Mama Always ~ L.A. Brown, Author

It has definitely been a banner year for me, well, me, Chris and Andrea. We came off of 2011 with the loss of our beloved Aussie, Draco in November to foster a soldier's dog in January. Angel was not allowed to go home to Korea (where she was born) with her family who was being relocated there because she lacked a blood titer. We fostered her for two and a half months, getting her the necessary titer and shots; getting the proper sized kennel and finally getting the necessary passage and escort to get home. We could not have done it without the help of many friends and their friends and of course, United Airlines who waived the normal fees to get her home to her soldier and family. My many thanks to Sandra, Janet, Christopher, the Air Race family, James Bear Branch Animal Hospital and Home Again for getting her back to her family. I am sure that there were so many, many more who were in the background that helped with this endeavor, God knows who you are and I'm sure that He ...

I have come to grips with the fact that the infamous "Murphy" of Murphy's Law must somehow be related to me. I say this because his "law" sure has a strangle hold in my life. When you look up Murphy's Law in the dictionary, you can bet that it will cross-reference with me, just saying. I have to say, first off, that I love my life...I love my husband, my children, grandchildren, parents, brother....all of them and my relatives and friends. This is above all the most wonderful blessings that God has given me. I am constantly amazed at the other blessings in my life, the Beast being one of them, my dorky cats and all of the other blessings, material and financial that God has seen fit to allow me. That said...I really think that I must be mishandling stuff somehow. Case in point. When I got the Beast, I question the legitimacy of God's provision...only for a moment or two, mind you, but question it I did. He was faithful to hear my prayers of getting u...

..I learned in the last month. The month of May has been, hands down, the most  difficult month that I think that I've ever experienced. Being away from home and hearth, health problems on both sides of the family and that great equalizer, death being a huge part of the month...yeah, I'm over it. The month of May was pretty much the wind down for me and my travelling the world. I was able to stay with my Mom while she had her back surgery and then some of the recovery time, which was a good thing. Dad was able to keep working so he didn't lose any time at all really. I was able to help Mom out with the things that she normally would be able to do for herself, and helped her to keep track of the medication that made her a bit loopy and a tad forgetful. This was a good thing, but a little bit stressful, so bring on a flare up. Nothing to write home about and pretty much controllable with Advil, but flareup nonetheless. The end of April and the beginning of May also brough...

Its amazing. People love this ugly thing I call the Beast. When one looks up and sees nothing but grill in their mirror, I've seen more than one person either get wide-eyed at the monstrosity staring at them in their rear-view, or they get this look of abject appreciation. The first reaction I get, the second, well, not so much. The Beast has been all over my neck of the woods since it came home to Houston. It's seen a mechanic, but only for a safety inspection....well, actually, its seen like three mechanics. Two of them are friends who have come to take a gander at it and wow and speak in almost reverent tones. They run their hands along the side of the bed, check out the dual exhaust and take a peek under the hood at its 302 V8 engine. They are, in effect, amazed. Parts dealers like the salesmen at Auto Zone and O'Reilly's have come out to gawk at the Beast that came from  a farm in Arizona. Hmm, actually, its seen four mechanics. It saw a glass guy today at Pl...

Let me tell you, they have not been entirely pleasant, either. Of course, there is the fact that I got to go overseas for the first time in my life to Okinawa to see my newborn granddaughter and my oldest granddaughter. That was amazing and I am totally in love....until the oldest started crying uncontrollably...then it was time for Grandma to beat feet, my baby Girl and Son-in-law were awesome, but beat feet I needed to do. Of course, the fact that my visit was over with anyway really wasn't the issue, I needed to get home to get Andrea. I left Andrea in Arizona to stay with mom and dad for basically two reasons: she doesn't have her passport yet and the Kid's apartment was pretty much too small for all of us as it was, add in Andrea and tempers might have flared, especially with a newborn at the helm. Pretty much it was OK for her, she was a help to mom who was having major troubles with her back, and she got to spend time with the Grandparents. I love my folks, they wo...