"Todd-a-Roo"

Saturday - November 1, 2008

Thirty years ago today a blond haired blue-eyed son was born to my youngest brother, Mike and his wife Renee. Matthew Todd Layne was to be the second grandson for Elmer and Irene Layne. He looked so much like his dad, Mike! Now I had two nephews to dote over and spoil! Billy was the first and was only three months older. These two boys were together constantly when visiting Mamaw and Papaw. Then along came nephew number three, Bobby Layne. These boys were unique in their own individual ways. Billy and Bobby were a little more adventurous, while Todd was more cautious. It paid to be cautious especially when their papaw and dads were around! Nephew number four came along in May 1980, JD. These boys did not get together as much as they would have liked, but oh when they did - fun, fun, fun!

I use to call Todd, Todd – a – roo. Why? I have no idea! I had bought three mice from Home Interior. They were eating items supposedly taken from the kitchen. I named them Bill, Bob, and Todd. They knew which one was their name sake! Sometimes I would forget, and they would inform me which one was who!

There are many things I remember about Todd as he grew up into the wonderful man he is today. It is so hard for me to realize my boys are no longer boys! One Saturday, my cousin Pat and I decided to take the boys on a trip to McDonalds and let them order their own meals. Some were hesitant that we would be able to “handle” three boys at McDonald’s. Our response was that if we can handle over 20 kids in a classroom, surely we can handle three four and five year olds!!! Todd led the pack. We had them hold hands with Pat and myself leading and following the pack! Todd was the first one to go up to the counter and place his order. He did a great job!, Next went Billy and finally Bob, who needed a little help – after all he was the youngest.

Todd was and is very athletic. Once when playing T-ball, he had to put on the brakes when running the bases so that he would not pass Bobby who, with his short legs, was running as hard and fast as he could. Todd with his long legs ran like the speed of lightning and was trying to get home and not make an out. It was so cute; everyone was telling Bobby to speed up and for Todd to slow down!!! Had Todd passed Bobby and reached home first, he would have been out! Both boys made it home safely and in the correct order.

Another fond memory was the time we decided to take the kids to the rodeo! Now, Bill and Bob were all up for it as they lived on a farm. They actually thought they could ride the broncos and lasso the steers! Dink, Pat, Donetta, and I were the adults in charge of Billy, Bobby, Todd, and Janetta. Bobby was the youngest at about three and Billy was the oldest at four. It was going to be a fun time! Dink took charge of Billy; Pat took charge of Todd – she knew which one would be the easiest to watch; I had Bob; and Donetta had her little one, Janetta. Dink got the bright idea to buy cotton candy for the kids! Billy and Janetta did okay with only a little mess; Todd did great with hardly a mess – smart move Pat; and then there was Bob, who literally took a bath with the cotton candy. I just looked at Dink and said, “He’s all yours!” I took Billy, and he took Bobby and cleaned him up!! What a night. Todd was glued to his seat and he didn’t take his eyes off what was going on in the ring. He was not about to get close enough for those big horns to get a hold of him – can’t say I blame him! He really had a great time as did the rest of us!

One thing about Todd that you will soon learn while being around him is that he is a true "HERDS" fan. He bleeds green all the way - rain or shine; win or lose; Marshall is his team and always has been. Wonder how much of that is his dad's fault???

There are so many “cute” stories that I could write about Todd, but it would take a while to write them all down on paper. What I can and will write now is about the man he has become. He has been a member of the Campus Crusade at Marshall and was involved with doing some missionary work during the summer. He went to Gatlinburg one summer; worked at a local restaurant; and witnessed to all around him. There was a group from Marshall that went down as well as members from other campuses. It was on this trip and in this group that he met his fiancée, Cassie Bordea. These two will be married in May, 2009. Todd is working at “Brite-Rite” mainly doing delivery and pick-ups for the lab while attending Marshall majoring in physical therapy. He knows what he wants to do and is going after it. One day he may be able to help me with my back!!!!!

We all love Todd very much and are very proud of his accomplishments and his dreams. He has come a long way from that baby 30 years ago. Happy birthday Todd! We love you!
I am including pictures of Todd through the years. Hope you enjoy them!

Todd and Billy sitting together at Mamaw and Papaw's.



Todd giving us the "Hulk" impersonation!



The following two pictures are similar but different. One is of the father, Mike; and the other is of the son, Todd! Which is which?




The living room couch has been a place in which many pictures have been taken. The oldest sibling holding the youngest. One is of my three brothers and me; another is of Billy, Bob, Todd, and Meghan; and then we have Billy, Bob, Todd, Dawn, and JD.





Todd with his cousins and sister! (Dawn, Billy, Todd, Bobby, JD, Lindsay, and Meghan)(Oldest to the youngest!)




Todd and Meghan - then and now!





Todd the boy; Todd the man!




The future Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Todd Layne

Memories from the Classroom Part 1

Wednesday - October 28, 2008

Some of you are old enough to remember Art Linkletter and his “House Party.” The show actually started out on radio and was eventually moved to the television screen for a half-hour program meant for entertainment. The first fifteen minutes was usually a discussion by adult guest about things that would be of interest to most housewives. It was the last fifteen minutes that I really remember and loved to watch. Art Linkletter would have four school age children sitting on a small stage. He would walk below the stage with his microphone and ask them questions. Kids are kids – no matter when they were born or where they lived. He would ask they simple questions such as “what do you want to be when you grow up?” or “who do you want to marry?” They always had an answer – an answer that would cause the audience to laugh, and I’m sure all those watching at home. I always loved the last fifteen minutes! I use to wonder how those kids got on the show! Little did I know they all lived in California and had to audition to be on the show. WV is a long way from California.

Years later, Bill Cosby started a show based Art Linkletter’s Show, but he called it “Kid’s Say the Darndest Things.” This was a phrase Linkletter would use after the kids would respond to his questions.

After starting my teaching career, I could have had my own show in my classroom every day. Bill and I were talking about some of these funny moments we had in the classroom and thought we would share some of them! There have been times when I wished I had written things down that had taken place in the classroom – you think you can remember them all, but time has a way of causing them to slowly fade away! Today, we are going to share a couple of things from Bill’s teaching days!

Bill has two things that came to mind which happened sometime during the last ten years of his teaching career. He taught WV History to eighth graders, and one of his responsibilities was to prepare the kids for the “Golden Horseshoe” Test in which all eighth graders take in early spring. To qualify for your school, the test was generally given in December. Needless to say, there was a lot of information that needed to be shared in order for these kids to do well on the test. Some obvious bits of information included those who held what office in the county as well as in the state! Most of the kids did well in knowing the mayor, magistrates, sheriff, clerk, etc. Our County Clerk, Bob Pasley has been in that office since 1975. He was actually elected to that position in 1985, but he served as a deputy clerk before being elected. Most of the kids knew who Bob Pasley was. He would come down with his “mountaineer” outfit and rifle and participate in the schools “ramp festival.” When going over who held what office, one student raised his hand to ask a question. “Mr. Hardin, I thought it was Brad Paisley who was the clerk!” Needless to say the kids cracked up – but Bill had no idea who Brad Paisley was! This made them all laugh harder. Of course if you listen to county music, then you know who he is. As the years progressed onward, the state required the kids to know “famous” people from WV. These included Don Knotts, Soupy Sales, Mary Lou Retton, Larry Bird, and eventually they added Brad Paisley. Bill said that Bob Pasley might like the idea that the kids mistook him for Brad Paisley!




Another requirement for the kids was to learn all 55 counties in the state. They had to be able to label them on a blank map! After several weeks of working with the kids and breaking the counties down into regions which made it easier for them to learn, Bill felt good about their progress. Then one morning a group of boys came back to his desk before class took up to tell him something really important! Bill thought they were serious (or so they thought). The spokesman for the little group asked Bill if he had heard that they had added another county that began with the letter “O?” Bill of course replied he had not. This student then stated with a face as straight as an arrow said, “this new county is called Out Wayne!” Bill said those kids had the best time with that because they caught him off guard!



What is really funny about both these stories is that yes, the kids did catch him off guard for a second, and they loved the fact he played along with them! We discovered many years ago you do not have to be straight lace, no smiles, or no humor to have a good teacher-student relationship with the kids. Talk to them straight and treat them fairly and you will be surprised at the progress you can have with them.

Not all our memories are ones that we can share – actually we would just as soon forget some of them. Kids are kids, some are good and some, for whatever reason, try to be bad. Kids do say the “darndest things” and most of the time it is because they are so innocent or just want to have a little clean fun!

Celtic Thunder Concert

Tuesday - October 21, 2008

Celtic Woman has been a favorite group of mine since I first heard them in January, 2006. I was home trying to recover from a sciatic nerve problem and all I was able to do was sleep and watch TV! Even with satellite, there wasn’t a whole lot on TV that interested me! One day I came across the Celtic Woman. I saw a clip of them singing and then an advertisement that was promoting their first DVD. I was hooked; ordered the DVD and the rest is history. I have been able to see them twice in concert – once in Huntington and the second time in Toledo. Both concerts were fabulous. These ladies know how to sing and put on a show! The original girls include – Chloe, Maev, Lisa, Orla, and Máiréad – who is sometimes called the “fairy dancing fiddler!” These five ladies captured my heart with their singing and talent. They were instrumental in helping me heal from the loss of Dad. I could be carried away with their music, and forget about the pain in my back and leg as well as in my heart! They have had others join their show as a temporary replacement for Lisa and a permanent replacement for Maev. Lisa was off for maternity leave, and Maev was pursuing other avenues on her own! That’s show biz! Lynn, Alex, and Haley all added their own talent to the show and it was wonderful.

Now Celtic Thunder is what some call the “male counterpart” to Celtic Woman. The plural forms are not used in either of these groups name mainly because they are individual performers and do some group songs. Each artist has their own style of singing and that is shown throughout the show. But when they sing together, oh the harmony is so sweet and pleasant! Bill referred to it as listening to a “barber shop quartet” group. When the group first started, Damian was only 14 while George was the oldest at 39. Four of them are from Ireland with George being the only one from Scotland. They all had to audition and were ultimately chosen by Sharon Browne and Phil Coulter. This is their first tour in the US and we got to see them live in concert in Columbus. OH. It was everything I expected – only better! I have watched their DVD and listened to their cd’s so much, I know the songs by heart - even the ones they sing in the Gaelic language. What they are saying – I have no idea – but it is beautiful! Damian is now 16 and not wearing his braces and his voice doesn’t seem to be as high pitched – but oh did he do a really great job singing “Young Love” and “Puppy Love.”

If I had to choose what my favorite song is –that would be so hard to do! I love hearing Damian sing “A Bird Without Wings”; Paul does a great job singing “Nights in White Satin”; Ryan’s rendition of “Desperado” is superb; Keith does a wonderful job singing “I Wanna Know What Love Is”; and George’s singing “The Old Man” is one that makes tears come to your eyes. Each one did a beautiful job singing all their individual songs. But, I really loved the songs they sang as a group. These songs sung by the ensemble brought most of the crowd to their feet. My favorites may include “Ireland’s Call” and “Caledonia.”

Bill and I have enjoyed going to the different concerts even though some people don’t understand why we go. Five, ten, or even a year from now, we may not be able to attend these concerts. We want to go to the concerts while our health will allow us to do so. This is something I was so glad that my father was able to do when he retired back in 1984. When he first retired he and Mom were always on the road! It may have been a day trip, but it was something they wanted to do and were able to enjoy! I hope we can enjoy our retirement years as they did.

I am including the URL for the Celtic Thunder YouTube site that will allow you to see for yourself on how much talent I think they have! You will need to copy and paste the following URL's to your browser; wait for it to download completely and then listen - you will get a better feel of how well they sing and then will be able to keep up with the message in the songs. Hope you all enjoy! Once you get to YouTube you will be able to see many other links that show Celtic Thunder, their songs, interviews, and pictures. You will get an idea of who they are and what how well they sing! (I may have figured out how to insert the link without you having to copy and paste it. Try clicking on the link and see what happens!!)

The following link will take you to YouTube with the group singing "Ireland's Call," and "Caledonia." (Two of my favorites)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlnLk4Y_kKM

This is a link that takes you to "Christmas - 1915". It wasn't on the DVD or part of the show we saw, but it was on the second cd they released. Get the tissues ready - it is a tear jerker! This one really brought tears to my eyes when I first heard it on the cd! So Sad!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqqlaTRBxas

The Answer Is - - - - - - -

Monday - October 20, 2008

To those who responded to our first picture identification post - thank you!!!
The answer is Bill holding Courtney (John and Laurie's grand-daughter and the daughter of JD and Darcie)in the living room of Mom and Dad's in 1998. Congratulations to Billy - you won! Your prize - it will be a surprise!!! . . . and Rhonda you get a prize too!!

Courtney with her Papaw John - 2006.



This is a picture of Courtney a few years ago - growing and becoming a beautiful young lady! No I'm not prejudice - just truthful! :):)



Keep reading because we will soon post another picture!!!

Who???

Friday - October 17, 2008

Another strange title for a post - why you might ask - we came up with something new to do with our post. Several posts we have read have made a challenge to the readers which caused them to respond. While looking through the pictures we have downloaded we came up with a challenge for our readers. Periodically we are going to post a picture to see if anyone can identify WHO is in the picture! For some of you it may be easier than for others because it may be your picture we are posting. We are not going to post parents with children - too easy!! We have many pictures of aunts/uncles with nieces/nephews!! We are not just talking about the younger generation either! So are you all up for the challenge??

I'm sure some of you are wondering what the prize will be if you are a winner. I loved David's prize - a free subscription for life to his blog!!! We will come up with some appropriate prize for the winners!!! (A smile, handshake, or slap on the back saying job well done! - not really)

We could give you some clues - but let’s try this first one without any! Some of the older pictures we might need to give you a clue!!
Hope you enjoy this challenge!!!

Here's the first photo challenge: Who are the two pictured in this photo, and can you give us the year it was taken? (We can't make the challenge too easy!) :):):):)

Fall Foliage

Thursday - October 16, 2008

Isn't the picture posted above beautiful? Just think - it was God who was instrumental in making all things beautiful! Many times we “forget” to thank Him for such beauty! We sometimes take the beauty for granted. Thank you God for this beauty!

We have been watching the turning of the leaves on the hillside behind our house. But alas, they are not displaying the vibrant colors as the tree above! We have had the trees on Craig Road show that kind of color – however, it does not happen every year. When listening to the weather report each evening, they will explain where the color may be found and why we may or may not have the brilliant colors of fall. From what I understand it comes from the amount of rainfall (or lack of it) that we have had. All I really know is that some years the trees are full of color and other years they are not!

One of the prettiest falls I remember was when I was about ten years old! We were headed up to my grandparents who lived up a “holler” on Lick Creek. (Wayne County, WV) Dad usually took the same route when going to Mamaw and Papaw’s. This was a trip we took every weekend. My grandparents stayed up in the “holler” during the spring until the garden had been harvested. After church on this particular Sunday, we were all looking forward to see what Mamaw had cooked for us. We were always starved by the time we got there. It was fall and the trees were really full of color. But as kids, we really didn’t care about looking at the leaves on the trees. It wasn’t until we got older and think back to those times that we begin to appreciate these moments. I hadn’t thought about that trip until we were talking about the fall foliage a couple of days ago!

When we got to Mays Grocery Store on this particular Sunday, we were suppose to turn right, cross the bridge, and go through East Lynn to get to Lick Creek. However, on this particular day, Dad said we were taking a new route! We were going on an adventure! Now I had no idea where we were going and how we could get to my grandparents going a different way! I’m sure the boys (Dink, John, and Mike) knew exactly where we were and the route Dad was taking. When Dad did not turn right, it really got our attention. He explained we were taking this different way to Mamaw and Papaw’s so we could see the colors of the trees. Ugh – this meant it would take us longer to get there. The roads were extremely curvy with most bridges still one “lane.” Dad always said we had to get out and walk across the bridge because only one “Layne” could go across at a time! We ended up enjoying this new route because Dad and Mom turned it into a new adventure for us. We really started looking at the color of the leaves. We made it into a challenge as to who could see the prettiest tree first! Sadly, we did not have a camera to take pictures back then! The pictures are just embedded into our memory banks! We just need to wipe away the cobwebs for them to surface!

We have been taking pictures to show the progression of the colors on the trees behind the house. It appears we are not having the leaves with the vibrancy in color as in the past. It has been a wonder just to watch the changes in the leaves and how they change day to day. The colors show up a lot better when the sun is shining on them! Fall is not over by any means – so maybe we will get to see some really pretty colors on Craig Road this fall!

We hope all of you are enjoying the fall foliage around your homes!!! Take a Sunday afternoon ride and enjoy the beauty God has created!

These are pictures we have taken of the hillside behind the house this past year. I had not noticed how much this hillside has been a focus point when taking pictures of God's paintings! We start with snow; then on to spring before the trees are in full foliage; and then we see the progression of the color changes during the last couple of weeks. Most of the pictures were taken because of the wonder and beauty we saw in the sky and that particular hillside!











Notice the moon on the left side of the picture!



These were taken this afternoon - fog and rain has settled in for the evening!
The second picture is of some of the color we found on the trees in front of our neighbors.
The last two show a close up of the blooms from our mums!!!

Bill's Baby Brother

Sunday - October 12, 2008

John Wilson Hardin is the baby brother of Bill and "Twink" alias Charles Hardin. He is the third son of Clyde and Bertha Marrs Hardin. There are fourteen years between the oldest son, Bill, and John. (There’s approximately seven years between Bill and Twink, and Twink and John.) Several weeks ago we had decided to write an occasional post about the Hardin side of the family. John is a very unique person. He would love to have been raised around the likes of Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, and any other traditional Bluegrass artist especially when they played gospel songs. He loves the Primitive Quartet and a host of others that I can't keep track of, or in some instances didn’t even recognize their names.

Bill and I took John to see The Perry Sisters, The Inspirations, and a few other groups at the Huntington Civic Center years ago. A cousin of Dad's - Curtis Lane - was still alive and could always be seen at most of the song fests in the region. Part of the reason was because he loved gospel music, but another reason was because his son - Harold Lane - was a member of the Speer Family. Curt would go to meet and welcome some of his son's friends to our area. (Good old WV hospitality!) The reason I'm telling you this is because he personally introduced John to members of the Inspirations. Now granted, they weren't Bill Monroe or Ralph Stanley, but they were super stars in John's eyes! They all made over him and then autographed a picture for him which he has framed and hanging in his room!

John use to come and stay with us during the summer when we weren't teaching. Now you might think he came because he wanted to visit with his big brother! Wrong - well maybe not completely wrong. The flea market located at the old bus barn in the West end of Huntington had a vendor that sold tapes, cd's, and videos of all the "old" groups that John loved to hear! To tell you the truth, some of the groups we had not heard of before John started buying the tapes. The owner of this particular place took an interest in John (was quite unusual for a person John's age to be interested in all that "old" kind of music). He always gave John a good deal and sometimes would give John a "free" tape! John thought this was great! This gentleman had to sell out his section for several reasons - one being he was ill and could no longer keep up with the work. This saddened John - where would he go now to get these tapes he loved so much? Since this particular vendor is no longer at the flea market - John doesn't come and stay with us! Thus the reason for his visits (we think) - he wanted us to take him to the various flea markets looking for all those tapes that are no longer being produced! He will crank his player up sky high when at home and listen to it for hours. He and Bill are alike in that way – crank the music up as high as it will go – the only difference is the type of music being played!!!!

Another thing about John is his love for “Tweety Bird” – which stems from his younger days as a child. He has a wide collection of “Tweety” around the house – most of which have been presents from the family. We even found a polo shirt with Tweety on it – now that was a prize. He has a collection of Tweety Birds ranging in size. They have found a place in the front bedroom on the spare bed. He keeps an eye on them when we visit and have to move them from the bed.

John isn’t able to work. He does have a handicap, but does not let that deter him from enjoying his life. As long as he can listen to his kind of music, have Tweety Bird around, go to the store when he wants (prefers going at 7:00 in the morning when the store is virtually empty!), and have his mashed potatoes, corn, and cubed steak, life is good for him.

We have chosen some great shots of John through the years to share with you!

A picture of John with his nephew - David! - at Granny's in Inez, KY (1980)



John with David and Tweety Bird - at Granny's in Inez, KY (1989)



John with his niece - Ashlea - and nephew - David - at home in Williamson, WV (1991)



John at our house on the hill in Wayne, WV - Christmas (1991)



John between his older brothers - Bill and "Twink" - at home in Williamson (1992)



John with his mother, Bertha Marrs, and brothers Bill and Twink - at home in Williamson, WV (1992)



John and Bill - at home in Williamson, WV (2207)

Our Stress Relief - Toby

Friday - October 10,2008

Before you retire you hear all kinds of comments about how all the stress you are under will no longer be a part of your everyday life. That is true to a certain point. What they all leave out is that the stress you may experience at work is gone, but there is always something that seems to cause a person to worry and feel under a different type of stress. As we get older it seems that some of the stress is coming from losing those who are close to you - family and friends. Some of us may be stressing out because it is an election year; the problems on Wall Street; and most of us feel the stress that our loved ones are under. Yes, we are to turn it all over to God. Sometimes it is easier said than done - sometimes what we want to happen or not happen isn't in God's plan for us.

Reading through one of my many sites which has a Bible verse for the day, I came across the following verse:
“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”- Proverbs 19:20-21
It is true - God's purpose will prevail!

So to help alleviate some of the stress we may feel which stems from things we have no control over, Bill and I not only read God's word, but we also turn to an unlikely source! It comes from our "babee"! He is twelve years old; has crooked teeth; is almost completely blind; and suffers from arthritis in almost every joint in his little body! He is our lovable Boston Terrier, Toby. There were many days when we would come home from a very stressful day at school that he would greet us as if we were the most important people on this earth. In a way I guess we were since we were the ones who would feed him and let him in and out a dozen times a day! But do you know what? He loves us unconditionally even if we did get home late, or were gone from him for a few days. The love he showers on us; the trust he displays; and the faith he shows is what we should be doing towards our Heavenly Father!

We use to come in from work; take Toby out back and play "keep-a-way" with a "doggie Frisbee." We could feel the stress leave our bodies - I think we lost it from running after Toby and the laughter from his antics of trying to keep us from getting the Frisbee! Laughter is a good means of relief - sometimes it is hard to find something to laugh about! Toby has been supplying those moments when we most needed them. Since he is losing his sight, he can not see the Frisbee flying through the air. We have not been playing with him because it is so sad to see that look of anticipaton on his face and then he isn't able to see that flying toy in the air! He was always so excited to be able to get that toy away from Mom and Dad.

During a wind storm a few weeks ago, a large ball found its way into our back yard! Toby was afraid of it at first, but now - it's "look out" ball, here comes Toby! It has taken several days of playing with it for Toby to figure out what he wants to do with that huge ball. For the last week we have laughed at his show! We have captured some of his playfulness on camera and would like to share them with you.

We hope you get a chuckle out of these pictures - seeing Toby in action is a lot better! We weren't fast enough to capture some of his best poses!

Bill helps Toby find the ball! Bill's head has been cut off - not intentionally - Toby was the focus! :):):)





Toby would really love to get his teeth into the ball and then run with it!





Okay, if he can't get it in his mouth and run with it, then he'll just push it around the yard!





What happens when the ball gets out of his reach? He barks and barks and barks - until someone pushes it back within his reach!





Sometimes Toby looks as if he is going to try and get on top of the ball!!!





Now this is the face of a "happy babee!" :):):):)