Bloggin With Shell Washam

Prayers for my Father

2010-02-26T04:48:00Z

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be my dad. When I was old enough to realize I couldn't actually be him I was already a bonafide daddy's girl. I went everywhere with my dad. We lived in Buffalo, NY and all of my grandparents we're alive then, save my father's father who died when he was only eleven. On April 1, 1962, April fools day, my dad was in the church school yard playing baseball with his friends when his sister came to get him.

"Billy, you gotta come home" she told him "daddy is gone".

"Gone where?" my dad asked "I know, April Fools!" he laughed. He was totally unaware that life the way he knew it was about to come to an end. My aunt told him that their father had a massive heart attack and had passed away.

My dad raced to the hospital on his bike to see if she was fooling and learned that it was no joke. The father he loved and idolized was gone. When my dad talks about the days after his father passed away you can see the pain and lonliness in his eyes. His mother, my grandma, never recovered and until the day she died in 2003 she remained a recluse, barely leaving her home. My dad was left to fend for himself. His siblings were married or had already left home and hearing him tell the story, which he rarely does, you can almost imagine how lonlely it must have been for him.

I loved hearing my dad's stories about how he went out and pulled groceries in his wagon for people at the grocery store to earn money when he was barely twelve-years old. At 16, he met my mother. Mom was from the other side of town and my grandparents we're strongly opposed to her dating my dad. That didn' stop them. They loved each other so much that the thought of being without each other was more than they could bear. My mom was raised in a traditional, old-fashioned, Italian-Catholic family and going against her parents wishes was not the norm, but she loved my dad so much. When my mom was 19 and my dad just 16 they eloped leaving both of their families in total shock. Of course my grandparents were determined to hate my dad, but it wasn't long before they grew to love him and even though my parents were very young, they accepted my dad and less than a year later, I came along. My dad was only 17-years old when I was born. He always told me it was the best day of his life when I was born and he never failed to show me how very much he loved me. I was his little girl. Forty one years later (and about 200 lbs.) I am still his little girl and he will always be my daddy.

Last night as I was working on some minor web updates, my mother called. I could tell the instant I heard her voice that something was wrong. Mom told me that my father couldn't breathe and was so weak he couldn't walk from the table to the couch, a distacne of about 10 feet. She was going to take him to the emergency room but before they could leave my father began having trouble breathing. She called 911 and 30 minutes later, my father was in the hospital. The doctors informed him that he had severe pneumonia in his right lung. That combined with COPD and emphezema is deadly.

Within seconds of getting the news my partners Linda Evans Shepherd and Carole Whang Schuuter and my friend Kathi Macias had put the word out and began storming the gates of heaven for my dad. God really does send angels to live among us.

I spent most of the day with my dad in the hospital and he appears to be getting worse instead of better but I have faith that he is going to pull through. This evening, as I sat here thinking about my father, I wanted to share a little bit about him with you all. It doesn't matter how old a girl is, once a daddy's girl, always a daddy's girl. My dad has always been my best friend, I love him more than I can put into words and I am praying that God will heal him quickly.

If you're reading this, could pray for my dad? My mom can use a few prayers too. Her and dad will be married 42 years in April but they are still like 2 teenagers, just like when they met. Thanks for letting me unload my heart tonight, and thank you for your prayers.

I'll keep you posted.

OH, How I LOVE these HECTIC HOLIDAYS!!

2009-12-14T01:13:00Z

Oh...the weather outside is frightful...but I love it! It was a cold, dreary, rainy, gray day today and we loaded the kids and my parents in the cars and off to Pigeon Forge we went. The Tanger outlets down there are just awesome and they had a lot of really good deals.

Tonight, I'm working on my Christmas cards and waiting for Mike and Louie to get back with the new lights for the Christmas tree. We got a real one this year!! I've been wanting to get a real tree since we moved to Tennessee 6-years ago. Actually, we'll be here 6-years on Christmas Eve. I can't believe it's been that long.

In my last post, I was venting my frustration over my fellow "Christian's" who aren't....well...very Christian. I've decided I'm going to do a lot more than vent! I'm going to start changing myself in hopes that those around me will maybe do the same. Is there any other way to enact change in others? I'm also going to refuse to work with those who really aren't in ministry to minister and when they ask me why, I'm going to be honest, afterall... I am not worried about offending them but offending my Heavenly Father by NOT saying anything. What they do with it, is up to them.

Today, while I was out shopping in the crowds of people, which by the way, makes it very hard to believe there is a recession going on, I smiled at everyone. There were a few rude people out there but I defused their meaness with a big ole' smile straight from my heart... It worked.

There is no doubt that people can be awfully crabby during the holiday's. This should be a time of good cheer and good will towards each other but instead we let the commercialism turn us into something that we really shouldn't be. It sure does defeat the whole purpose and meaning of Christmas.

I hope you'll be the one person in the crowd who will spread the true spirit of Christmas with a friendly smile or a kind word. ONLY good can come from that and at the very least, you'll feel better about yourself.

Merry Christmas and Happy Shopping!

Who's Ministry is This?

2009-11-12T06:57:00Z

I recently made the decision to let go of some of my commercial client's. Not because I don't need the money. Heck, all work is welcome these days and I'm thankful for the work the Lord has kept me in since the economy took a dive.

No, I realized that many of the people I was serving were not really serving God. Oh, they say they are. But the deeper I got into the projects I was hired for, the more I realized that some of my collegues really aren't in "it" for God anymore. . They claim to be in ministry and to be spreading the "Message" for God's kingdom but a closer look revealed the fact that quite a few people in ministry have replaced the Cross with themselves or rather their "ministry". They've taken the focus off of The One they claim to serve while striving for another book sale or speaking engagement. Jesus is no longer preeminant in their work, he is merely a name used to get ahead. The ministry has become the idol.

I've sat back and watched so many ministry leaders overwork themselves, oversell themselves, neglect their most precious priorities (family) merely to "promote" their ministry i.e. themselves. They're off traveling the world promoting and speaking, selling and signing; but when they don't see the desired return they become angry and resentuful, they panic and wonder why they can't achieve the numbers they hoped for. A visit to many ministry websites will introduce you to the person who founded the ministry and all the details about them, this is often the first thing people see when they visit. It's only upon reading a mission statement or a bio that you can learn what the ministry is really about. It appears the goal is to let visitors know all about them their books and their achievements and in most cases, where you can hear them speak in upcoming months. A tool that can be used to reach the masses with the message is instead used to make a sale. Buy the book or book the speaker and you can hear the message too!

Now some of you reading this might say "She's just jealous becuase she isn't getting as many requests for speaking or she probably isn't selling many books". If I were a public speaker, I'd agree and if my books didn't sell themselves, I would say that it could appear a little envy crept in, but I look at my ministry a different way. What I'm sharing here is a message I felt inspired in my heart to share. He puts the books I've written in the hands of those who need them. I don't worry about the numbers, the message gets where it needs to go because He sees to it. He has sustained this ministry for over 10-years. I go about His business and He goes about mine.

When I look at many ministries, they've become like big business. We have boards and committees, CEO's, CFO's, Director's of this and of that. We have marketing strategy and a budget and even non-profits. Ministry in this day and age has become too complicated for the minister let alone the people the message was orginally meant for. If someone should happen to come into the organization with a God inspired message or idea, they have to clear the board of directors before they are given permission OR the opportunity to share that divine message. Of course, the egos behind some ministries prevent that from happening altogether becuase afterall, the founder of the ministry is the boss and it is THEIR ministry. Yikes! Where is Jesus in all of this?

It's necessary to sell a certain amount of books and to book so many speaking events to cover the budget and many ministry leaders/authors/speakers will stop at nothing to accomplish that. Then we wonder why Christian's aren't being taken seriously. We're reflecting this corporate image with all the trimmings and wondering why no one wants to hear what we have to say. So many ministry leaders have made their ministry their idol. They've forgotten the basics and don't remember the reasons God chose them to serve Him with the experiences, accomplishments, time in the valley and the victory of making it to the high places. The focus is on sales and dollars. As a Christian web developer, this isn't what I signed up for and I have to say, working for some Christian ministries can be somewhat frustrating. You would think that you'd be treated kinder, with patience and respect; but that's not always the case. Some ministry leaders are demanding and difficult and if they didn't make it a point ot advertise their Christianity, I's swear they weren't.

One of the things that got my attention was women in ministry attaching the term "Diva" to their name or ministry. I hate to tell you ladies, but the word Diva, and ministry, don't go together and you can't be a servant of The Most High if your a Diva. Look up the definition of Diva. That's not a God inspired title. It may attract the buyer, but again, where is Jesus in this? Does He fit in only when it looks good on the cover or in the logo?

I believe that when God blesses us with the responsibility of a ministry message, He expects us to steward not only our finances, but our time, and our ambition. When the ministry focus is on the person and not the Saviour, there is no ministry. Why would the Lord bless that?

I've heard so many ministry leaders wonder out loud why they aren't bringing in the revenue they were once bringing in and the economy is certainly a factor, but I ask you this, is your ministry about you the messenger, or is Jesus still the center? Give your ministry back to God, serve it the way He would have you and then watch the blessings appear. Go about HIS business and He will SURELY go about YOURS!

I truley hope my message tonight doesn't offend anyone. When I prayed about this, I realized that I'm more concerned about offending The Lord than my Christian brethren. I pray that if you're reading this and you're in ministry you'll examine your heart and be sure that your focus isn't on you, your books, or your next speaking gig; but on the Savioir. If you recognize yourself in anything I've said, I pray you can go back to the basics and surrender the ministry God blessed you with to HIM and then TRUST He will sustain you and lead you right where He needs you to be.

With Love,

Shell

Happy Fall Ya'll

2009-09-22T14:42:00Z

Woot! Woot! FALL IS OFFICIALLY HERE!!!

This is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year!! Although it's still early for change of leaves, there is no doubt, fall is upon us. The evening air is crisp and the aroma of burning wood wafts about reminding me that one of the most special times of year is here. I used to follow form and wait until October to start putting out my autumn decor; but when we moved to Tennessee I decided that I wasn't going to miss one single second of this spectacular season. Now, I start putting my fall decorations out on the first day of Autumn which fell on the 22nd of September this year!

Each year our family has a little ritual where we go to Petals, a local nursery, and we pick our pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, orange ribbon, tons of mums, and bales of hay to decorate our property. I have a nice collection of scarecrows and tons of sunflowers and other accessories to decorate with. We decorate the yard and around the house inside and out. I'll take pictures this year and post them for everyone to see. Every time I walk outside or pull up to the house I get that warm fuzzy feeling.

Autumn is one of the best times for family traditions. So many people are focused on what they don't have that they fail to realize all the good things they do have. It may not be possible to take that annual trip to Disney World or a cruise to the Bahama's, but there is plenty you can do! For instance, find a local or even not so local orchard near where you live, load the family in a car or two and head out for a DAYcation! Pack a cooler with sandwiches and sodas and snacks and spend the day enjoying the FREE things around you.

Even if you think this is boring, TRY IT! I used to think it would be sooooo boring to ride around in the car all day looking at leaves. That was, until I did it! Now, it's a MUCH anticipated annual tradition in our family. Take some time to let yourself really dream about what your perfect one day vacation would be and be realistic. You know you can't fly to Italy for a day so focus on the things around you that you CAN do!

One of my fellow police wife friends recently told me that she wanted to make her husbands upcoming days off really special. As a police wife, I could understand her intentions. Our men work five, six, sometime seven or more days under tremendous pressure and stress. When they do it get time off, us ladies try to make it good for them while still keeping them engaged in the family and the things that need to be done around the house.

Most police officers don't make much, this is the downside of public service but a creative police wife, heck, ANY wife can come up with good ideas. My friend told me that she went through the house, all the closets, gathered old kids cloths, etc. and had a one-day yard sale. She raised over $800!! She didn't tell her husband how well she did but instead, she planned a wonderful weekend and used the extra cash to pay some bills, he was surprised and more open to actually letting go for a day. They loaded their kids and in-laws in the car and off they went to the country. They stopped at antique shops and a few roadside stands along the way. She packed a cooler with cheese and crackers, fried chicken strips, chips and drinks. She brought along a mini gas grill and they found a beautiful spot along a stream in the National Park where they grilled hot dogs. She said her husband had the best time and the rest of his time off he was like a different man.

This doesn't only apply to police families. It applies to ALL families. Where there is a will there is a way. Just becuase the economy is sour or you are out of a job doesn't mean you can't make priceless memories with your most prized posession, your family. When things do get better, you'll be able to look back and see how you made the best of a bad situation. This isn't a bad thing for the kids either.

I'll bet all of you can come up with some GREAT cheap or NO COST DAYcation ideas! Send them to me at babyBlu809@aol.com and I'll do a drawing. The winner will get a $25 cash gift in their PayPal account!! I can't wait to hear what you come up with!

Too Much Time On Their Hands...

2009-08-23T01:13:00Z

OK, my advice is to make sure you aren't drinking anything when you watch this video. Wtach his shoes when he gets on the treadmill. I laughed so hard I had gingerale coming out of my nose.

This video was too funny not to share.
One small warning - do NOT go to the webaddress in the video... it's naughty; but this video was hysterical.

http://shellsblog.just4ladies.com/2009/08/22/too-much-time-on-their-hands.aspx

Summer Daze...

2009-08-06T15:59:00Z

I can hardly believe it is already August. My son Louie, went back to school yesterday. He had his freshman orientation and today is a no-school day but tomorrow, school offically starts for everyone. It's the MOST WONDERFUL time of the year!!!!! HEHEHEHE..... for those of you out there who have teens, have raised teens and/or have survived raising teens, you know that back-to-school is a parents favorite time. It was a long summer.

Cassie is going to be home schooled this year as we just feel like she needs a little protecting from herself at the moment. Please pray that my daughter will start to understand why we are the way we are and that God will penetrate her heart, take her focus of herself and help her want to be the best she can be. Like I said, it's been a long summer.

Last month, two of the stray cats that showed up at our house had kittens one day apart, and our Border Collie, Tootsie, had 7 puppies. We lost 4 of the seven. The three tiny survivors are growing fast! They are the cutest little things! All the kittens are growing and are having a ball running around on our 3-acres as well as the beautiful forest that surrounds us. We are actively looking for homes for all of them except 2. Next week we're taking them to the vet, 2 at a time to have them fixed. If anyone wants a kitten or a puppy - CALL ME! We'll keep them until we can find homes for them as I am against unloading them at the animal shelter that is already overloaded and putting DOZENS of sweet puppies and kitties down each week becuase they can't find homes. My heart breaks when I think about this, I love animals so much and if I had the resources I would rescue as many as I could.

On the health front - I am feeling better but still in a lot of pain most of the time. It seems I am not alone either, my good friend and client, Ann Brandt is dealing with a similar issue and underwent surgery and a long recovery in a facility for her back issues. Ann has a new eBook coming out in a few weeks for caregivers - Stay tuned for more info about the book and please, keep her and her wonderful husband George in prayer!

With fall approaching we are entering the busiest time of the year for ministry. We have TONS of projects in the works at WebTV4Women, Just4Ladies and Heartbreak University. Our fall enrollment for HeartbreakUniversity opens up in a few weeks and we are praying for a good response. I am REALLY excited about my new show Under the Willow Tree due to start broadcasting on WebTV4Women in a few weeks. You will come watch won't you!?!

I will have more exciting website news to share with you in a few days. So, stay tuned. And by the way, if you are a subscriber to my blog, I'd love to hear from you. I'd love to hear what's on your heart and mind and even talk about it here. Comment me or email me at BabyBlu809@aol.com and tell me how your summer has been.

Under The Willow Tree - New WTV4W Program

2009-07-30T02:24:00Z

I am so excited I can barely contain myself!

Most of you know that I am the founder/developer of the WebTV4Women.tv eTV Community. Well... I am going to create and broadcast my own show on the network!

The name of the show is going to be Under the Willow Tree. It's going to be a country living program. Initially, I was going to produce a program in the relationships category but for some reason my heart just wasn't moving me in that direction. Not only that, as the developer of the community I spend a tremendous amount of time well... developing. It doesn't leave me much time for producing a show about relationships as the research is super extensive and time consuming.

Soooo.... I've decided to produce a show of what I love best... COUNTRY LIVING!!!

The show will be broadcast on the Lifestyles Channel and also on Family and Parenting as a big portion of what I write about is family. I may even do a cooking show or two, although, it is hard to hold a candle to Linda Evans Shepherd and Penny Carlevato on Cooking Up Wonders! They are great!

I'd love to hear you input on this new venture. Please, feel free to comment me and tell me what you'd like to see and won't you please stop by and check out the WebTV4Women.tv eTV Community? You won't be sorry!

Stay tuned for more exciting news! We have another MAJOR announcement yto make in the upcoming weeks!

Love you all and I can't wait to hear from you!

Shell

A Lil' bit of Inspiration

2009-07-14T20:07:00Z

I can't remember where I found this but I thought all of you might like it.

When the Lord is going to do something special,
He allows us to see the difficulties first!

When He is going to do something REALLY MAGNIFICENT,
He allows it to appear impossible!

The 2009 Washam Family Staycation!

2009-07-12T02:09:00Z

There is no doubt the economy has put a damper on vacation plans for many people. Us being some of them. Instead of taking an extensive and expensive vacation this year we opted for a "staycation". That's when you have time off from work i.e. vacation time, and instead of going to Disney or somewhere else equally expensive, you stay close to home.

We chose to spend the first few days of our family staycation working around the house. We re-mulched the flower beds, planted some flowers and finally got the garden ready for planting. We are having a late garden this year. With Mike having to work crazy rotating shifts and my business being super busy (thank God) we could never get it plowed and weeded. We FINALLY got it ready for planting! The tomatos are in the ground!

The kids were pretty good sports about staying close to home. On 4th of July we had a fantastic barbeque and our neighbors from up the mountain came down to enjoy grilled chicken, BBQ skirt steak, brisket, and all the fixen's. Then the fun began!

In keeping with tradition, we all got up early on Saturday morning, July 4th and went to the fireworks stand in town that we frequent every year. They have a buy-one-get-one-free special that we take advantage of.

We always pick our grande finale' first and this year they had especially good deals on those fireworks that light up the sky with big umbrella burts of color. We are a favorite amongst our neighbors for our fireowrks displays as they can be seen all over the mountain and from the mountains across from us. We can see the displays from all of ourfriends and neighbors as well as those across the mountains. This year we got TWO Grande Finale's for the price of one and then a BUNCH of other cool stuff too! Heck, if you going to literally light money on fire you might as well make it look good. So we got TWO Daisy Cutter finale's for the price of one.

We had roman candles, bottle rockets, all kinds of pretty colors of bursting spray thingy's and TWO Grande Finale's. This year, Louie was old enough to help with the lighting of the fire works so the guys (Mike, Louie, and our neighbor Darrell) took to the driveway and began the display while us gals (Me, Cassie and our neighbor's wife, Sharon) sat on the deck and enjoyed the show. Although it got a little loud, it was fantastic! Mike did a good job manning the grill and lighting the fireworks.

It was close to 11 PM when we shot the last of them off but there were still people all over the mountain with plenty left! We get the best seat in the house and NO TRAFFIC!! When it's all over, we clean up and go to bed! Ya just can't beat that!

The next day we packed up the car with coolers full of food and drink and headed to Douglas lake in Dandridge, for a day of boating fun. The weather held out for most of the day and the kids got to go tubing. We had a nice picinic and then at about 7'ish, the rain came and we headed home. We had another picinic at the kitchen table and then everyone went their own way to watch TV, play online, read, etc.

Mike and I cuddled up in bed and watched a few movies together and then after a long, full and blessed day, we fell asleep. It was the perfect ending to a perfect staycation.

Here are some pictures of my guys havin fun. Is it any wonder why I consider them my greatest treasure.

Louie and Cassie in the tube.

Another one of Louie and Cassie in the tube

My hero husband.... isn't he gorgeous? hehehe

So far this summer is turning out to be awesome. I thank God for every good thing He has given me! I look forward to the blessings we are showered with, appreciate them with all my heart and I pray that I can be the person the Lord expects me to be and that I can always spend my life serving Him. Happy Summer everyone and GOD BLESS YOU BIG!!! I pray you recognize the blessings and appreciate them.

See you all soon!

Love,

Shell

Sonday in the Country

2009-06-28T17:19:00Z

What a wonderful and relaxing day today was. Truly a day of rest and peace.

Mike is working afternoons, and Cassie is in Florida visiting her father (my ex-husband), so that just leaves Louie and I and all of our critters. For the first time in a long time I slept in until almost 10 AM. This is totally unheard of for me but needless to say, I woke up late but it was good and I felt refreshed and rested.

Mike left for work around noon and Louie helped me with the housework. I actually took some time to work on my rag quilt today and was pretty proud of how far I've come with it. It is almost half finished! This is the first major sewing project I've ever done and I am pretty impressed with the results. Even Mike complimented my progress and he knows how awful I am at sewing! This quilt is for Cassie. She picked the colors but I think she had some doubts about how far I would get with it. I am going to surprise her!

The secret to country living is to enjoy every moment of every day. Country living is a lot like living life according to a story book dream or even like the movie Steele Magnolias. At least that's how it is for me. Every day I wake up and I look out my window at the amazing view. I instantly feel the pride rise up in me for what we have here. Not bad pride but good pride.

Before I moved to English Mountain we lived in Palm Beach, Florida. Don't get me wrong, Palm Beach is beautiful but it's congested and crowded and after a trip to Lima, OH with my husband to visit his mom before she passed, I was isnpired by the way his brother Pat and his wife Shelly and their 5-children lived and I realized that my dream for family had changed.

For the next 18-months I prayed daily that Mike would marry me and want the same. God was true to me. Mike married me and we found our heaven on earth here in Tennessee. It just doesn't get any better than this! I've lived my dream here. I've baked apple pies, gardened, hiked our mountain, picked wild berries, planted fruit trees and even 2 willows. I've taken in stray animals and I have not just one country cat, but several who can usually be found lounging next to me wherever I am.

This is the place God put me to minister to the heartbroken and to encourage other police wives. This is the place where I was inspired to write and where I find my inspiration to continue writing and working for His kingdom.

There are so many people losing so much these days. Every day I receive dozens of prayer requests from men and women who are losing their homes, jobs, and even their families. So many people are so focused on what they are losing or what they have lost that they are failing to appreciate what they do have. Our greatest treasure is not our homes, or our stocks or even our savings, our greatest treasure is the people we love. The ones who make it possible to survive the bad times and give us a reason to celebrate the good times. There is nothing more valuable than your family. If you're experiencing a loss right now, don't let the enemy fool you into thinking that it's so bad it can't be fixed. Instead, trust that God has a plan for you and He will bring you through this tough time into a place of blessings. Instead of being depressed or angry about what you have lost, focus on what you do have and if that consists of a family then pull them close to you and enjoy them. They are truly your greatest treasure and greatest blessing.

God is so good... life is good. I am truly blessed and I pray that no matter what you are going through you will find a way to see the blessings you DO have and nurture them.

I love you all!

Shell

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T15:50:00Z

Happy Father's Day!

I couldn't let this special day go by without recognition on my blog. 9-years ago the Lord blessed me with a wonderful man who not only loves me, he loves my kids. These days, there are way too many single parent homes and many kids do not have the opportunity to honor their dads. I am SO THANKFUL that is not the case for us; but I do feel for those who are in that position.

Recently, my ex-husband and I were able to make peace with each other after 6 years of silence. I feel good knowing that today, he too will receive a Happy Father's Day from our daughter and I pray that it blesses him. I thank God for guding me to do what was right in this situation, finally.

We're getting ready to take Mike out for a day of Father's Day Fun! The kids gave him a special card this morning and now we'll take him out and spoil him a bit. For dinner, I'm going to make him a great BIG T-Bone steak and a lobster tail! He is worth it!

I hope all of you that have a dad around will honor him today. For those who have lost your dad, I hope you will honor him for all he was to you when he was with you.

Have a blessed day!

Beneath My Willow Tree

2009-06-17T22:46:38Z

Summer is well under way here up on English Mountain and it has been glorious!

For Mother's Day, Mike and the kids bought me 2 - sweet cherry trees to go along with my peach trees, grape vines, and blackberry bush. A few days later Mike called me from his cell phone and told me to meet him outside, he had a present for me! I LOVE presents for no reason!

When he pulled up I expected him to get out of the car and hand me a small box with jewelry - instead, he pulled out a 7-foot Willow Tree!! The Williow is my favorite of all trees with the Magnolia right behind it. To be totally honest I never gave a bean about trees until we moved here to Tennessee and then I started to notice the beauty of the different trees here. From the Dogwood to the Oak trees I decided I was going to pant more trees on our property. I ordered a Weeping Willow from an online nursery and when it arrived it was nothing more than a twig! What the heck!?!

Thinking I was duped, I was ready to throw the willow twig out; but Mike said that's the way they are supposed to be when you order them via the mail. He took the tree and planted it in a big pot, watered it with some miracle grow and low and behold, My willow tree has grown a whopping 2 feet! Ha! So now, I have 2- willow trees.

As I sat out on the deck watching the wind blow the tiny branches of my willow, I imagined what it would be like to sit beneath the weeping branches of a full grown willow tree, thus the new title for my blog. Some day, the trees will be large enough for me to write from beneath them; but for now, I'll just imagine.

Mike is off for the next 4-days, we're working around the house today and then tomorrow we'll take him out for a special father's day outing. I look forward to these lazy summer days with my family more than anything. The month of July is already packed with vacation plans a trip to Denver for the AWSA conference and our niece's wedding. We're going to hit the lake for 4th of July and we're renting a boat again this year! I can't wait!!

What are your plans for this summer?

My Greatest Treasure

2009-05-16T20:20:00Z

There is no doubt that I need to get back to my bloggin' more often. So much is going on in so many areas that I lose track of time and before I know it, a month has passed since I've posted.

With Spring well under way and summer right around the corner we're doing more stuff outside like gardening, yard work, planting flowers, cooking out on the grill and just relaxing on the rocking chairs on our front porch overlooking the Great Smokey Mountains. Our life here in east Tennessee is continuously blessed and not a day goes by that I don't thank God for bringing us here. This is my heaven on earth!

The past few weeks have been a challange with our teens. Our oldest daughter is off to college now and with the two "Little ones" still home you'd think life would be easier. Not hardly! Raising teens, especially girls has been the hardest thing I've done in my life so far. I'll take boys any day! Speaking of which - our son, Louie, received numerous awards and recognitions this week for being one of the top 3 smartest kids in his school. We're so proud of him! He graduates from 8th grade in just a week and a half and for his graduatiuon present we bought him an X-Box 360. He really earned it and he's ecstatic becuase he doesn't have to use his isters hand-me-down video games anymore.

Cassie, our youngest daughter had a bit of a bump in the road but after a good long talk and an agreement to meet in the middle we've been doing pretty good. One good thing that came from the issue was that my ex-husband and Cassie are speaking again after over 5-years of silence. I've had a lot of time to grow up in the past 5-years and though I thought I would be against her talking to him, I found my heart softening and I was actually glad they re-connected.

Life isn't perfect, there are still issues; but for the most part it's pretty darn close. God is good.

Today when Mike gets home we're going to till the garden and get ready to plant. Don't tell him this; but last year I was pretty impressed with his gardening skills and enjoyed the harvest! I've already begun my herbs. I've got basil, oregeno and parsely growing! AND... IT'S ALL STILL ALIVE AFTER 2 WHOLE WEEKS!! My friend Charlene showed me how to can tomatoes and I am going to grow a boat load of tomatoes to can!

Tonight, I'm going to grill fish and chicken and shrimp and I bought fresh tomatoes for a sald and fresh strawberries for shortcake. We're going to eat out on the deck and enjoy this magnificent Saturday evening together. I hope you'll do the same!

Love to all of you until next time!

Shell

All Things New - Holy Week

2009-04-06T00:48:00Z

I have fond memories of Easter week. My grandmother, a devout Catholic and 1st generation Italian made sure that us grandkids knew the importance of this week. It is a week holy reflection and a time to ponder how great the gift God gave us really is.

In our family it has always been full of tradition with the baking of Easter breads and cookies, coloring eggs and getting a basket filled with goodies; but most importantly, it was a time when we reflected on the gift of new life, second chances, and new beginnings.

At WebTV4Women.tv we;re doing our first annual Easter webcast. All of our ladies have come together to share a special Easter message from their hearts with you.

Check it out:

Lots of new things happening on this end. The most exciting is the new studio! Stay tuned for more details.

Oakland, CA Police Officers

2009-03-24T03:50:00Z

My gosh what a horrible news week! Once again I found myself reading the news with tears in my eyes.

You see, I am a police wife and to hear news that not one; but FOUR police officers were killed my heart breaks. On one hand I feel so much pain and sorrow for the women who recived that dreaded visit from the department brass, the visit no police wife wants to ever deal with, and on the other hand I feel guilt for feeling gratitude that my husband is safe and that he came home after his last shift.

Mike and I have an understanding. Before he leaves for work each day he kisses me "later", that is almost the same as a goodbye kiss only we agreed never to say goodbye when he leaves but instead, "see you later". No matter how angry I might be at him, I never let him go to work thinking I am upset with him. I could not bear the thought of anything hapening to him let alone me being on angry terms when it did. Whether Mike leaves at 4 AM or 8 PM for the midnight shift, I always get that kiss. I can be sound alseep when he is leaving and will wake up out of that sound sleep KNOWING he forgot to kiss me later. I always catch him before he gets to the door and he always comes back, no matter what. Thankfully, it doesn't happen often.

Unless you've been married to a police officer you can never understand the sacrifices you have to make to maintain a sucessful law enforcement family. Judging by the divorce statistics in law enforcement, many police marriages are unable to survive the pressures that come with being married to a cop. To work that hard to maintain a solid and loving police family only to have your hero killed for such a senseless reason by a person who should never have been released from prison in the first place is just a waste!

I am angry for the wives and families of these special heros that will never get another kiss "later" or cherish the days off that mean the world to a police wife. To face a forever knowing my hero husband would never be there to cuddle with me again is more than I can bear to think about. I grieve for the children who have lost their fathers and the other men and women who have lost their co-workers. To think that some of the residents of Oakland were taunting the surviving officers after these heros were killed infuriates me! What kind of people are these? Honestly, I classify them as animals. God bless all of them accordingly. I really mean ACCORDINGLY! Give them what they deserve...I can only say, God have mercy on them...becasue I wouldn't.

As founder of Tennessee Police Wives, I feel a need to reach out to the wives who lost their men as will other police wife organizations. We'll let them know we're here for them but we can never take away the pain they'll live with. If anyone reading would like to send a message or has any ideas to share with these grieving families, please, let me know.

Thanks for listening to me vent on there this evening.

I pray that God will envelope these families with His peace, give them strength to get through the next few days as they say their final goodbyes and help them on the long road to healing they face. I pray the Lord will deal with those who rejoiced in the killing of these men in His way. I also pray He will help me relase the anger I feel towards them. I pray that tonight, all of our police officers, all around the nation are walking their beats with their guardian angels by their sides. May God keep and protect those who protect and serve us so selflessly each day.

Shell

Saying Farewell - In Memory of Natasha Richardson

2009-03-21T14:11:00Z

It was with great sadness that I learned about Natasha Richarson's death the other day. What an incredible woman and actress.

I LOVED her performances in Parent Trap and also Maid in Manhatten.

When I read the first stories about her accident and listened as the news grew more grim, my heart just broke for a woman I had never met; but who brought a touch of happiness to our world through her acting. I felt like a friend was dying, that's the type of person Natasha was. After watching her in interviews, you felt like you knew her personally. She was so real and so down-to-earth.

My heart goes out to her family, I can not even FATHOM what they must be dealing with right now.

We often knock Hollywood for the negative things they do; but every now and then she produces a gem. Natasha was one of them.

Last night we were flipping through the channels and my favorite Natasha movie was on - Parent Trap. Our family watched it with tears in our eyes as we realized, this beautiful, funny, vibrant woman had been taken from the world too soon.

I know her family will never read this blog post; but I am sending the most heartfelt and deepest condolences to all of them. May God bring peace and confort to Niam and her boys while they deal with life without their precious mum and wife. I rejoice in the knowledge that Natasha is performing on the great stage of Heaven and that someday... we'll meet.

Natasha's accident has made me realize that life is so precious, it can be taken from us in a blink of an eye. I am going to cherish life and those I love a little more and appreciate that the time I have with them is a gift.

Rest in Peace sweet Natasha, we'll miss you.

INAUGURATION DAY 2009

2009-01-20T14:53:00Z

I had meant to post an entry on Inauguration Day but things got busy and I had to postpone.

There is no doubt that our country is in turmoil and one thing I've always believed is that a president is ONLY as good as the state of his nation. Do you disagree? Can you disagree with that?

After reading countless political and news blogs I am extremely saddened by the hatred and UN-Christian like behavior I witness. How can anyone who calls themself a born-again Christian be so awful? So many of the conservative republicans I know are living to hate President Obama and find fault with his opinions, values, etc. than they are on supporting him through this awful time in our nation's history. Instead, they wopuld rather focus on all of the things they DON'T agree with and divide themselves at a time when we need to be more united than ever. They have NO business calling themselves Christian's let alone Americans.

I receive racial "jokes" from church friends, email forwards that spread rumors and hold about as much truth as a bag full of water with holes in it, but these "Christians" dress up and show up at church on Sunday, hands lifted in praise, voices raised in song and "Amen's" and "Praise the Lord's" shouting from their mouths. PUHLEEZE. This is hypocrisy at it's finest and the only one these people are fooling is themselves and those who support their behavior.

When I watched the Inauguration on Tuesday, I was PROUD to be an American. I was PROUD of the sea of people who stood shoulder to shoulder over 2 million deep. The color of their skin made no difference for those few hours when they welcomed in our new President. I was proud to be an American. No matter who I voted for, I still owe my support to my country and my president.

I don't agree with all of President Obama's politics but he's my president and has my support until he does something to change that. I'll do my part as an American to make a change in my little part of the world, to the best of my ability. That, I believe is what Jesus would do. I don't believe for one second He would do the things I see so many Christians doing. How will we ever be a light in this dark world when we act that way?

Vintage Washam

2009-01-03T03:35:00Z

Never a dull moment in the Washam household.

For Christmas, my parents gave Mike a soda making machine. It's actually pretty nifty. It comes with the CO2, a dozen flavor syrups and 2 bottles that keep the soda carbonated longer than your average store bought 2 litre.

After Mike and Louie took the Christmas tree down this evening, Mike decided to open his new soda machine and test it out. I should have known this was going to be bad when he started making soda and intermittantly reading the instructions.

So there we all were in the kitchen doing our own thing. Cassie was on the computer, Louie was helping Mike, I was sitting by the fireplace and the cat was curled up in a cozy little ball on top of the bird cage next to the counter where Mike and Louie were making soda, sleeping soundly and totally unaware of what was about to hit her.

Mike added the syrup to the water (a step that was supposed to come last), screwed the bottle to the machine and began pumping carbonation into the bottle per the instructions he DID read. He gave it an extra two shots for good measure (big mistake). It would appear that all was going well except he forgot to read the part that tells you how to release the pressure before you unscrew the bottle from the machine.

As soon as he started unscrewing the bottle soda exploded a good 7 feet in every direction, the cat jumped at least 4 feet straight up in the air and jumped, er, ran under the table with homemade soda covering much of her fur. She even had it dripping from her whiskers. The coffee pot, cupboards, blender and a good 3 foot circle of the floor were drenched. I won't write what came out of Mike's mouth at that point, afterall, he is a good Christian man and I wouldn't want to tarnish his image.

The entire family chipped in to help clean the mess up, a roll of paper towels and 3 bath towels later, we had it under control. Although, if you step in that spot in the kitchen, you stick to the floor.

It didn't end there. The guys decided to go it again. This time they chose to make some type of Mountain Dew like soda. Louie took the lead and read the directions and the second bottle came out pretty good.

Mike unscrewed the bottle and announced that the chef tasted first.

"Mmmmmm, Vintage Washam" he said as he proudly held the neon yellow bottle of soda up. The kids agreed.

A few minutes later the cat came running through the room, semi clean but smelling like Dr. pepper. God, I love this house.

Here are a few pictures:

Tomorrow we celebrate our 6th anniversary. It's moments like tonight that make me love him all the more. He is truly, vintage Washam.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Cassie Graduated from the Explorers!

2008-12-13T19:12:00Z

I look around me and feel so gratful for everything The Lord has blessed us with. Family, friends, our pets, our wonderful country home, the mountains, our kids, jobs and everything that makes life worth living. We're blessed to have 3 wonderful children all doing great things in their own unique ways. Let me share with you...

Cassie graduated from the Police Explorer program! She is OFFICIALLY a Police Explorer now and upon completing the academy the kids were given work assignments which involved working at the mall to promote "police presence", they sent her home with her little Class A uniform, leather gun belt, flashlight, badge, and a miniature bullet-proof vest. Um.... I really mean miniature! Cassie is only 98 pounds! Her dad helped her shine her boots to a high shine and even had her uniform dry cleaned and pressed with a razor crease...check it out, doesn't she look great?!?

We dropped her off at the mall and decided to hang around hoping we'd catch a glimpse of her "in action". A little while later, Cassie and 2 other Explorers strolled by, all dressed in their little uniforms, bullet proof vests and all. We're so proud of her. Amazingly, most people did not know she and her co-workers were only Explorers. Many people came up to them thinking they were actual officers. The kids worked alongside of the mall security guards and regular police officers and were able to observe them handling situations they weren't allowed to handle. All-in-all, she had a good time and looks forward to working more.

Ashley finished her 1st semester of college with excellent grades! She is on her way to becoming a journalist and is taking on a heavier class load this next semester. We're really proud of how well she is doing. She's home for the holiday break and we can see a big difference in her after just one semester. She's growing up, forming her own opinions, and becoming more independant. Her instructors all praised her for a job well done.

Louie is at the top of his class, designed the year book cover and most of the annual for his school. He's looking forward to graduating 8th grade and moving up into high school. I can't believe how fast they are growing.

This past weekend, Mike took the kids out back and taught them how to shoot, in reality, he got a new gun ( a 'Baby Glock') and wanted to play with it. Ugh.... I took some video of him playing "instructor" with the kids.

Mike gives the kids shooting lessons
http://shellsblog.just4ladies.com/2008/12/13/the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year.aspx

So much to be thankful for...

2008-12-01T01:17:00Z

Happy Thanksgiving!

As the weekend winds down I find myself reflecting on all of the things I have to be thankful for.

Our weekend started off on Wednesday evening when my parents came over to drop Ashley off and Mom and I made the stuffing for the turkey. It's our tradition to stuff the bird the night before using a recipe that has been in our family for generations. I always feel so nostalgic at this time of the year, it is truley my favorite time and Thanksgiving kicks off the Holiday Season festivities for us here in the Washam household.

Louie got up and made coffee, switched on the Macy's Day Parade and then the hosue came alive. Within a few minutes, our Saint Bernard and Border Collie came romping into the kitchen looking for their morning treat, followed by a herd of cats trying to get out, and bringing up the tail end was the 2-Yorkies and our new Lab puppy who comes galloping into the room all legs and ears. In no time at all the Washam herd was fed, given treats, petted, loved, and let out. I so love all of our animals!

Mike got up early after working until Midnight the night before and we all gathered around the kitchen table and enjoyed some lively family conversation. I sat back and watched my family, comfortably nestled in our country home at the top of English Mountain and I've never felt more thankful than I did at that moment.

The kids got the Christmas decorations down from the attick and we began our annual ritual of decorating the house. Mike and Louie will put the tree up on Wednesday and we'll enjoy a Christmas Wish List party with my parents tha same night. It's when we gather all of the catalogs, sales papers, a laptop computer and the desires of our hearts, gather round our kitchen table where all of life's most important events take place in our home, and we list the things we'd all like for Christmas. It's one of our most cherished traditons and one we all look forward too each year.

I love tradition. I love teaching my kids the traditions I grew up with like baking our favorite Italian cookies like my grandma used to do. We'll do that the week after next!

The girls and I prepare for "Cooking Baking Week" at least a month in advance while Mike and Louie take on the task of decorating the outside of the house. The hot chocolate and tea flows, the cookies fill the house with the sweet aroma and memories of Christmases gone by and each year we love it more and more. I know the kids won't be around for this much longer but I pray that the traditions I leave them with will carry on and they will share them with their children.

Dogs, cats, birds, kids, chaos.... that's our house. I love our country life and I love preparing for the good ole' fashioned country Christmas we'll have this year! Stay tuned for more Washam Family traditons in the next few weeks. In the mean time, form my heart and home to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. I love you all!

Shell