October - Part 2 - Remembering

I know, only a few days ago Part one was published! I've got to get caught up before the holidays get here. Bear with me on the length of this Part of the Blog.
I regret to say that October this year brought some sad news with the passing of someone very dear to Stephanie and I, as well as many of you.

On October 7th, 2007 Jeraleen "Jerry" Hensley, age 80 of Fairfield passed away in Mercy Hospital of Fairfield at 10:03 PM. She was born in Waynesville, North Carolina on May 31, 1927 the daughter of Glenn and Maude (Conard) Ruff. Jerry was a prayer warrior for Cincinnati Real Life Church, South Fork Christian Church, and Rolling Hills Baptist Church. She was a woman whose heart was full of love and she generously contributed to many area ministries; for example Pass It On Ministries, Water Through the Word Ministries, South Fork Christian Church, and Rolling Hills Baptist Church. She was loved by many and will be missed by all. She was employed as the office manager for Glenn Ruff Inc. for twenty-seven years, retiring in 1990. On October 25, 1947 in Hamilton she was married to William "Bill" Hensley, and he preceded her in death in 2001. She is survived by one daughter, Debra Sue (Hensley) Lanier of Sparta, Kentucky; a sister, Ruby (Wally) Wogenstahl of Hamilton; two grandchildren, Stacey (Lanier) Alexander and her husband Barry of Sparta, Kentucky and Scott Lanier of Coupeville, Washington; two great-grandchildren, William Barrett Alexander II and Nicholas Barrett Alexander; and also many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and other relatives and many friends.

Jerry will be missed tremendously by all of us. Many of you reading this were fortunate to know Jerry, or "Mammaw" as many of us called her. Those of you that didn't get to meet this special person really missed out on one of the truest, most gracious, caring, and loving person Steph and I have ever met.

A loving wife, mother, grandmother, and more recently a GREAT-Grandmother. She was a rock for her family. She was a kind friend. A listening ear...when you needed one. A voice of reason and guidance...when you needed that too. And trust me, Mammaw knew before you did which one you needed most. She meant something different and wonderful to each and everyone she met.

There isn't enough space on the Internet to tell how wonderful she was to every person she met, nor the numerous memories and stories we could all tell about how she affected our lives.

One of the memories I will always think about is how her strength and happiness always shined through whenever you walked in her door. She greeted me with such joy, happiness and enthusiasm every time I saw her. I know she was probably in more pain than most of us could put up with for that long of time, but never once did I see her complain, or even talk about it as long as I knew her. She was more concerned about how other people were doing in their lives and doing all she could to help them.

Whether you knew it or not, Mammaw was always trying to help all of you. Even the people she never got to meet. Consistently, she was behind the scenes praying for all of us, she might not have known what we needed praying for, but that didn't stop her devotion to us, nor to her Savior.

Something else Mammaw was always doing behind the scenes was sending "forwards". Yes, I know she sent a lot didn't she! I'm sure even those that didn't know her had one of those show up in your Inbox every once in a while.

Below is one of the last ones that we got from her. I'm glad she sent it, I think it says a lot about her thoughts on life and why she treasured her time with every person she met.

Mammaw Forward 9/10/07

Thinking of you....

I am sending this to you to see how many actually read their e-mail. Your response will be interesting. Pay attention to what you read. After you have finished reading it you will know the reason it was sent to you.

Here goes:

People come into your life for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it; it is real, but only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind, but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life,
whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.



I'm sure each one of us have those special people in our life. We can look back at the memories and experiences that have made an everlasting impression on us. I've found that the important thing for me, is to not just look back in remembrance, but to look to today and put those memories into action.

As I get older, I try hard to remember traits about those people that have touched my life and put them into my everyday day life. It could be something as simple as trying to smile at every person I met, or taking that extra time to help someone in need, or just calling an old friend to see if they need an ear to talk to.

Take time to remember those important people that have touched your lives and do all you can to become one of those people for someone else.

We love you and miss you Mammaw.

Outrageous October! Part 1 of a few

I know November is almost gone, but I'm trying to catch up as fast as possible... Wow. What a month. October was busy! Fall is a fabulous time of year. Leaves are starting to turn, weather is amazingly comfortable, kids are outside playing in piles of leaves, and football season is in full swing. Which brings us to the first day of October. Monday Night Football!

For some reason the NFL decided the Bungals were going to play on Monday night again...unfortunately for Cincinnati, the Patriots were coming to town. Since Steph didn't make it to the first game she wanted to take part in the festivities this time and took a day off work. After it was over, we both agreed the tailgating at Longworth Hall was a much better show than the actual game. Bungals lost...again...a trend that will continue thru the rest of the month.

After returning to Tennessee on Tuesday, Steph and I loaded up the car and turned right back around the following weekend for a wedding. Mandy (a former co-worker) of Steph was getting married in Cincinnati. Actually she ended up having the reception at the Madison in Covington. That's the same place we had ours. Brought back a lot of good memories. The wedding was a very nice Catholic mass followed by the reception a few hours later. It was nice to see some of Steph's former co-workers. A quick night's sleep and we were back in the car Sunday headed back to Brentwood and a well needed day of R&R (Rest & Relaxation...Steph asked, so I thought someone else wouldn't feel so bad if I explained it)

The rest was important, on Tuesday night we had tickets for the Grand Ole Opry! It was our first trip to the Opry. What a line-up they had that night...Porter Wagner, Jimmy Dickens, John Conlee, Emerson Drive, Trent Tomlinson, Jason Aldean, Ricky Skaggs, and Carrie Underwood!! Needless to say we were impressed with our first visit. Steph and Shay were in full character with their Cowboy hats and boots on. This must be what attributed to our next experience at the Opry. Being the tourist that we still are, after the show we were outside taking pictures; a woman approached us about doing an interview for GAC. GAC = Great American Country TV Station. We said sure and went over to where they were filming. After getting some make-up applied...yes in addition to what I already had on (I know Dillman was going to make that comment anyway, so i went ahead and put it in for him).

They talked with us for about 5 minutes and asked us a series of questions about the Opry and GAC. I think Steph really impressed them when they asked who her favorite performer at the Opry was that night. Her reply?..."I just loved that Little Jimmy Dickenson", of course I had to correct her on camera and explain to her that his name is Jimmy Dickens. We all had a good laugh. Of course that part probably won't be aired, however we did get our 3 seconds of fame at the end of a commercial that GAC is currently running. I knew I wouldn't have to get a job to become famous here in Nashvegas.

Part 2 coming soon...