R.I.P. Amy Winehouse

Rest in Peace – Amy Winehouse

Twitter is an amazing thing.  I remember my first “twitter” moment was discovering via Twitter, that Al and Tipper were separating. Jamie Dupree got the credit for that one for me, and he’s my best twitter source in my book. There have been many such moments since, and I find that I get more hard, up to the minute news via twitter, than anywhere else.

So as I sat at my computer Saturday after lunch, there it came.  Amy Winehouse was dead, or so they said.  And they were right.  No one knew the official results, but every one knew it must be drugs.  If you follow trending topics, you know, if you are trending on twitter, it is either really good, or really bad. In Amy’s case, it was obviously bad.  Two hours later, her death announcement hit the world wide web.  The power of the Internet -- on perfect, or imperfect, display.  What is even sadder, is Lindsay Lohan started trending just an hour or so later.  They were all betting on her to join the 27 Club.  Apparently, she has 2 years to fulfill their bets.  Lindsay apparently got drunk in a Hollywood bar Saturday night, or so they say.  It’s still sad.

Amy’s death brought some painful reminders for me.  I read many friends on Facebook, say what an idiot she was, as was the jackass guy.  They deserved what life handed them.  No question they made horrible choices that led to their deaths.  But I don’t ever think they intentionally decided to hurt those that loved them and wanted so bad for them to change course.  And chart a path that would save their lives.

They could not control their behavior.  I hope no matter what, they wanted to change to make the people who cared about them proud.  I look at friend’s kids who have turned the road and made the hard choices.  They struggle every day, but each day gets easier (ha), but more realistic to make it.

I remember a frantic phone call at 4 or 5 a.m. when my mother was hysterical because my sister had overdosed on drugs.  My mom and my brother went to Memphis, and my crazy aunt chastised me on the phone because she said I caused my sister’s death.  Long story, but that is the truth.  Again, a long anticipated call for my sister’s death materialzed.  I’m not sure if I had her girls or we swept them away from Cookeville that morning.  But we took those girls to the UT/Bama game that weekend.  I kept expecting the public address announcer to call our name to go to some un-named place for an “emergency.” 

They did not. Thank God.  And when she died on Monday morning, we told her girls.  They were 5 and 6.  Serious stuff for such young kids.  I’m just thankful that Amy Winehouse did not have kids.  Because the tragedy of all of this is devastating.  I look at the tragedy of my sister’s death.  Her kids are adults, but stuggling.  My mother is struggling. We want to help, but we really can’t.  We can’t change lives, people,   Only God can.

I pray that God changes my nieces’ lives. That they start making good choices, responsible choices.  I don’t know if they will.  And I know they see me as the incompassionate Aunt.  Any one who knows me knows I score real low on the personality traits for compassion.  That doesn’t mean I don’t love them, and I don’t want what is best for them.  The writing is on the wall, and you choose to live your life how you do.  I’m not perfect by any stretch.  But I do my best to make a difference, show love (as best my incompassionate self can) and spread Jesus love, through my actions.

Amy Winehouse died because she was imperfect and she couldn’t change to live.  She wasn’t stupid.  She was actually very talented, like so many artists, who joined the 27 Club or whatever before her.  Her parents and family are grieving for her.  Their lives will never be the same.  And until you’ve had someone you love die because their love of drugs over came their love for life, you will never know what I mean.

Independence Day!

Independence Day – I Love America!

Last year, Joe and I spent the Fourth of July in San Luis Potosi, Mexico with our Mexican family, the Ramirez family.  We hosted a Mexican young man, Jose Adrian Ramirez Gonzalez in 2007-2008 while he was on his American exchange.  In fact, we were not going to host a kid because we were building a house.  But Jose needed rescuing, and as Joe joked with him, we kept him because, heck, we were building a house, and Mexicans work hard. 

We love him and his family, and last year, we traveled to their home to celebrate Jose’s graduation from high school, and his youngest sister, Danny’s first Communion.  It was an awesome trip – see previous blog post.  We were treated like family, and we experienced some wonderful people, places and food. 

So this fall, we are hosting Gabby, Jose’s sister and Elly, Molly’s sister.  Molly is our girl from South Korea.  It gives their parents great comfort knowing they are going to a good family.  HeHe!  But anyway.

This weekend is Fourth of July holiday weekend.  I LOVE the Fourth of July!  I grew up in not so great circumstances, but my best memories are from the Fourth of July celebration that my grandparents arranged each year.  They had a cabin on Center Hill Lake – which birthed my love of water – and had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration each year. 

The day started with breakfast.  Pop had a Weber grill, and he had a huge skillet (I have it now).  To start the day, they cooked country ham, eggs, red eye gravy, biscuits, cantaloupe, and who knows what else.  But that is what I remember.  Then, we ventured to the lake.

We swam and rode in the boat.  I’m sure somewhere along the way on those holiday weekends, I learned to ski.  I was five when I learned to ski and seven when I learned to slalom ski.  I learned to trick ski in my teens and then to barefoot.  All this explains why when Joe and I got married when I was 18 and he was 20, we rented a little house on Center Hill at Austin Bottoms for $175 a month.  We froze in the winter and roasted in the summer.  We had a black and white TV, but we had a 1973 Ski Nautique.  We were rockin.

So back to my childhood Fourth of July celebrations, when the water was done we had dinner.  The kids got hamburgers and hot dogs, and the “grown ups” got steak.  Then, once it got dark, Pop had a fireworks license, at least I think he did now.  He had a tube to set off the BIG fireworks.  So the kids all set off all of our sparklers, bottle rockets, and anything else we could.  Then, we had the BIG show.  It was awesome. 

The Fourth of July is very special to me.  Now, I have an American flag that was flown over the United States Capitol.  I asked Senator Lamar Alexander for one and did not specify a day.  When we got the flag, it was flown over the Capitol on Jose’s birthday and in honor of Youth for Understanding and exchange student programs.  How cool is that? 

Now last night, Joe and I cut watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, and had a little seafood boil of our own.  We went down to the lake after sun down and floated in the water and just relaxed.  That is hard for me to do.  We have breakfast for church tomorrow, and Dinara (and maybe the wayward child) will come tomorrow.  Buddy is going to be super happy!  He loves Ms. Di to death.  We are going to spend time on the lake,  and make some homemade peach ice cream.  We will eat said watermelon, cantaloupe and who knows what else and soak up the sun and ride in BOB (Big Orange Boat).  I’m going to make some pineapple salsa and corn salsa and just enjoy the weekend. 

I’m trying my best to NOT check my work email all weekend long.   So far so good, but I don’t think it will make it until Monday evening.  But I’m thinking about my Mexican Fourth of July last year and our celebration this year.  I don’t think ant eggs are on the menu.  :o)

I love the Fourth of July and I love America.  I guess that explains why, according to Harvard, I’m a conservative!  I’m proud of my country, our Constitution and our heritage.  I’m proud I’ve reached out to kids and families all across the world, regardless of faith or heritage.  I’m doing my part to share my home and change the world.