Backhoe used to find body of woman buried under rubbish after floor collapsed

Authorities used a similar backhoe to locate

Beverly Mitchell's body.

(photo:  handout by Getty Images)

Many fans tune in to shows like “Hoarders” to have a few chuckles over the pile and stacks of things that people refuse to throw away.  But hoarding can be very dangerous.  Connecticut police found Beverly Mitchell, 66, dead Saturday.  Her floor collapsed under the weight of all of the rubble accumulated over the years.

According to Cheshire Patrol Sergeant Kevin O’Donnell, they found Mitchell buried under a collection that included mail, packages, magazines, bottles, etc.  He said it was “piled to the ceiling in most rooms. There was a waist-high layer of clutter in the room she had been living in.”  (Continue reading full story here.)

Mommy and Me: Tears of Joy

Mommy, LouEllen Stephenson Noble had my back from birth to graduation and way beyond.

My mommy and me. I miss you dreadfully and painfully, but that is overshadowed by the joy and thankfulness I have to God for choosing you, with your abundance of love, to be my mother. What a blessing.  You made me laugh so much. lol

2008, Daddy had just passed March 21st. I never would have imagined that the other shoe would drop so quickly and so hard. My beloved Mother passed away on April 19th. I post these pictures today in memory of LouEllen Stephenson Noble, so kind, gentle, loving and true. From before I could walk until I walked across the stage on graduation day, you were there cheering me on. As the eldest daughter, I tried so hard to be strong for my sister and brother, when like them, I was dying inside. But I will forever be grateful Mommy and Daddy for the most valuable gift you ever gave us. My earliest memories are you telling me bible stories before I could even read. How did we make it through losing you? Why are we still here after losing a part of our hearts? I'll share with you the words of a song that embodies what Mommy taught me on how to make it..."If you ever needed a friend who sticks closer than any brother, I recommend Jesus, Jesus, because He's that kind of friend." Remember that facebook family, whatever you may face in this life. Thank you Mommy. I love and miss you so much!

Daddy and Me: Sweet Memories

This is one of my favorite pictures of my Daddy and me.  From the moment I can remember anything at all, this picture epitomizes the feeling I got from Daddy:  Safe and Loved.

My Daddy graduated from this life March 21, 2008.  He gained eternal life, but I lost my Daddy.  Amidst the sadness of today, I keep chuckling at some of the memories of my beloved Daddy, James Joshua Noble, Sr.  I’m sharing a few with you my friends.  Daddy was so funny.

I remember being a child, ready to eat, but having to wait until each person around the dinner table said a bible verse AND where it was found.  That where part was what prolonged things as my siblings and I scrambled to remember. Lol.   But as an adult, I’ve had some of those verses quickly come back to me in a time of trouble and need.

I remember wanting to crawl under the table with shame when my friends would come over.  And as we would be heading out the door or back to my room to talk girl talk, music, and pop stars, Daddy would greet the person with “Hi, nice to meet you.  I hope you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior.  If not, anytime you need to talk, I’ll be glad to tell you all about God’s wonderful gift.”  And while the teenaged me was horrified, I have been awed when some of those friends have told me later that what Daddy said had at least started them thinking.  And, unbeknownst to me at the time, some had even gone back and had discussions with Daddy on the bible, salvation, etc. 

I remember sitting in the living room with boys who had come to court (or whatever they call it these days) and talking the night away.  You know how time flies when you’re having fun.  If the young man hadn’t had the sense enough to leave by midnight, I would hear the creak of the living room door open and Daddy would come innocently walking through as if going to the kitchen for some water.  He would look at us sitting on the couch, do an exaggerated double take at his watch, and say a long drawn out Good MORNING, even if it was only 12:01am.  And I was a junior in college!  The nerve of him...lol.  But it taught me to demand respect and respectable hours when I grew up and got my own apartment.

I remember when I worked in Charlotte, I was driving back home from visiting my parents in Columbia one night.  When I got to a rest stop near Rock Hill, I stopped to use the restroom, went back outside and the car wouldn’t start.  I called my roadside emergency company and then called my parents.  I was talking to Momma and Daddy must have heard her say the word “car” because suddenly it was him on the phone asking where I was and was there anybody around.  There wasn’t, but I said I wasn’t scared.  But deep down he must have known.  Anyway I told him I had called roadside and they should be there shortly.  Soon I saw headlights, but it wasn’t the tow trunk.  Daddy flew that car into the parking lot on what seemed like two wheels, with Momma holding onto the dashboard for dear life.  Somehow he had beaten the tow truck there.  My knees buckled I was so happy to see them.

Create loving memories with your families while you have them.  It’s awful when they are gone from this earth.  But thanks be to God for the wonderful times to look back upon and rejoice.  The cherished moments can turn the pain into laughter, and helps ease the way a little, like salve upon a wound.  Thanks Daddy for everything, and much love always.

Time To Do Right By Our Military

Photo credit:  Courtesy of Defense One

America, to me and the majority of its citizens, will always be the "land of the free and the home of the brave". A place that is home and stirs the embers of our hearts. Oh of course like any other country we have had and continue to have our ups and downs. Like any family we squabble with our brothers and sisters. I have been angry with, happy for, and sometimes nonchalant about the everyday goings on of this great country. But rarely have I literally hung my head in shame, that is until yesterday.

The details are in this article courtesy of Defense One Newsletter. The first line "Call it a promise placed on hold." immediately gripped my heart with a what now feeling. The government is already partial shutdown while our two Houses of Congress play tug of war with our livelihoods. All manner of thoughts having to do with the economy, politics, and even scandals ran through my mind. But never in my wildest dreams, or in this case nightmares, did I ever think I would read something as dastardly as this.

I am a product of, and pretty familiar with military life. My father proudly retired from the Army and served two tours in Vietnam. My sister and brother are both Army veterans. And I have many family members and friends in all branches of the military. So from time to time I would hear complaints of some benefit or other that the person who was serving was promised when they enlisted, that over time changed, even though the person serving had completely fulfilled their part of the bargain. Usually it was something like a certain medical procedure, or dental procedure that was no longer covered.

Just as recently as earlier this week I shared a conversation with a retired veteran who is now paying for parts of Tricare that were promised free when she enlisted. I want to go on record as saying that these veterans can't go back and renegotiate their actions on the field, so neither should their care now be renegotiated after the fact. If financial challenges require cutting back benefits, let those who served under past promises be grandfathered in and new recruits be signed up fully aware of what the terms are now.

As bad as these changes were, I never felt the disgrace slapped harder in the face of our military as when I read the story of these soldiers who gave their lives in service for this country. The soldiers who defend our freedom to even stupidly shut down the government with our partisan shenanigans; these same soldiers' families were told that our country's solemn word to care for their families would still hold, but would be delayed. Congress their blood is on your hands for every tear their spouses and children shed. And it will be on ours if we continue to elect such callous, stiff-necked representatives the next time we go to the polling booths.

Any Congressman or woman who is still okay with the shutdown and benefits being "delayed", please put youself in these soldiers' shoes as they flew out of our homeland at peace because the government had their backs and their families would be taken care of. They did not hesitate. When they stepped onto the battlefield and into the line of fire for America, they did not falter, nor did they "delay". In all good conscience, how can you "delay" their due and sleep well at night?

To the military that are in harm's way daily, and the families of those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice, we honor you; our condolences and prayers are with you. We thank you for your services and our hearts are grateful. I hope you don't even get to see stories like the one above. Just know that we support you and your services. And we will call, write, text, tweet and do everything we can to get Congress to no longer "delay" a key mission and that is "fulfilling President Lincoln's promise 'To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan' by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s veterans". And may God Bless and guide America.