Black Belt

Ten years ago yesterday, October 3, 2008, Davy got his Black Belt in karate. I have a copy of the above picture at home and at work. It's one of my favorite pictures of the kids.

I remember that day very clearly. Before the Belt Graduation Ceremony, we all went to out for pizza, talking and laughing the entire time. At the ceremony, after Davy performed his kata, he was given his black belt, embroidered with his name. He was very proud of that belt, and I was proud of him. It was a lot of work to earn, and it was one of his prized possessions.

Now it's one of mine.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

Even if you don't live in the Evansville area, please keep an eye out for this car. It was traveling South on I-69. It could have been coming from and going to anywhere. The Sheriff's office will follow up any ANY lead.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed 23-year old David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near south Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.

If You're Looking for Vinca Vines ...

I'm sorry, but I bought all of them!

A while back I found some vinca vines on sale for 99¢. Thrilled, I bought 15 of them. I wanted to buy more, but I didn't know exactly how many I needed, and I didn't want to buy so many that I couldn't get them planted before winter.

Then, last weekend I found vinca vines for 31¢, and I got really excited. I bought 36 of them. The next day, I wondered why I didn't buy more. I don't know exactly how many I need, but I do know I need more than 36! I easily need twice that many ... so I went back and bought the rest of them. I now have 84 vinca vines to plant. I spent $27.86 for seven dozen plants. At full price, they would have cost me $268.74. I wasn't planning on planting the vines this fall, but at a savings like that, I couldn't pass them up.

I decided clearing the sod was the most important, so I spent a few hours Sunday clearing part of the hill. It had rained a lot, so it was "easy" work (easier than when it hasn't rained, that is!). Once I get the hill cleared, I'll start planting. I've got some vacation scheduled, so I'll get the vines planted, bring in the outdoor furniture, and tidy up the yard for winter. (Sob!)

It's a thankless job and the dirt looks mighty lonely with the baby vines right now, but vinca vines spread very quickly. By next summer, they will have completely filled the hill and will be encroaching on my yard ... but I can keep them in check with the lawnmower.

Next year I'll need to pull the sod up from around the box woods, put up a border, and fill it with mulch. I'm hoping that next year I'll be able tackle the fireplace down the hill and clear paths in the woods. That was supposed to be a project for this spring/summer ... but torn cartilage in my ribs and my son's death kind of knocked the wind out of me ... literally and figuratively ... so I didn't get to a lot of the things I had planned.

Things will never be the same without my son, but I'm hoping 2018 will go down as the worst year of my life. I stop shy of saying "What could be worse than losing my child?" because I don't want to tempt fate ... and I don't ever want to face more pain than I've been dealt this year.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

Even if you don't live in the Evansville area, please keep an eye out for this car. It was traveling South on I-69. It could have been coming from and going to anywhere. The Sheriff's office will follow up any ANY lead.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed 23-year old David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near south Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.

Nutty Owl

I'm not sure what kind of nut this is, but cracked in half, it looks like an owl!

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

Even if you don't live in the Evansville area, please keep an eye out for this car. It was traveling South on I-69. It could have been coming from and going to anywhere. The Sheriff's office will follow up any ANY lead.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed 23-year old David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near south Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.

Yesterday was "National Pancake Day"

This is a classic example of how something so ordinary can trigger memories of my son. Davy LOVED pancakes. Growing up, he was always asking me to make them for him. One day I decided he was old enough to make his own pancakes. I got out a cookbook and showed him how to make pancakes without a mix.

That was all it took. He was off and running, making pancakes for himself, and his sisters and I, at the asking. Thing 2 won't eat anyone else's pancakes. I can't think of pancakes without thinking of Davy ... and wishing he were here to make me a stack.

Davy was actually a pretty good cook. He could take a handful of simple ingredients and come up with some very flavorful dishes. His homemade Sloppy Joe's were better than Manwich. Davy was very intelligent and excelled at anything he put his mind to. How sad that someone cut his life short ... and all of his potential, and then drove away without a word, leaving his body on that dark stretch of highway. I will never understand how someone could do that and live with themselves.

The only consolations I have are that he was a born-again Christian, so I know I will see him again one day ... and that the autopsy report convinced me that he did indeed die immediately. I don't have to wonder if he suffered or if he could have survived had help been summoned sooner.

I am still hoping that the conscious of whoever did this will get the better of them and they'll come forward. Until then, all I can do is to keep urging people to keep their eyes open for a 2000-2002 Silver Honda Accord with front end damage ... and pray the damaged hasn't been repaired.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

Even if you don't live in the Evansville area, please keep an eye out for this car. It was traveling South on I-69. It could have been coming from and going to anywhere. The Sheriff's office will follow up any ANY lead.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed 23-year old David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near south Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.

This is What Happens When You Fall Asleep at Thing 1's House

You become a bed for three dogs and a kitten. They also have another cat ... but she's far too classy to hang around pets!

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

Even if you don't live in the Evansville area, please keep an eye out for this car. It was traveling South on I-69. It could have been coming from and going to anywhere. The Sheriff's office will follow up any ANY lead.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed 23-year old David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near south Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.

This Was a LOT More Work Than it Looks Like!

Back in July, I bought 15 vinca vines to plant on the hill. I knew it wouldn't be nearly enough, but I they were on sale and I wanted to see how far they'd stretch. I waited to plant them ... having a good rain beforehand would mean the sod would come up easier, and I didn't want to plant the while the temps were in the 90°'s (or above). This past weekend, the temperature was in the 60°'s and we had gotten a good rain a few days before.

Yesterday I grabbed my wheelbarrow, hoe, big spoon, and plants, and set out to pull up the sod. After I got the grass (weeds) pulled up, I planted the vinca vines. It took me about three hours, but I stood there looking at it a lot, contemplating how much more sod I needed to remove before continuing. I wasn't in a hurry or I could have gotten it done much faster.

Sadly, the 15 vines barely make a dent on the hill. I knew I'd need a lot more vines, but it's almost comical to look at it as it is. I estimate I need at least 75 more. I was hoping I'd have a few days to mulch and give the plants time to grab hold before we got a big rain, but it's started raining last night and isn't supposed to stop until Wednesday. All I can hope is that I got them deep enough that they don't wash out.

Spirit!

My girls and I took all the babies to Garvin Park a few weeks ago. After playing on the playground and having a little snack, we saw a horse and followed it back to the stadium. My oldest grandson watches a show called "Spirit" and LOVES horses. He was awestruck!

We swung for a long time. Sweet Pea cuddled with Thing 2 ...

After a while, we put Sweet Pea and Kicker in the swing, back to back. I pushed the babies while Thing 1 and Thing 2 swung for a while. Thing 2's swing sounded like an elephant!

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

Even if you don't live in the Evansville area, please keep an eye out for this car. It was traveling South on I-69. It could have been coming from and going to anywhere. The Sheriff's office will follow up any ANY lead.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed 23-year old David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near south Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.

A Tiny Gift

I went out back to water the plants just after sunrise a few mornings ago. The temperature was perfect and without a hint of the humidity that saturates this area from April until November. Above me, the sky was a beautiful, brilliant blue, without a trace of clouds. Although the wind was still, Davy's wind chime tinkled softly. The weight that has had my heart in a vise-like grip ever since I was informed of his death clamped even tighter. I smiled wistfully as I looked up and said aloud, "Good morning, Davy. I love you so much. I miss you."


After I voiced my good morning, the wind chime stopped. Disappointed that 'Davy was done talking', I looked down and saw what looked like a tiny horseshoe on the patio. I'm sure it was a spacer for something at one time or another, but I can't even fathom a guess as to what that was or where it came from.

I love miniatures, and to this day, I'm constantly keeping an eye out for something that is Barbie-sized or small enough to be used in a miniature dollhouse ... both of which I kept from my childhood or from when my kids were growing up. This horseshoe was the perfect size for Barbie. I picked it up and brought it inside ... hoping it was a sign that my luck was going to change and that the rest of the year brought nothing but good news.

Here are the only pics I could locate of my childhood Barbie house that I fixed up for the girls. I painted it blue, trimmed out all the windows and added shutters with hearts, added a door knocker and knobs to the doors, shingled the roof (which you can't really see in these pics), added balusters and railing around the balcony, and a brick patio on the balcony floor. I kept the dollhouses in the event I had a granddaughter one day ... and now I do, thanks to Davy.

Oh, how I wish he were here to watch his babies grow up.

Below is some pictures of the miniature houses I decorated for Christmas one year. That was a chore ... but it was so cute! (Click on any picture to enlarge.)

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

Even if you don't live in the Evansville area, please keep an eye out for this car. It was traveling South on I-69. It could have been coming from and going to anywhere. The Sheriff's office will follow up any ANY lead.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed 23-year old David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near south Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.

79° ... But I Was Cold

So I decided to turn the air up. I was surprised to see the thermostat was set at 79°, yet I was cold. I turned it up to 83° to make sure the air wouldn't kick back on.

Working outside when it's really hot is uncomfortable, but I still hate to see the cooler temps that I know are coming once fall gets here. I don't mind the cooler temps, but I hate cold weather. I see the cooler temps are just a warning sign that winter is coming ... which makes enjoying lower temperatures a little hard.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

Even if you don't live in the Evansville area, please keep an eye out for this car. It was traveling South on I-69. It could have been coming from and going to anywhere. The Sheriff's office will follow up any ANY lead.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed 23-year old David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near south Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.

Elephants

Thing 2 sent me this quote ..

A few months later, she gave me and Thing 1 Mother/Daughter elephant necklaces. I treasure it :)

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

Even if you don't live in the Evansville area, please keep an eye out for this car. It was traveling South on I-69. It could have been coming from and going to anywhere. The Sheriff's office will follow up any ANY lead.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed 23-year old David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near south Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.