Sidney L. Houston 1943-2008

Rick's dad, Sidney, passed away yesterday afternoon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Rick with him, as were Rick's brother, Doug, Sid's brother, Larry, and Larry's daughter, Angie. Sid was 65.

After serving stints in Korea and Japan with the United States Army, Sid went to Vietnam in 1970-71. He left the service with the rank of captain in the early '70s and afterward became an accountant. In the picture above, that's the Houston men ... Doug, Sid, Jesse and Rick from left to right on the front row, and Richard is holding Adam on the back row.

The funeral will be held near Sid's home in Red Boiling Springs, Tenn., about 75 miles northwest of Nashville, and he will be buried in a family cemetary in Johnson City, Tenn. Dates and times have not been confirmed at this time.

Please ... no flowers. If you are so inclined, simply buy a book for a youngster close to you.

For Sid ...

How do you start a note like this?

Rick's dad, Sidney, is in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, fighting what looks to be the last stages of lung cancer. He's been in the hospital since Sunday night, and took a turn for the worse yesterday. Rick left home and is with his dad now, along with Rick's brother, Doug, and Sid's brother, Larry.

I would very humbly ask for your prayers for Sid, who is 65 and a veteran of the United States Army.

First Day Of School!!!

Today is Adam and Jesse's first day of the second grade. Wasn't it just yesterday that we had the little pipsqueaks pose in front of the West Yadkin Elementary sign on their first day of three-year-old preschool?

Both were a little nervous, but went into their respective classrooms without a hitch. I just can't seem to get my arms around the fact that they will graduate high school in 2019. Good grief.

Below, Adam is just being Adam and Jesse is being Jesse ...Here I am with Adam, the social butterfly ...

Hearsay ... The Lost Picture

Somehow, this photo of Hearsay at New Hampshire Motor Speedway a couple of months ago got lost in the shuffle. So ... here it is. That little guy sure gets around, doesn't he?

Hearsay Is Where?!?

Hearsay continues on his adventures with our friend, Jennifer Estep. Here, he's shown with Rick's best friend since high school and Jen's brother, Joe Estep, at The Bunganut Pig Pub & Eatery in Franklin, Tenn., just outside Nashville.

What exactly is a bunganut pig? Good question. There IS an explanation, and it has something to do with a pig going to school at Oxford.

At any rate, Hearsay got to hang out with Joe and Jen, and even members of the band they went to see. There are a few rumors concerning where Hearsay will be next, so stay tuned.

Anita's Family Restaurant

I've known Anita Mastin for years, getting to know her best when she managed the cafeteria in the Wilkes County courthouse.

Anita is, as they say, just good people. We stopped by her place in Traphill, Anita's Family Restaurant, tonight. When I walked in, she introduced me on the spot to everybody there ... and it was a packed house. Forget politics. It's that kind of support that lets you know you've got friends.

Carol Bryant, who works part time with Anita, also handles domestic abuse cases in Wilkes County. That's Carol on the left in the photo below, along with me and Anita, and, of course, Adam and Jesse.

Alleghany County

We spent most of the afternoon at a GOP meet-the-candidates meeting in Sparta sponsored by Sarah Stevens, who is running for the 90th district seat in the state house of representatives. Like last week's event in Ashe, where I went to law school with the lead singer of one of the bands performing, I also went to law school with Sarah.

I'm always a little bit nervous speaking at an event like this. I can just imagine Rick's reaction when he sees this ... me? Nervous talking? Who woulda thunk it? Hey, at least I remembered to introduce him tonight.

Farmer Jesse

Here's Jesse with the fruits of his labor over the last few weeks ... or is that the tomatoes of his labor? Jesse has tended his little garden, watering the tomato plants with his Papaw Tom and keeping an eye on them every chance he gets.

And, yes, they made for a GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD BLT!!!

GREAT NEWS!!!

I had my scan today, and I came away with the best news I could've possibly received ... after dealing with this disease for more than two years, I am officially and finally cancer free. Amen, amen and amen again.

To be perfectly honest, these past few days have really put everything else in perspective. This election is an important part of my life, and I intend to win it. Still, I cannot describe what it's like to know that my cancer is gone. Wow. This has been the most humbling thing I've ever experienced.

Thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers. I honestly and truly believe that's what has made all the difference.

Take care,
Jeanie

Cleveland, Ohio

Who would've thought that Hearsay would ever wind up in Cleveland, Ohio? Well, he did, thanks to Jennifer Estep, a good friend of Rick's who lives in Hermitage, Tenn., just outside Nashville. Jen is the sister of Rick's best friend from high school, Joe Estep, and she's the daughter of Rick's adopted godmother, Sandi Estep.

I guess that makes her Rick's godsister, right?

Jennifer has been in Cleveland on business quite a bit in the last few months, and she took Hearsay along for the ride this week. Hearsay, along with Jen's friend Mike Kerestesy, was able to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (I am SO completely jealous), and Cleveland Browns Stadium, where the city's NFL team plays (that, I care about not so much!!!).

Check out the photos below. First, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (again, I'm completely jealous) ...


And Cleveland Browns Stadium ...

Signs, Anyone?!?

Rick and my dad were busy today, putting up a number of my campaign signs in Wilkes and Ashe Counties. They placed another one Monday here in Yadkin. Let's just say that thanks to a few rain showers this morning, the work of driving in the anchoring stakes was a lot easier than what it had been.

Or so I was told, in no uncertain terms.

Here, so far, are the fruits of Rick and Dad's labor. The one below is near the Trail's End store in Hamptonville.

Next up was a sign in Wilkesboro ...

After that, they headed to Jim's Discount Furniture on North Highway 16 ...Finally, they wound up at Mountain Aire Seafood & Steaks in West Jefferson ...
I'd just like to thank all those who gave permission for us to place these signs on their property. If you're ever in the area of any of these businesses, please drop by and tell them I said to say hello. We've got a few more of these signs on the way, so you never know where one might pop up next.

A Happy Anniversary

Eleven years ago today, I was sworn in as a district court judge.

I'll never forget the day. It was a humbling experience, and one that I have never taken lightly. A lot of things have happened since that day. Rick has published two books and traveled from one end of this country to the other more times than either one of us would care to count. I have served on this committee or that at church and in the community, and I have survived cancer.

And with the addition of Jesse and Adam to our family, I became a mother.

Being a district court judge is a tough job, but one that I'm incredibly honored to have. I have heard countless cases in the 11 years that I have been a judge, and I have done my best to treat each and every person who comes through my courtroom with the respect they deserve. I look forward to serving the people of this district as a district court judge for many years to come.

The clipping below appeared on the front page of The Enterprise a few days after I was sworn in.

A Busy ... But Great ... Weekend

Ashe County is a great place to be under ordinary circumstances, but Saturday, the weather was especially gorgeous. With a temperature of maybe 73 degrees or so at noon, the Northwest Trading Post in Glendale Springs couldn't possibly have asked for a better setting for its 50th anniversary celebration.

Hundreds of people attended the event, which featured live music by a couple of different groups. As luck would have it, I went to law school with Rebecca Eggers-Gryder, the singer and bass player for Amantha Mill, a bluegrass group based out of Boone. That's her singing away in the picture below.

After leaving the Trading Post yesterday, we headed back down the mountain for a fundraiser held at Tommy's Garage in Hamptonville for Jesse Keaton, a six-year-old little girl who was critically injured in a terrible accident in early July. Whether you support me in this election or not, I would ask that you please consider making a donation to funds that have been created to help offset the family's medical bills. If so, please contact the Yadkinville branches of either Southern Community Bank & Trust or Wachovia.

It was a truly amazing thing to see literally hundreds of people who turned out for the fundraiser. There were easily 400 to 500 people there, if not more. And they weren't there for the fish or oysters being served, or the live music, or the beautiful classic cars on display. They were there for a little girl who needed their help.

Today, we went to a cookout for a young woman headed off on a great adventure ... college. Katy Hamel is one-of-a-kind, and we love her like a daughter. She works at Hoots Hospital here in Yadkin County, and serves as a volunteer fireman (Or is that fireperson?) in the Courtney community. She's attending East Carolina University to study nursing, and is leaving Wednesday.

Wasn't it just yesterday that Katy would spend the night with me while Rick was on the road racing, and be afraid to sleep by herself? Wasn't it just yesterday when Rick offered her $200 to change one of Adam and Jesse's wet diapers (a wet diaper, NOT a dirty one), and she refused? Good grief.

Red Boiling Where?!?

Hearsay couldn't wait to get back out and about, and wound up today in Red Boiling Springs, Tenn., about 75 miles northeast of Nashville.

Red Boiling Springs is known for ... well ... it's hard to say just what Red Boiling Springs is known for. In the 1920s, the community featured some 1,500 motel rooms for those visiting the mineral bath.

Rick's dad, Sidney, lives in the oldest inhabited house in Macon County. Construction began in 1850. Sid also owns the first bathtub in the Upper Cumberland region. Could that be what Red Boiling Springs is known for?

Signs Of The Times

We're in the process of putting up the first of my larger, framed signs. Getting the frames from a friend was step No. 1, and it turned out to be no small task in and of itself. Then, we had to fit the frames to the size signs we had made.

Here's how big a deal this has become. My husband, Rick ... my husband, Rick, the one who has to ask the difference between a hammer and a screw driver ... has done honest-to-goodness carpentry work in the past couple of days. My dad, Tom Reavis, however, has been in charge of the project. My dad is ALWAYS in charge of such things.

The finished product turned out pretty well, don't you think? These are the first of several signs that will go up around the district. Several more are on the way.

The first sign was placed on US 21 in Wilkes County, between Elkin and Alleghany County. Thanks to Josephine DeJournette for allowing us to place the sign on her property.
Note should be made here of a pledge I will keep throughout the election. NOBODY associated with my campaign will deface in any way the signs of my opponent, and I know that I can expect the same in return.

Upcoming Scan

As a followup to my surgery in early June, I've started preparing for another series of scans Aug. 14 and 15. It means going off some medications, but that's just a part of the process that we have to deal with.

From every indication so far, the tests are expected to come back negative for any more cancer. Still, there's always that little bit of uncertainty. I would most definitely covet your prayers.

Thanks,
Jeanie

Redding's Country Kitchen

If you happen to be in or around the Ronda area in Wilkes County on a Friday night, you should stop by Redding's Country Kitchen, which is owned by Gwyn Redding (shown above). They have live music, and it's become quite the event. Then, on Saturday mornings, they have a great breakfast buffet.

Thanks, Gwyn, for your support.

Bingo!!!

Some good friends invited us to a bingo fundraiser for the Wilkes Diamonds AAU girls basketball team tonight, and we had a blast. Out of all the games he and I played, Rick got one bingo. He won a cookbook rack.

You would've thought he'd won the lottery.