Feb 28, 2011

She's gone

Today at 2:38pm my grandmother passed away. With family all in the room she left. I will forever miss her until we meet again.

Psalm 34:18

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Feb 27, 2011

Waiting for her train to heaven

Friday I took off work and went with my mom, stepfather and little brother to visit my grandmother. The news as of last Monday was that the doctors said there was nothing else they could do for her, that the leukemia (which I've now learned was ALL - Acute lymphoblastic leukemia) was too far advanced. My grandmother has been such a trooper through all of this. Three rounds of chemotherapy, I don't know how many trips to the doctor. I don't think either of us were prepared for what we were about to see...poor thing has dwindled away so much.

She is getting so close to be in heaven. She's bed ridden, thin, covered in bruises, lost some aspects of vision, she can barely speak, can hardly chew food, and her comprehension is slacking. This is not my grandmother, it can't be. My grandmother is an active chipper ole' lady. But despite her physical appearance, I hugged her tightly, told her I love her so very much and she did the same. Even if she doesnt have the strength to roll over in bed, she gave one hell of a hug. The hospice nurse told us it can turn at any moment now, in her professional opinion my grandmother would probably not be with us next weekend.

How does one handle news like that?? None of us want her to suffer anymore, in fact I think we all hoped this was reversable....but truth is its not. She is very very sick and right now she is just waiting on the train to heaven to make it's stop at her house.

Feb 24, 2011

My first casting call

One morning last week when I came into work there was Georgia Travel Guide magazine sitting on my desk.  I didn't know who it belonged to, but I read through it anyway.  It had an interesting article about Hollywood coming to Georgia.  I never knew how many movies were filmed partially or in whole here...it's so neat to find these things out. Movies: The Blind Side, Zombieland, Driving Miss Daisy, For Colored Girls, Road Trip, Dumb & Dumberer, Big Momma's House 3, Sweet Home Alabama, My Cousin Vinny, Fried Green Tomato's, Why Did I Get Married?, Mean Girls 2, Remember the Titans.  TV shows: The Walking Dead, The Vampire Diaries, The Dukes of Hazzard, In The Heat of the Night.
 
At the end of the article there was a website listed if you were interesting in "Getting in on the action".  So I pulled it up and clicked around, then found a page in the site that had casting call's listed.  So I have checked it every other day or so to see if there's anything new and on Friday last week there was a listing for CMT (country music television).  They are planning on doing a show like MTV's MADE only in this version it's for professional adults (25-55yr olds).  For those who don't know what MADE is/was - it was a show based for teens, any dreams/aspirations they had, MTV would send a coach to help them reach that goal.  It ranged from a ladies man, living in the wilderness, prom queen, beauty queen, dance team, wrestler, rock star, artist, model...etc. 
 
They were holding 3 casting calls' in the Atlanta area, one of which was right here in Gainesville.  I sent the listing to some friends/co-workers through email just to spread the word.  I tossed the idea up about going but it was more of a joke than anything else....yet the more I thought about it, the more interested I became.  I was trying to think of idea's of what I would want to be "made" into and finally settled on actress.  I've had friends/family tell me I can be quite a character and say things no one else would think of saying without embarassment.  Not to mention my experience with the haunted house I have been volunteering at for the last three years. 
 
So by myself, I drove to the location they were having the casting call, filled out some papers and did a one on one interview with a casting scout.  They videotaped the entire interview and I was honest, at the end she asked me to do my best zombie impression since I have experience with 'horror'.  So in my normal every day clothes, I got up, turned my feet inward, bent my knees, let one arm hang, the other curled up, tilted my head, rolled my eyes and made some growls, hisses walking toward the camera. 
 
If I was wanted, I would know within 1 week and would be called in for a 2nd interview.  They're wanting this on air in August so the process will be very quick.  If I were to be on the show, I would be followed by a camera crew for 6-9 weeks following me in my journey to become an actress.
 
 
It's a shot in the dark but we shall see :)

Feb 23, 2011

No news is good news

Monday 2/21/11 my Gmother was told by her medical team that there was nothing further they could do for her.  That the leukemia (AML - acute myeloid leukemia) was so far advanced that none of the treatments and/or remedies they were using was making strides.  He approved in-home hospice care. 
 
I never in my life expected someone I know, let alone in my family to suffer from such a horrible disease.  You never think it will happen, then it does.  She has been healthy all of her life, no illness, no broken bones...etc.  She was just diagnosed at Thanksgiving.  After 3 rounds of chemo, constant giving of blood/platelets there is nothing else they can do?  My sweet Gmother didn't deserve any of this, she is a kind, loving, caring human being (no one deserves it).  And to see my Gdaddy so worn out and suffering in his own ways is heartbreaking. 
 
Truthfully speaking, when hospice is called in - you know the patients days are limited.  I have taken off Friday so I can go see my Gmother and if nothing else, tell her how much I love her.  I don't want her to suffer but I don't want her to leave.  I know she has a spot waiting for her in heaven and that God will take care of her until we meet again but it's hard, so hard.
 
Please remember my Gmother in your thoughts/prayers as well as our family.  Her name is Betty Fulbright.

Feb 17, 2011

I wish...

I wish you could move with no pain
I wish you could eat a whole meal
I wish things were back to the same
I wish leukemia wasn't real
 
I wish that your health would improve
I wish you could do the every day things you love to do
I wish a trip to the doctor was just a routine checkup
I wish leukemia wasn't real
 
I love you Grandmother

A clean home....ha

I know I've blogged about this before, cleaning house.  No matter how hard we try, we give the house a really good cleaning and then BAM in less than a week it's messy again.  Neither of us is to blame more than the other, it just somehow happens. 
 
Dishes in the sink (it's insane how many dishes two people will use)

Things end up on the bar, coffee table or dining table (keys, purse, unwanted mail...etc)

Shoes scattered across the living room and foyer (it's so convenient to just take them off and kick them into the air)

Things stacked on the last set of stairs (these are things meant to go upstairs but yet we always walk past them)

Clean socks thrown into a pile to be paired (You know the dryer eats socks, I usually wait to pair them so I'm sure I have every pair)

Clothes left in the dryer and removed only when you need something (just turn on tumble until the wrinkles are out)
T-shirts hanging on hangers off the door frame to the laundry room (they'll get to their place eventually)

Eye twitch Thursdays

Freaky - - I've been getting an eye twitch every Thursday...maybe my eye is getting excited it's ALMOST the weekend?!?! Humm

Feb 15, 2011

I'm thinking of the place "Where Dreams Come True"

Some people get...
 
an itch for a cruise
an itch for the beach
an itch for the mountains
an itch for the wilderness
an itch for a road trip
an itch for Europe
 
I have a constant itch for Disney World.  In fact, I think I'm allergic to being AWAY from it. 
 
In total I have visited DW 8 times (3x's as a child / 5x's with Hardy).  I know there are plenty of you who have never been to Disney and probably never have a desire to go but I LOVE IT, LOVE IT...LOVE IT!  It's expensive but there are ways to do Disney on a budget and if you plan far enough in advance you can pay over time for your trip when booked directly through Disney.  They recently sent me an email offering up to 40% off a resort stay if booked by 2/28/11.  We're not made of money by any means, but some how we always move money around and make it happen.
 
I'm trying to find a way to make it this year.  All I need is a little faith, trust and pixie dust.
 
:)

Feb 9, 2011

Meet My Blog Party

Meet Me Blog Party

Bio:
 
My name is Amanda Jones (maiden name Lockaby), I am 25yrs old and married to the one and only love of my life, Hardy.  I have two brothers, Michael (30) and Trevor (15).  I lived in Lawrenceville, GA until I was 16yrs old, then we (My mom, younger brother and I) moved to Bloomingdale, GA in February 2002.   Since graduating high school, my mother and I have developed a very close relationship and even though we butt heads at times (who doesn't?), I love our closeness.  I met my husband 3/31/2000 at a Methods of Mayhem concert at the Masquerade.  After 10yrs of dating, we FINALLY got married May 8, 2010 - - who said fairytale's never come true?  Currently we live in a town home in Flowery Branch with our two cats Tinker Bell & Flower. 
 
Q & A:


Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t in Accounts Receivable/Collections (insert your profession here)?  
                                           
A:  Well I don't really know....I like the accounting field, even though MATH was my all time worst subject through school.  I have always joked about being an actor, but have never taken the initiative to pursue that.  I think if I lost some weight I might make it someday, lol.

 

Q: What are your hobbies?     
                                                                               
A:  Reading a good book (still haven't found anything closer to my heart than The Twilight Saga), watching movies, listening to music, going to concerts....spending time with friends and family.  ****Writing rap/poetry for Tabitha and Ashley ;)

 

Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?                 
    
A: I think I said veterinarian, then I said animal cop....then in high school I had my heart set on web design (until we moved to Bloomingdale) - - my new high school didn't offer a web design class and I was squeezed into early childhood education - which is not something I want to do.
 
    
Q: What are your guilty pleasures?          
                                                         
A: Sleeping in, taking naps in the middle of the day, ranch dressing (I can practically eat it on anything), Reality TV.

 

Q: What is your biggest fear?!        
                                                                
 A: The dark...sounds ironic considering I volunteer in a haunted house, but it's true. 

 

Q: When you’re on vacation, where do you like to go?  
                                  
 A: Disney World - hands down, anytime you ask me....it will always be Disney. 
 
 
                                                         
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?             
                                     
A: In the great words of Cinderella - "If you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true"

 

Q: What do you value most in others?      
                                                             
A:  Honesty, humor, having something in common.

 

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass down to your kids, what would it be?         
                                                                                               
A: My wit

 

Q: If you could have lunch with anyone in the world….living or dead…who would it be?         
                                                                                                       
A:  Johnny Depp.....or my Great Grandmother who passed in 2000.

 

Now tell us something random about yourself:
My thumbs are double jointed
I was never a "cat person" till I got Tinker Bell
My favorite movie of all time is The Neverending Story 
I used to think in Heaven I would get a flying unicorn
I get goose bumps and have to fight tears when I'm at Magic Kingdom
I walked down the isle to "Bella's Lullaby"
I would love to have a baby soon, but Hardy's not "ready"