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As you know my camera that I’ve had for around a year decided that it didn’t want to work any longer, so we took it back to Best Buy.  Even though we had purchased a ‘replacement’ insurance, they insisted that it had to be sent back for repairs.  I wasn’t the least bit happy with that decision, but I suppose the customer’s happiness doesn’t matter.  So off to the repair shop the camera went, with the assurance that it would be back in working order in one to two weeks.  Well, two weeks passed and no contact from Best Buy, so we gave them a few days longer and finally Rick went by our local store to check on the progress.  He was told that the camera had been repaired and was enroute back to Best Buy and that we should have it in a couple of days.

So, we waited yet another couple of days, and still no word.  We gave them another week and Rick went in to check again.  This time he couldn’t get any satisfaction from the employee, so he asked to speak with the manager.  Sometimes I wonder where these places find their employees, because apparently the first employee he had spoken to weeks before couldn’t read, because the manager told Rick that the camera that was sent was not ours, but belonged to another customer.  Now the story being told was that parts and labor for our camera would be too costly and so they were not going to repair it, but we would get in-store credit for it and as soon as they received proper authorization that we could come in and pick out a brand new camera, which is what I thought should happen anyway.

Again we waited and waited and waited, but still no word.  Finally, yesterday morning Rick received one of those pre-recorded messages saying that our ‘item’ was ready for pickup at Best Buy.  Well, that didn’t sound like authorization to get a new camera, but off to Best Buy we went.  And sure enough off the employee went to the back to get our camera.  I did ask her why we were told that we would be getting a new camera and she just looked at me like I was the dumb one.  I never did get an answer that satisfied me, but I really don’t know why I expected a knowledgeable answer.

The employee had put new batteries in the camera, but we didn’t have a memory card, so we couldn’t actually take any pictures while we were in the store.  When we arrived home, I tried putting my memory card in the camera and it just didn’t want to go in properly and when I finally got it to go into the slot, I got an ‘error’ message.  So I handed the camera to Rick thinking since he is the camera expert in this family that maybe he could do something about it.  Nope, it just ain’t gonna work.  So back to Best Buy the camera is going and it had better get fixed this time.

I suppose they don’t even check the cameras that they repair to make sure they work, or else they would have known.  The repair shop must find their employees the same place that the stores find theirs.  Just because the employee is all dressed up doesn’t mean they have what it takes to get the job done and to make sure the customer is happy. 

And I can assure you that this customer ain’t a bit HAPPY.

Each year some friends of ours host a community picnic and everyone at our church and in the community is invited.   There is always good food and great fellowship.  After everyone has their bellies full, someone always gets out a guitar and the singing begins.  And this year was no different… full bellies and then singing.

If you know anything about eating and singing you know that singing on a full belly is not the easiest thing to do, but we enjoy doing it anyway.  So out came the guitar and all of the singing folk gathered around, then next thing we knew there was a banjo being played and before long a neighbor went and got his guitar and we had a fantastic time.

During all the eating and singing, God decided that we needed some rain and He sure gave us a downpour of that wet stuff.  He also mixed in some thunder and lightening, but we kept right on eating and singing and I believe He was pleased with our music because we were singing praises to Him.  I even heard several ‘Amens’ during some of the songs.

It sure is good when we can get together and enjoy life and we all need to show our love for each other more often and show our love for God and thank Him for our many blessings.  The rain didn’t stop our picnic today and I’m looking forward to doing the same thing again next year. 

Thanks Kenneth and Ruth for being such great friends and for having all of us over and enduring our singing each year.  You just need to join in the singing with us.  Thanks!!!

Last night around 9 p.m. I was sitting here playing on the computer and suddenly the doorbell rang.  I was here alone and normally I don’t answer the door after dark when Rick is not here.  But Mr. Protection (Houdini) was here and so I took a peek out the glass (hoping that whoever was on the other side couldn’t see me).  I could see that it was a woman and she looked famaliar, so I opened the door just enough for her to see Houdini and enough for me to see that she was my next door neighbor.  She is a good neighbor, so I felt safe enough to open the door wider so that we could talk.

Ms. Litton asked if I knew about the tree that had fallen and was blocking the road.  Of course I did not know, so I grabbed my shoes on and put Houdini in his ‘room’ so that he wouldn’t bark and out the door I went to see what I thought would be just a small tree limb that had broken off.  Was I ever wrong, because it was one of the biggest trees lining our property alongside the road.  And it sure was blocking traffic from getting through.  It actually scared me because Rick had driven through there probably not more than five minutes earlier and I shudder to think what would have happened if it had fallen on the car or on someone else’s vehicle.  As big as that tree was, it probably would have killed whoever was in the car or at least injured them badly.

I retired as a dispatcher with the Sheriff’s Department in 2005, so I immediately called them and told them about the tree and that it would take a big saw and some strong men to get it out of the road.  A friend that I had worked with answered the phone and he sent the local fire department out and it took them over an hour to cut the tree into pieces small enough so that they could move it out of the road.

This tree was very large and only one half of it broke off, so Rick is going to check the other half tomorrow and if it is rotten inside, then we will probably cut the other half down also.  We sure don’t want it falling on anything.  As you can see, if the tree had fallen in the other direction, it would have smashed our work building and we certainly don’t want that to happen.  There are also some power lines that it could take down with it and we don’t want that either.

Well, I guess I’ll be planting some other trees to replace that one before long and maybe it won’t take too long for the new trees to grow tall and strong.  Maybe I’d better consider trees that won’t grow so very tall, just beautiful and strong.  I just thank God for keeping everyone safe and out of harm’s way.

The school year of 2007-2008 has finally come to an end for our granddaughter Olivia and hundreds of other youngsters in our area.  Olivia is not the only one that is happy about it… so am I.  At least for approximately three months I can sleep soundly knowing that the phone will not ring and I hear a voice saying “hey, I missed the bus so can you come and take me to school, and don’t let me be tardy”. 

Olivia has several plans for her summer vacation and she has already begun to enjoy her free time.  She has already spent a day at Dollywood where she has a season pass.  Olivia, little sis Madison, and their Mom Tami have spent the day with their friend who has a very nice pool in her backyard.  And yesterday Olivia called her dad and had him pick her up so that she could spend a few days with him.

Another very special trip that Olivia has made each summer since she was old enough to feed herself and go to the bathroom on her own, has been to spend a week or two with her Aunt Amy.  They do all sorts of fun things together.  Up until last summer Amy lived near the beach in Wilmington, NC and they spent time having beach fun.  Then last summer Olivia helped Amy and Gene do shopping for their house that they are remodeling, which was not her most favorite thing to do.  This summer she has a season pass to Carowinds, so I’m sure they will spend several days there.  Also, Amy has purchased tickets to a concert that I’m sure Olivia will enjoy.

Olivia has been going to Florida with her other grandmother each year, but I haven’t heard of any plans for that this summer.   But I’m sure she will find plenty of other things to do and before long, the summer will have ended and it will be school days again.  And I won’t be a bit surprised when the phone rings and that voice says “I missed the bus and don’t let me be tardy”.

Have a happy and safe summer vacation and enjoy these ‘teen years’.  And I’m sure Madison will enjoy having you here to help spoil her.