Christmas Party with less fortunate

This picture is a picture of David and a couple of ConocoPhillips friends. We went to a facility that housed physically challenged and mentally challenged folks. David and the group did not know 1 Christmas carol but I don't think it mattered to the people there. They really liked it and we served them lunch as their Christmas dinner, turkey, dressing and all the fixins. (I did see a guy there though... he reminded me of Hanibal Lector on that movie silence of the lambs) scary looking. There was also a guy there that had an assistant dog with him, I asked him what does that dog do for you, he said that he has severe epilepsy and the dog warns him when he is going to have a seizure.
It looks like David is squaking...
that Bluegrass does hurt my ears sometimes.
I can't wait to see Martha and the babies, I just wish they had more time to stay.
luv and hugs Pam

Jordan and David

This is what Paw Paws are good for, playing music so we can dance.

up in flames

how to have joy??? 1. Jesus 2. Others, 3. yourself

This is a Christmas memory that I had, yesterday this story was actually published in our local Newspaper the American Press.

Every year on Christmas Eve, our family would all go to my grandmother's and grandfather's house, which was only in our back yard but we were excited to go because this was the only time of the year that she would let us go into her den, "some sort of special room" for her I guess. My mom would dress us all up, my 3 brothers in little suits and I would have a new dress. We would then walk over to Nanny and Papaw's house. Our aunts and uncles and cousins would all be there. The tradition was for one of the grandchildren to read the Christmas story from the Bible, then pray, then everyone got to open Nanny and Papaw's presents. It was my turn to read the story and my brothers were to hold candles on each side of me while I read the story. This particular year, my mom had made me a poncho and skirt set to wear, It was red and white and had red fringe on the ends. Well, just as I was taking my very important place for the night, I realized I had backed into a candle and I was on fire. Just as I was about to stop, drop and roll, my grandmother and mom came running over to me and BEATING and flogging me with their hands to get the fire out. Ok now visualize it's the late 60's, they both have high heels, dresses kind of short, stockings (not panty hose) and we must not forget the ever loving 6" high matching hair pieces twirled and piled on to of their heads like a dairy queen ice cream cone. (I really wanted to STOP, DROP and ROLL so the next time the firemen came to the school, I could raise my hand and tell them, "been there, done that" thank you very much!!, but it did not happen that way and probably a good thing. My grandmother would have been upset if the fire would have burnt her burgandy carpet. Of course they got the fire out and and the night went on without a hitch. I did stink of smoke and singed hair the rest of the night and my brothers laughed at me all evening. My mom was able to cut off the burn part of the poncho and fix it later, but I could still smell the smokey smell on it sometimes. Sweet, simple memories with my grandparents and family.

luv and hugs,
Pam

Rainy weather and blue roofs yuk!

"Doubt is a thief that often makes us fear to tread where we might have won."

--William Shakespeare


Rainy weather and blue roofs yuk!
Nothing much is happening over here. Jordan got her tubes in her ears, so hopefully she can hear and feel better. I wrapped all of my presents and they are under the tree(little). I never could find a tree in a bag, I must admit I did call a decorator to help decorate the tree since I can't get my family to help. Ouch! $500.00 just for the tree, a couple of grand for the rest of the house. So that was out. What happened to Christmas spirit when families got together, drank hot chocolate, ate cookies and decorated the tree together? I hope that some of you are still doing that. Gabrielle likes the tree, Jordan doesn't care she has a big one at home. Chris REALLY did not like the tree and really wants his old stocking hanging up, not the new one. So, gotta go back in the attic and that's the part I hate about decorating the attic and finding stuff.
We went to one Christmas party last week, and it wasn't near as interesting as Beth's party. It was at David's boss' house, really beautiful and perfect in everyway. He made us play Outburst, "the old version", so when you are asked about movies or anything current you had to put yourself in a time warp of 10 years ago because the game was so old.Kinda fun, better than standing around and blowing smoke.
Please remember to pray for the troops over seas, it's such a lonely time and not the bests of situations. I hope this is over soon, so no more sons will have to leave. Well tomorrow a Christmas memory.
luv & hugs
Pam

Should Christians celebrate Christmas????

why a Christian should NOT celebrate Christmas... Every year there are some folks that make very good arguments about the pagan celebrations at this time of year, the evils of the Christmas tree, lying to children about Santa Claus, how Jesus was
notborn on December 25th, and many other reasons why a Christian should
not celebrate Christmas. To those people I have only one thing to
say....BAH
HUMBUG!

If you are led to not celebrate the birth of our Lord and
want to miss that is up to you. Sadly, your misguided legalism has stolen
your joy.

Listen, everyone understands that Jesus was not born on December 25th,
but according to most scholars, sometime in September. I have yet to meet
anyone that worshipped their Christmas tree, only decorated it. If you
are old enough to be able to read this, you are old enough to know that
there is
no Santa Claus. And yes, there are many pagan celebrations that occur
at this time of the year, and the Bible does not have the word Christmas
in it. However, there is only ONE REASON that we celebrate Christmas and that
is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Christians SHOULD celebrate the birth of Jesus! It is right and good
that we take time each year to remember that blessed event. It was foretold
by the prophets of old. It is a well documented historical event
chronicled in
the Gospels and supported by the historians of that day. After His
death and resurrection, it is easily the GREATEST EVENT IN HUMAN HISTORY!

Think about it. God Himself, the Creator of the heavens and earth,
came to this earth as a mere man to live with His creation. He came as a baby,
born of a virgin in a humble manger in an obscure little town. He would
grow up to die on a cross as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.
Three days after His death, God would raise Him from the dead as a sign
to this lost and unbelieving world that He was exactly who He claimed to
be...the SON OF GOD! His life would literally transform the lives of
every man, woman, and child for the rest of human history!!!

THAT is why we celebrate Christmas. THAT is why as Christians, we
SHOULD celebrate Christmas!!!

I realize that people who say
not to celebrate Christmas mean well, and are trying to live their lives in a
way
pleasing and acceptable to God. Sadly, they are missing the great joy
of
this time of year. I know they are well intentioned and many of the
things
they point out about Christmas are true, but they have missed the point
of
Christmas. Christmas is about only one thing, celebrating the birth of
Jesus. It is one of those times of the year that we gather with family
and
friends and share our faith in Christ. That alone is a great reason we
should be celebrating Christmas.

Christmas is also VERY BIBLICAL. Luke chapter 2 gives us the account
of His
birth. That was the very first Christmas. Of course Mary was there,
as was
Joseph. We also read about several shepherds that God spoke to who
were
part of that first Christmas. Now, some 2,000 years later, we will set
aside time in the coming days to do what they did at that first
Christmas...to "celebrate" the birth of Jesus!
luv and hugs,
Pam
"striving to become an old woman with no regrets."

latest Berryman news

Thanksgiving was pretty nice, however we did not find a good looking Santa like Beth did, he was great...
We had everyone over at our house, the usual, Turduken, smoked turkey and everything else yummy. We did have a crisis on Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving. I had sent David to pick up a shrimp dressing stuffed boneless turkey at a local shop. Well they were closed...so plan "B". He was freaking out, not because he was worried about not having a bird but about being in traffic. I called the market and the woman told me they were sold out. Soooo I gave him instructions to go to another place, which was clear across town. OMG, the end of the world for him. He called me, "can't you go pick it up tomorrow?" I said, "David, it's 3:00 and tomorrow is Thanksgiving". I told him no, that won't be enough time to cook and they will be closed anyway. Well he got a turduken which if you aren't familiar it is a Turkey stuffed with a duck and a chicken all in one. It was pretty good.
Everyone came over and we enjoyed the day. Granny is not feeling well so we brought her and Dewey a plate. The babies played and they were all so cute together.
We took off on Friday and went up to Natches and Jacksonville, MS. We usually go to Houston but we knew the traffic would be horrible. Well, there is not much in the state if Miss. so we will probably go to Texas next year again.
We still have not been able to get our roof and house fixed yet. Everything is still a mess around here.
And I wish someone would put my tree up and decorations for me...I must admit, I have been shopping online for a "tree in a bag" like the one on the Grinch, something that will pop up and have everything on it and will go back in the bag. So if anyone knows where I can get one let me know. I have done almost all of my shopping online, about 95% of it. Online is so great. I love it.
Gabrielle has been entertaining us with dancing when PawPaw plays the mandolin, its so cute. She doesn't have much rhythm though and she has been bad, everything is NO!!, MINE!! MINE!! and pitches tantrums. I told Kaci, she needs a real spanking. Chris has taught Jordan to say "Poo Poo" and we are all proud of that accomplishment.
I have been listening to the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway cd, it's beautiful violin music, if you haven't ever takin the time to go see a Broadway play, I highly recommend this classic, the movie is just not the same. I
I hope Beth gets the job. I have to ask everyone what was the best present you ever received and what was the most memorable Christmas. My niece Ashley is getting boobs Monday for her Christmas present, go Ashley!
luv and hugs,
Pam
"striving to become an old woman with no regrets"

Thanks Jim

thought: "Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way."

Booker T.

OMG someone actually looked at my blog, thanks Jim for your comments. I enjoy reading your's and angies also and my wonderful niece's (Beth). I'm glad Carrie's up there by ya'll she will get used to Dallas, it is really a cool place to be.
This weekend was another hard at it work weekend. We cleaned out the attic, made piles for each family member and ex family members. Giving everyone a date to come get their stuff, then if they don't its ours to do whatever we want with. It is unbelievable how much stuff was up there, with two guys going to Iraq, then piling it in on us agh! Then I guess they forgot about it all when they got back. But the new truck is taking over so the garage has to be clean, which is a good thing.
Then we cut the liner out of the pool, drained the nasty thing and getting ready to dismantle. I'm sore, stiff and old from all of that.

This hurricane stuff is getting to me. Walmart closes at 6:00(not enough employees) the lines in the fast food restaurants are long (not enough employees) and the supplies even to stock the shelves have been slow to come. Every time I try to go out I'm stuck in traffic behind a truck picking up trees off the road. I went to get my car washed on Friday and they said, we are only cleaning the outside, can't clean the inside of your car because we don't have the staff. Everyone that was making min wage must have gotten their FEMA money and figured out a way to get unemployment. Good grief it's frustrating. But it could be worse I keep telling myself.

So I'm doing all and I mean all of my Christmas shopping on Amazon.com. It's wonderful.
David did get a new mandolin over the weekend (Gibson) which is supposed to be all that and more. It should be because it cost enough. He says he got it because he needed it for a model to try to achieve the "tone" he is after in the mandolins he is making, ok whatever. Now he is making sure the doors are locked and so careful about making sure the alarm is set and I was thinking aw that's good he is being protective here lately. Then I realized this change in habit has only been since 7:15 on Friday when UPS made the delivery of the "Gibson".
well everyone have a good week,
luv and hugs,
Pam

it was a truck/beauty product weekend

Quote for the day,
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know
that your name is safe in their mouth."


Beth, will you please send the link to my blog to Carrie.

Everything is still a mess here. I think it looks worse now than in the beginning because the limbs that did not fall from the trees are dying and turning brown and ugly. I was in my bedroom Friday night and I heard a man talking outside my bathroom window, it was about 9:30. I listened carefully, thinking someone is actually so stupid to be snooping around talking in a loud,loud voice. But as I listened I realized it was the announcer at the football game about 4 miles away. This is the first time ever that we could hear that at our house. I guess from a lot of the trees that are gone now, is the reason.

David got a new truck and it had a lift kit on it. He could not pull the trailer with it sooo the cool lift kit had to come off, that's what he did all day on Saturday while I helped Kaci host her... lauch parties of Arbonne. Which if you have never heard of Arbonne, its makeup and face products. Good stuff. Cynthia AKA Cindy put one side of her face with Arbonne makeup and serum and the other side her regular makeup. She came over about 4 hours later and said look at this, so the skeptic in me was lookin her face over and I'm serious no wrinkles on just one side. REALLY, I was like give me some of that stuff, so her and I both probably are Kaci's best customers now.

Sunday OMG I had to help David install a hitch in his new truck. I had to actually crawl under the truck and use all these tools, don't ask me what they were. But he would tell me get this, get that, then fuss, "not that way you have it backwards". Ten years ago I would have slapped him and quit but with age comes patience into a soul I think. (I guess it did not for him)
He finished and sold his first mandolin, he was excited about that. It came out beautiful.
I kept Jordan for a little while, she did not feel good, she is walking though.
well luv and hugs
Pam

Strike

Well I think I'm going on strike with the blogging. Beth you are the only one that posts and probably the only one that looks at it.

Halloween was a total rain out at our house too. Moss Bluff had opened up their Halloween but Lake Charles still canceled theirs. We had two trick or treaters. Kaci and Jeremy took our little flapper and snow white to the church. They had fun for a very short time.

Saturday I finally drug PawPaw to town and he found himself not one but two redneck cowboy stores. He purchased himself a belt (without the cowhide hair) 2 pair of wranglers and a pair of boots that he loves. He did still have to ask the employee about all the ins and outs of jeans, which ones were the right cut at the boot and in the leg and he was quite impressed with her knowledge in which I was thinking ..."ok I could have made that up and sold you the Gap jeans"

PawPaw has finished another mandolin and I have to say it is the most beautiful one yet, it's sold already.

Well luv and hugs,
Pam

Rita pics

McNeese Stadium
210 Beach Lake Charles
Hibernia Bank Building (I used to work on the 10th floor)

some cute little pics

Today was such a pretty day, I hated to be locked up in an office.
Does anyone ever really look at my blogs, I'm wondering or am I just entertaining myself here.

oh well here's the girls
Jordan and Gabrielle

a trip to the mall

Trying to get used to all this blogging is very patience trying. Today we had bad news everywhere we turned. Our best friends mom passed away and then David's mom went into the hospital with a broken back. Gabrielle was sick with a virus, then Kennedy, now Kaci soooo tomorrow who will it be.
The fun thing was after we went to see Granny at the hospital :( we went to the mall in L.C. which is trying to recover from Rita. Well anyone going to the mall with a man knows the torture they go through along with the torture they put you through but we had to do it, PawPaw needed a new pair of jeans. Me, I tried to spare the pain by picking him a pair up at the Gap last weekend by myself. Just like the ones he had but new ones was his request so when I brought them home they didn't feel right the legs were too big. So here we go the torture begins, I'm hungry first so we have to eat in the food court, BIG, Mistake, too much time for PawPaw to scan the creatures that walk the local mall, boys with eyeliner, 14 year old girls pencil thin "literally" with 5 olds calling them momma. what's up with that. And the newest style shirt everyone is wearing is the orange Prison Property sweatshirt. I saw the eyes squint and square off in defense mode. I said David, thats the style they probably paid $85.00 for that shirt. Gangstas, weirdos and hooches is all thats here, he said. I said well so are we and you need some new jeans so Paw Paw finishes his pizza then stands in an onguard stance headed for whereever I was to direct him next....the Gap. He has the jeans to return in his hands so I said go bring them to the counter, he was lookin at me like "are you kidding me?" I'm in guard mode, ready to attack if needed mode and you want me to take care of this. I said yes, I want to go to baby gap and look. Well, the look on his face any wife would have felt sorry and come to his rescue in this place where boys wear their jeans at their knees and trying to get pawpap to dress like them. So I stayed. I started handed him jeans to try on and he was so fluster at the choices, how does a redneck choose between low at hip, straight leg, boot to sit on hip, loose fit, straight cut or boot cut easy fit. Finally he picked out a pair to try on, still keeping an eye on the strange lookin employees in that place. I said, David that's what we are bringing back, try on these. So he took a pair goes up to the front desk and proceeds to tell the young, very, young lady , the kind of jeans he wants, jeans like he had before that were perfect in the leg and not too wide at the bottom, just blue, not scratched like a cheeta clawed the front. She just had a glazed look over her face. I pulled him aside and said, they don't help you like that any more, you just have to try on until you find the one you like. So he gave in and trys the jeans on, and comes out of the dressing room looking like someone might at any moment invade his space. Men and Women going into the same area to try on clothes was just the last straw. Got money back, no jeans...wheres a cowboy store with real people?

It's been a long time

Well I'm so behind, in my blog, so much has happened. From being a Katrina volunteer to a Rita evacuee, aghh! It still looks like a war zone here in Lake Charles. There is so much trash to deal with, everyone in the whole parish lost there food in their refrigerators and freezers so the streets are lined with taped up refrigerators and freezers and trees that have been here for ages. The city is literally a sea of blue roofs Operation Blue Roof from FEMA,(in other words tarps to cover leaks). There are apartment complexes in town that have sent out eviction notices to their leasees because the mold is so bad they have to demolish, so those people are riding around with their belongings on top of their car. There are no places to rent, lease and property to buy is going up fast.They tried to get them housed on a cruise ship but red tape stopped that idea, so now they are hoping for trailers to come in to be set up in a trailer park somewhere. School has finally started back today, they are literally starting over with classes, extending the day about 45 min. A lot of restaurants and stores are still closed because their staff has not returned. Every restaurant in town is hiring. Kaci's employer however layed everyone off, including her, so I guess it's whatever business your in. She was working for a chiropractor's office.
Halloween, well that's canceled too, some of the churches are doing things but the whole Parish has canceled Halloween. Gabrielle is going to be a flapper and I don't know what Jordan will be.
Chris and Sarahs house is still a big mess where the ceiling tile came in and water damage.
They are still waiting on insurance.
Other than that we had good quality time with our relatives and we are all safe and not homeless and the electricity is back on. And I can probably say I'm the only one that literally someone left their shit with. My brother and his wife and kids were in their camper for a couple of weeks in my driveway, left the little blue crapper thing with us. I called him and told him to come get his sh__ and he took forever theeeennnn dumped it out in our WOODS! Can you believe, what a redneck, Griswald.
luv 2 everyone, especially spidey and raggedy ann

Effects of Katrina

we are still going out and volunteering when we can, we have adopted a lady at Wi-Ta-Wentin camp. She came here with her children 2 boys and a girl, 16, 15, 8. She works as an aide for the group home. Her name is Betty and her husband is in Beaumont, he is caring for his mother.It took all day to get her children enrolled in school yesterday. I went in the cabin to see where they are staying. OMG it was so crowded, there are two familys of mom, and kids that total 7 and the patients (clients) like 6 - 8 of them in about400 sq feet of living space. They only sleep in there. It's like a 10 by 10 room just full of beds as many that fit in a room. They shower outside in a building somewhere and they eat in a big hall where half of it is divided off for other patients and workers to sleep. If you have ever lived in a dorm, this is 5 times worse. The beds are butted up against each other no room in between, they keep what little they brought under their bed. Very very, little a/c in there. I guess there was, it did not seem like it to me, though. The older boys were trying to plan a video game and of course the patients were unruly and loud and the workers were trying to get them to take care of their nightly rituals. The older boy and girl (Betty's kids) looked soo soo distraught. I tried to talk to them but they wouldn't say anything. They take turns bringing their clothes to the washateria, which is sooooo crowded for them with all the other evacuees. My task is just to see that she gets a break and gets away a little. Her kids are also getting adopted families so that will be good.
It's nerve wracking in there.
Hey did I tell ya'll Chris is coming home next week. Ha I know I did.
He is ready and so are we.
Well another blog another day
luv & hugs
Pam

We went to a family reunion on Sat. in the big city of DeRidder, my cousin, Dan had been in N.O. and showed up just in time for the reunion. He had been stranded in the charity hospital for 5 days. He said it was horrible and he did not think he would ever get out. The hospital was over run with bio hazardous waste, not being contained, he walked through the water and dead rats and "things" were everywhere. He was going to have to get on antibiotics for a few days to fight any disease he may be apt to get. He was so shaken that he would just break down every now and then. but he did get out and is finally home. He said they waited on a bus for three hours in a parking lot because no one knew what to do with them and actually had guns held to them. I guess the authorities were so afraid of someone striking back at them because of all of the looting and craziness.
Some of the guys in Chris's units that are coming home next week have lost everything so they can't go back home, most of them have found their families but some have not. Can you imagine working in Baghdad all year and coming back to -0-. The army has offered housing in Ft Polk for them though. There was one mentally handicapped lady, that was crying to use the phone when I was there, so I kept asking her what is your mothers name? She just said, "my momma, my momma, I so worried about my people and my brover(brother)", (in a childlike voice). So I finally could understand her moms name and got my cell phone, called information and said I don't know if you can do this but all I have is a name and she is in Louisiana I think. So he found the residence and put me through, then I had the uncomfortable task and asking the person on the other line if they had a mentally handicapped person in their family, hmmm... (no name because I could not understand it from the little patient)They said yes and I said well she is here and wants to talk to her mom. So she got to talk to her momma and she was sooooo happy, she said, "my momma, my momma, I been cryin all day to talk to you. I worryin about you my momma." "I over here and they have lots of stuff here my momma." It was so funny and sweet. Each day gets better with the news.
Pam

Sept 2, 2005

The news of Katrina's devastation is continuing to be the topic of discussion around here. There are people at Sam Houston Park that have left hotels and now camping in tents. There are so many people around 2000 at the Civic Center and several more at Burton Coliseum. The Campfire girls camp is full of mentally handicapped people and that's where I will be next week. I'm praying for all of the evacuees and workers.
Chris is going to be coming in on 9/14, after 1 whole year, hopefully from Baghdad, then a few days off, then straight to New Orleans. We will be soooo happy for that.
pam