chocolate brown that toned down the red and really gave it depth the way the brown stayed in the depressions. It kinda looks like leather--very beautiful!

Just put this here because I had the room. It's Olivia on the tractor with Jug instructing her. The previous owner, Tom Akin "stores" his two huge farming equipment--if I was a bit more manly, I could tell you what they're called but I can't--anyway, he has no where to keep them so just has left them with us! He doesn't mind us using them--keeps them from decaying from disuse and one of our neighbors using them too. We don't mind one bit!

Olivia loves learning from her daddy how to do the manly things. As she commented on a previous entry--she very much appreciate being independent!

Remodel--Kitchen Dining

This is the small dining area off the kitchen before we'd done a thing to it. Look very closely at the window to the left--that's Bella. Adding all these remodel photos reminds me over and over what a presence she was in our lives. I continue to miss her terribly. Remember: click on pic to see larger.

Anyhows....the parquet flooring was a real b--ch!! As stated before, really ALL of us worked on removing it. And ALL of us got sick as hell of it! It was glued securely--wasn't meant to ever come up!

Here's Otis (is that his real name or just what Jug called him?) working on the flooring.

And here's me, Olivia and Aaron posing the night we FINALLY finished removing the flooring!! Man, were we ever tickled!

This was taken standing in the living room. The area to the upper right is the small dining area after the sliding glass door had been removed but before the sheet rock had been installed. The floor of the living room has been raised up to the level of the rest of the house. The sliding glass doors to the left--there are actually three of them, we did not remove.

Taken standing in the kitchen, view of the small dining area after the sheetrock had been installed closing the sliding glass door hole. After pics in another blog. Blogger only allows a maximum of five photos per blog! Scheech!!

Photo of the Day--Taylor and Kyle Gann

Taylor and Kyle Gann--my great friend Michelle's children. This was just a few weeks ago celebrating rascally Kyle's birthday. He is a rascal! He just kept asking Michelle who all was going to come to his birthday celebration and when asked what he wanted for his birthday he first said nothing but then was more honest and more Kyle saying--MONEY!! At the little party and after the meal and cake, typical Kyle: "where's my presents?!!" Cute, cute, cute kids!!

Remodel--Kitchen

Here's Grant working in the kitchen. Not sure but I think he's getting some of the parquet flooring loose. I'll need to upload some of that process photos too. It was quite the arduous chore! There was parquet flooring securely glued to the kitchen, small dining, mudroom, utility area and pantry. All of us worked for days getting it removed using saws-alls. My carpel tunnel gave me an absolute fit. We were all sick to death of it by the time we got through!

Kitchen during the remodel. We completely gutted it--removing all the cabinetry, tile counter tops, parquet flooring and the lighting.

Another angle of the kitchen during the remodel of 2005. That's very enthused Grant ready to work!

And the kitchen after we'd moved in September 2005. The lights were yet to be redone but it essentially looks like this today. Master Craft did the cabinetry. I haven't mentioned before but we put in hardwood floors throughout the ground floor except for the bathrooms and kitchen and mudroom. This is stone tile here. And that's Corian counter tops--love them. I'm not crazy about my chairs at the bar and we've been looking for decent replacements for them for three years now! Don't want to spend a fortune on them either--wanting something rustic looking with metal and cloth cushions for seats..... we'll find just the right chairs one day!

What's Left of a Man

Nathan’s Play






We didn’t plan to go. We just went up to Boone to be able to see Olivia! At supper, I teasingly said that Daddy (it was me!) wanted to see all the penises and Olivia said, well, yall should come! So, we did! Jug and I both think it was the BEST play we’ve ever seen! Such vulnerability, so open, honesty that hurts to even hear let alone say. These eight men unzipped their coats they hid beneath and exposed themselves to the audience in a way that has changed me and God knows, it certainly changed them. I never saw the Vagina Monologues but this was the male version of that play. This masculine version, What’s Left of a Man has been done at ASU for many years. The most moving, emotional play I’ve ever experienced!





It was crowded as hell; a small theatre and after driving around and around looking for parking we were too late to get seats! Livvie, Kristin and I sat on the floor which was the stage—so we were up close and personal! While Jug was parking, I told the sweet, young attendant that my husband could NOT sit on the floor! Just physically impossible for him so they found a seat for Jug. Jug and I were the ONLY attendees over the age of 30! Felt kinda weird, I’ll say! It almost felt like we weren’t supposed to be there—like this play was only intended for the young and hip and more open-minded?? It was such a friendly group of young people. Perhaps they all noticed the old folks but they didn’t seem to mind. I’ve been to many plays in my life and been in a handful myself. I’m not very patient with this form of entertainment—get bored very easily. This was a long play—two and a half hours and the I sat on the floor (and I ain’t no spring chicken myself) and was completely enthralled, never even considering leaving because of boredom or discomfort!!!!!!





Eight young men. Eight distinct personalities. And every last one of them opened themselves to us, to each other, in a way that is extremely rare for men to be able to do. They spoke from their hearts and they spoke with almost painful honesty. They told stories of their past, hell, they told secrets. They offered us a picture of a male that is the real truth and not the stereotype that we all carry with us. With this picture I was reminded all over again how not different men and women are. We are all just human beings. We both are insecure about ourselves and think and feel much the same. As they shared their stories and we saw their truth, goose-pimples were raised and tears stung our eyes.





Then I just saw people—not young people, not even young men—just people, human beings and I felt just love for them. As a fellow human being, not a woman, not a mother, just fellow human, I wanted to wrap my arms about each and every one of them and squeeze them and let the love just flow into them. The air in the tiny auditorium was charged with this energy. I think all were thinking/feeling much the same as I was.






They wore just solid black, loose fitting, comfortable shirts and pants, no shoes. Another means to just be—just be a man, a human being. And one by one, they’d share their souls with a difficult to relate story or poem or sing a song. For two and a half hours! And I was riveted! The night culminated with the lights dimming and they each shed the last of their protective coverings and fully exposed themselves. The lights came up and the eight men stood there, not as naked men, but as eight fellow human beings. God, what that took to be able to do that! And you know what? I didn’t see their damn nakedness, I saw the person, and I heard their words and I knew their pain and God, yes, I knew their growth. It was glorious to behold. I was changed in that moment and I knew it, felt it—knew the hundred or so fellow human beings experiencing this with me were changed too.






I salute them! I applaud them standing up and whooping and stamping my feet. I will never look at/feel about, men the same again. Yeah, so they aren’t as communicative sometimes as women and they carry their stoicism like a badge and perpetuate this bravado all in the name of masculinity. I’ve been married to a man and emotionally intimate with this man for 27 years. I’ve given birth to a male and raised him and held him when he was frightened and I’ve brushed tears from his bearded face. And I’ve freshly, newly, been given this opportunity to see my men as vulnerable, soft, sweet, insecure, frightened, strong, brave, kind, pained, fellow human beings. I’ll never be the same.

Photo of the Day --Grant

This was taken in the spring of 2005. I'd just gotten a new flash and was testing it out. He was just waking up. A beautiful boy!

Remodel--Dining Room

The dining room bare naked. It was carpeted with a ivory carpet and we'd already removed it here--it's rolled up in the foreground.

This is friend Keith Lenderman--old high school buddy of mine and my gold best friend Pam's husband. He helped a lot with the painting.

The completed dining room make over! Huge transformation! And that's our beloved Bella resting there. It's still so hard to see all the photos of her. We miss you Bella!

Oh--and also--don't forget to click on the photo to see it enlarged. Those lower cabinets--we planned to put doors on them but never have...just one of the many things that just don't ever seem to get done! Jug and I both are kinda bad about that....get it livable, acceptable but never perfect! My brother Jim did most all the built in cabinetry here--he's a very gifted woodworker himself.

Adding this here just because I came across it today. It's Olivia helping with raising the living room floor. It's a great pic of her! I think, no, know the kids benefited SO much from the summer remodel....the time spent with their daddy, such quality time. They learned so much too! How very fortunate we are that Jug has so many, many skills and is a gifted teacher. Sometimes, and we all giggle about this, he goes on and on and the kids are much more respectful and listen better than I do! I'm afraid I'll roll my eyes and tell him I don't need to know how to wire a lamp--that's what I have him for!!!! We love him to death!