it's a world of laughter, a world or tears its a world of hopes, its a world of fear theres so much that we share that its time we're aware its a small world after all.....Thank you Walt Disney

Today is D day. D is my new favorite letter. It starts deconstruction. Yes, my friends it is that time. Deconstruction on the house has started. I really hope that it ruins the day for the creeps that have kept going into my home. May they all got rot in a hot place. As my mom used to say when I was a kid “H E double toothpicks!”

I decided that I wanted to go by the old homestead because I wanted to see it. My mom wanted to come and I vetoed it. I didn’t think it was a good idea for her to see the things that we have accumulated over the years in the dumpster. I am not sure just exactly what she can handle. There are things that need to come out of the house like her piano that was made in 1906 that her parents bought her. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight.

My mom questioned me as to whether I could handle it or not. These are just things. Sure there are memories that surround the things but it is the memories that I treasure the most. Now there are things that I am sad about losing don’t get me wrong. But in my heart I know that the lives we have are far more important than our things ever were.

I am sad at the loss of my autographed books. I had books autographed by favorite authors that meant a lot to me. Like the Tamora Pierce novel that I took my girls and my niece Stephanie to go get. That was a fun time. This was one of those experiences that means more than the loss. Kody was picked to introduce her and Kacy kept giggling the whole time. Kody finally told her to shut up. Come to find out Tamora Pierce had been making faces and sticking her tongue out because she knew it was making Kacy giggle. We all 4 got the book. One still exists.

My Janet Evanovich book that I went to Roseville and waited hours at the Barnes and Noble to get a chance to meet her and get an autograph. Stephanie, my sister Kathy and I had a lot of fun that night. I at least have pictures of that book and the night. But I also have fun memories of the night and what fun we had meeting her daughter and that was fun.

I was blessed to have my very prized autographed Dakota Banks books replaced. She saw my tweet on Twitter about the fire and the loss of the books. She very kindly sent me a box full of things from her. Included were her books, pens, a tote bag, magnets, bookmarks and a calculator. Very many thanks to her because that truly made my day when I got that package.

I had “Still Hungry After All These Years” by Richard Simmons that he wrote a personal message to me in it when I met him for the first time. Scotty and I had gone down in 2006 to exercise with him. He is a great man and the salt of the earth. I can get another copy of the book and I am sure he would sign it but it wouldn’t be the same. It was from a personal moment that we shared.

One of the sweetest gifts I have received since the fire is a book that Stephanie gave me. She had a book written by Kim Harrison who is one of my personal favorites. It is an autographed copy she won in a contest when she worked at Barnes and Noble. It is with my Dakota Banks books. I am blessed to have these things and these memories.

Tonight in the Monday night chat with Richard Simmons we had the homework he had given us. We had to tell him three blessings. I had no problem coming up with three blessings, I had problems limiting it to three. My blessings were as follows;

1. I am blessed to be alive. The Lord kept me alive in 2007 when the Drs said I would die.

2. I am blessed that the whole family including dogs survived the fire in April and that we are all together.

3. I am blessed to have a great group of loved ones to share life with.

I stand by these and I don’t offer any apologies.