Lakers Spoil Clippers Season Opener

Tuesday’s game against the Trail Blazers is the first of a set of back-to-backs with Portland and the LA Clippers. This is the fourth time in the last five seasons (except for the 2007-08 season) that the Lakers have opened the year with back-to-back games. This year, the Lakers will play 19 sets of back-to-back games during the 2008-09 regular season after having played 17 sets of back-to-backs in each of the previous two seasons.

Kobe Bryant had 16 points and eight rebounds, the Lakers center Andrew Bynum added 12 points and nine rebounds, and the Lakers spoiled the Clippers season opener with a 117-79 rout Wednesday night.

The Lakers began their season with a similar blowout one night earlier, breezing to a 96-76 win at home against Portland on Tuesday. As they did against the Trail Blazers, the Lakers got deep and balanced scoring and played scrappy defense. They held the Clippers to 38 percent shooting while shooting 51 percent themselves.





Derek Fisher scored 15 in the victory, including going 3-of-6 as the Lakers finished 10-of-19 from 3-point range. Pau Gasol also added 13 points, Jordan Farmar 15, and Trevor Ariza had 11 points while going up for six strong rebounds.

Bynum's second game was much better than the season opener shooting 4-of-7 from the floor and helped jam up the middle on defense, while blocking three shots.

The new-look Clippers looked essentially like their usual sub .500 selves, no match for the talent and versatility of the defending Western Conference champion Lakers. Baron Davis had 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting in his Clippers' debut, with seven assists. Al Thornton scored 16, and Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas each had 11. The Clippers, who lost longtime mainstay Elton Brand and Corey Maggette among others during the offseason, have nine newcomers who played for other teams last season. Davis played just one preseason game because of a finger injury, and another new addition, Marcus Camby, is out with a bruised right heel.

Baron Davis commented to ESPN on playing his first game with the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night. "They are a championship team. They know what they are trying to accomplish and we are still trying to figure it out. I didn’t think tonight’s game was going to happen like this, but it is a rude awakening for us. The Lakers are a machine, and were still trying to put the pieces together. It is a mountain we have to climb and it is not going to happen overnight."

On the Clippers' chemistry..."We are just new to each other, everything is different. I think we learned a lesson tonight. It just seemed that we hit a brick wall and we didn’t know where to go."

Down 33-32, the Lakers got some spark from the reserves and reeled off a 24-6 string beginning with Farmar's running jumper with 8:18 remaining in the second quarter. Ariza scored eight points during the run and Farmar had five points, three assists and a rebound. That helped the Lakers open a 56-39 lead with 1:06 remaining and they were up 59-44 at halftime. They outscored the Clippers 26-13 in the third quarter and were up 85-57 heading into the final 12 minutes.

Side Note: Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said before the game that he thinks the Lakers may be the best in the league. "Defensively they should be one of the top three teams and then they've got Kobe Bryant at the end of the game to cancel all bets,'' Dunleavy said. "If I'm picking, that's who I'm picking to win it all if they're healthy.'' ... The Clippers finished 23-59 last season while the Lakers kept going until they lost to Boston in the NBA finals. ... The Lakers went 4-0 against the Clippers last season, winning by an average of 26 points.


Fun Fact: Since moving to Los Angeles prior to the 1960-61 season, the Lakers are 32-16 in ROAD OPENERS (first road game of the year) after last season’s November 2 victory at Phoenix. In their last 12 road openers, the Lakers are 10-2 and have won their last three straight overall. This will be the third time the Lakers have opened their road schedule against the Clippers with the previous two meetings resulting in victories: 103-102 win at San Diego(10/12/79) and 114-102 OT win at LA Clippers 11/6/92 (both games were season openers for the Lakers as well).

NEXT MATCH UP: Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets Saturday November 1st 6:00 pm (PST)

Lakers Looking Good In Season Opener

Coming into this season opener against the Portland Trailblazers, there were many story lines filled with very intriguing match ups, power forwards, as well as guards, and high expectations for the defending Western Conference Champions.

There is one thing that needs to be said before anything, fragile big men never last in this league. NEVER! Personally, I like Greg Oden and to me he seems like a great guy. He has a great all around game (at least he did while at Ohio State), a funny big man personality (a lot like Shaq), but after watching his first NBA game he is either not in shape to compete at this level or he is as soft as they come, it's that simple.

Oden looked good early on Tuesday night but after he came down rolling his right ankle on Derek Fisher's foot he came up limping. Many wondered if he would be able to play through what was evident, a great deal of pain! He thought he would be able to go out there and continue to play but it was clear he was injured and just could not play the rest of the game. You could see his long face and feel the frustration coming from him. This guy has either bad luck or just perhaps isn't as healthy as everyone may think including himself.


With only 13 minutes on the floor to start his NBA career, Greg Oden is already injured once again. Ending his night with pitiful numbers: 0 points, 5 rebs, 1 blocked shot, and going only 0-4 for the night. The specifics of Oden's ankle injury hasn't been determined just yet as tests were inconclusive after having x-rays taken. He will be having an MRI on Wednesday to see how serious the ankle injury is. Although my heart goes out to Oden, as getting hurt again has to be extremely frustrating, this game wasn't even close to as competitive as I thought it would be.

Brandon Roy and company were just absolutely dominated by a very good Los Angeles Lakers team. Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw, and Rudy Fernandez tried to pick up the slack as they combined for 48 points, but it wasn't even close to enough to compete with the Los Angeles Lakers team that will be very tough to beat this 2008-2009 season. Apparently this young Portland Trailblazers team was not ready for the experienced veteran Lakers team.













In the beginning of the game Kobe Bryant was looking for his teammates, but after 5 turnovers to go with 5 assists, Kobe wisely started to take it to the basket. After Kobe started to get comfortable he attacked the basket time and time again just making the Blazers defense look stupid. Not only did the league's reigning MVP put up 23 points, but he also ripped down a game high 11 boards. Perhaps after the Trailblazers center Przybilla committed a hard foul against Kobe not to mention a stare down in the third quarter that was enough to awaken the beast. Kobe had 17 of his 23 points in the third quarter alone.

Andrew Bynum on the other hand still needs to polish up his game on the offensive end. He looked pretty good, don't get me wrong, but 4 of 10 shooting isn't going to cut it if he wants to be a dominate center in this league and play for the Lakers. Bynum did block three shots, but he didn't exactly crash the boards with only three rebounds. As for the other Lakers, Pau Gasol had a solid performance with 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting and 7 rebounds. Trevor Ariza also had a good game off the bench with 11 points, a couple steals and a blocked shot. The Lakers couldn't have started the season off any better, this twenty point victory over the Portland Trailblazers (96-76) will be a good momentum builder as their schedule only gets tougher in the first month of the season. The Lakers will now go up against the revamped Los Angeles Clippers lead by L.A. native Baron Davis. After the Clipps the Lakers face Allen Iverson and then it's back to L.A. again to play the Clipps. Then the Los Angeles Lakers will play a lot tough opponents in a row against the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets, and the Detriot Pistons. One thing I am certain of.....this season the Los Angeles Lakers will give all the other teams in the NBA a stiff competition including the current 2008 champions, the Boston Celtics.

NEXT MATCH UP: Los Angeles Lakers @ Los Angeles Clippers 7:30 pm PST

Lakers Host Trailblazers In Season Opener

The Lakers will be tested from the very beginning in game 1 against a very talented and young Blazers team lead by center Greg Oden and their talented guard Brandon Roy. This will not be an easy win for the Los Angeles Lakers by any means.

The Lakers may be favored to win this game in the West but when it's all said and done I think the Blazers will be the surprise team in the NBA this season and could very well give Kobe and company a run for their money in the first game of the season. Not only is Brandon Roy turning into one of the most explosive up and coming guards in the league, but he also has an entire whole roster filled with young players that could easily be NBA all stars like rookie Jared Bayless, LaMarcus Aldridge and let's not forget the talented Greg Oden.

There will be two top key matchups in tonight's competitive game in the west that will be very entertaining to watch. The first head to head matchup to watch will be the reigning NBA MVP Kobe Bryant going up against youngster Brandon Roy. These two guards will be going at each other all night long! Kobe may be a little banged up (knee), but as he has shown in years past, not even injury can stop number 24 from dominating his opponent. Brandon Roy on the other hand will be looking to prove that he is one of the best players in this league by taking it to Bryant in his house at the Staples Center. The next matchup to keep your eye on Tuesday will be one that might turn into the next big man rivalry in the NBA with Greg Oden battling Andrew Bynum in the paint.

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In the past there have been some awesome big men battles like the late great Wilt Chamberlain against Bill Russell and Shaq vs. Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon just to name a couple.

The center position has kind of taken a back seat to guards like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James since Shaq's dominance earlier this decade, but talented big men are starting to make their way back into the lime light with centers like Dwight Howard in Orlando, Yao Ming in Houston, Andrew Bynum in L.A., and Greg Oden in Portland.

Having said that, I think NBA fans will be in for a treat this season as it could be one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory. The Lakers should teach the youngsters a lesson in their first meeting of the season, but I would not be surprised to see a close game on Tuesday night. Hopefully everyone can stay healthy and play well and may the best team win, GO LAKERS!! Enough said!! ;)

Kobe Bryant Injury Update

Last night the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Charlotte Bobcats in a preseason matchup which may have resulted in some serious consequences for last season's MVP Kobe Bryant. In the second quarter of this preseason game against the Bobcats on Tuesday, Kobe hyperextended his right knee after colliding with the new Lakers forward Josh Powell. The injury wasn't near as bad as Andrew Bynum's season ending knee injury last season, but out of all the injuries you can get playing basketball, the ankles and knees can be the worst in terms of keeping you out of action. Out of all the stars and role players on the Los Angeles Lakers, the one player coach Phil Jackson cannot afford to lose coming into this season is Kobe Bryant.

Although the seriousness of the injury Kobe sustained Tuesday is being kept quiet, the silence is defining for Lakers fans. The news as of Wednesday morning is that Kobe will not go undergo an MRI on his injured knee. Now I'm not sure this is necessarily good news. The fact that the Lakers are saying he will not undergo an MRI makes me think of a few scenarios. One, Kobe doesn't want to miss any time and believes there is no serious damage to his knee. Admirable in a way, but if his knee isn't 100% or there is some damage to his knee that can only be seen through an MRI then this injury may flare up at some point during the season and come back to haunt Kobe and the Lakers. Two, the injury is serious, but the Lakers don't want another media circus like they have experienced in the last couple of seasons. Hopefully, the injury turns out to be nothing. With all the attention these injuries to superstars get these days, we seem to forget that these guys are in very good shape and can walk off injuries like this a lot easier than the majority of people. Even though Kobe left in the second quarter and did not return, the Lakers still prevailed and beat the Charlotte Bobcats 102-98.

"I'm all right, a little bit better today, a better mood, anyway," Bryant said after sitting out practice due to the hyperextended right knee he suffered Tuesday night in the second quarter of the Lakers' 102-98 preseason victory over the Charlotte Bobcats in San Diego. Wearing an ice bag on his knee, Bryant said he felt a lot better about his injury Wednesday morning. "There was no swelling," he said. "At that point, I knew I was OK. Some injuries can go either way. You've got to get lucky. I didn't sleep much, to be honest with you. Just moving it around, seeing if it was all right. These type of injuries kind of sneak up on you."


Bryant, the reigning NBA MVP, was injured under the Lakers' basket when he banged knees with teammate Josh Powell while going for a rebound. He immediately signaled to the bench that he was hurt, and a timeout was called. Bryant then sat at the end of the bench before walking to the locker room, and didn't return for the second half. "I saw the ring flash before my eyes," Bryant said. "I was pretty worried. That's the scariest part, sitting there for five or 10 minutes, seeing what's going to develop."

The 30-year-old Bryant, was examined Wednesday by trainer Gary Vitti, won't see a doctor or have an MRI. He said he hopes to play Thursday night when the Lakers face the Bobcats again, this time in Anaheim. "If I can go, I can go," Bryant said. "It's all good." Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he wouldn't talk Bryant out of playing. "We always like players to go out and play," the coach said. "That's what they do. It gives us a chance to go out and function on the floor." While Jackson said he wasn't too concerned, he added: "Seeing this injury over the course of my career, it's an injury you can't minimize at all. It could have some lingering effects. We'll see how it is tomorrow. We kind of go day to day in this business."

May this year be the Los Angeles Lakers season! Hopefully our MVP, Kobe Bryant is okay and can work through this injury. Hopefully all of our guys can stay healthy and play good basketball this year! The regular season begins Tuesday October 28 at 7:30 (PST). The Lakers need their fans support so let's root them on to another fantastic season!

~LF

He's Near & He Will Renew Your Strength!

The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he
increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall
renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like
eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

The above passage from the Bible has always been one of my very favorites. The other day I was reading through some encouraging Bible verses and once again I came across this passage. I've read it many times but this time I really took time to meditate on the words. It was in that time when I was quiet that I heard God telling me that He was with me and to just come to Him. Those words spoke to me so deeply. The creator of the universe was telling me to just come to Him. He was waiting for me to just come as I was, brokenhearted, feeling down, discouraged and empty. How many times have I pushed Him aside while thinking I could handle things just fine. That wasn't the truth. I'm here to tell you that He doesn't want us to push Him aside even when we think we are strong enough to handle the every day stresses in life. He wants us to simply come to Him like little a child. I had been feeling so discouraged lately and sometimes so alone. I was having a difficult time walking let alone running in my daily life. I had forgotten that God is a big God and an understanding God. He is there waiting for us and wants to hear from us constantly throughout the day. It was in that quiet time with God that I was reminded of just how much He loved me. He wiped my tears, took my hand, and gave me that strength to go on again. I felt so renewed and so much more alive inside. I was ready once again for battle but this time I had the strength that God had given me to continue.


Have you been feeling down lately? Are you feeling so down and discouraged and like you can barely go on. I want to encourage you today with the reality that God is near and to just encourage you to open your ears and eyes to Him in your day and realize His presence. Be in His word. I believe that God is truly with us, let Him encourage you, lead you, guide you and instruct you in His ways as you walk this sometimes difficult, lonely, overwhelming, stressful path of life and just know that He has not left you here to endure it on your own and with your own strength. Take time out right now to let God touch your life in a special way. Allow Him to take your hand and renew your strength today so that you too feel like you are truly ready for battle. May God bless you and may you fix your eyes upon Him.

In His Name,

~Lori Fender

2008 World Series Begins October 22nd

The 2008 World Series will be the 104th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff will be played between the respective champions of the National League and the American League. The National League will be represented by the Philadelphia Phillies. The American League will be represented by the Tampa Bay Rays. The Series is scheduled to start on Wednesday, October 22, 2008; if necessary, Game 7 will take place on Thursday, October 30. The games will be broadcasted on FOX. Thanks to the American League's 4–3 win in the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Rays will receive home field advantage. Game 1 will begin at Tropicana Field in ST. Petersburg, Florida Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. (Est).

For many Phillies, Monday was their first time inside the Rays' domed ballpark, which is why Manager Charlie Manuel wanted to hold a workout a day before Tuesday's mandatory session. The team had not played at Tropicana Field since 2001, and only Pat Burrell and Rollins remain from then. Matt Stairs, whose 43 career games at Tropicana Field are by far the most among current Phillies, said he planned to talk with his teammates about the park's nuances, though they seemed quick studies Monday. According to the Phillies website Rollins said that the ball took a sharper hop than it did off natural grass, adding that he expected that to diminish once the grounds crew watered down the infield dirt.

The Philadelphia Phillies advanced to the World Series after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League's Divisional and Championship Series, respectively. The team won its position in the playoffs after its second consecutive National League East title. This is the Phillies' first World Series appearance in fifteen years. The Phillies have the thirteenth-highest payroll in Major League Baseball for 2008.

The Tampa Bay Rays advanced to the World Series after defeating the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox in the American League's Division and Championship Series, respectively. The team earned its first trip to the post-season in franchise history after winning the American League East title, one season after finishing in last place. The Rays have the second-lowest payroll in Major League Baseball for 2008.

MANAGERS FOR THE WORLD SERIES:

Charlie Manuel managed the Philadelphia Phillies to a 92-70 record, .568, NL East Championship.

Joe Maddon managed the Tamp Bay Rays to a 97-65 record, .599, AL East Championship. Both coaches are well liked and have done an outstanding job managing their teams throughout the regular season and the post-season.

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS:
Cole Hamels for the Phillies

Scott Kazmir for the Rays

Now for my personal prediction........ I am predicting that the Tampa Bay Rays win the World Series in 6 games. I have enjoyed following the Rays this season and because they were the underdog I was rooting them on. Their determination and strive to win was awesome to watch. They have so many young guys on their team yet they play like a veteran team. They have always kept the faith and they have a strong manager behind them supporting them all the way. Also the fact that they beat the Red Sox was amazing! My husband and I were going to crazy watching that game. Matt Garza had a great night pitching and the whole team came together as a whole. That was wonderful baseball, go Rays!!

~LF

A Good Laugh, Whether Real Or Not.....

I saw this on one of my friend's site and wanted to share it with my family & friends. This totally cracked me up to no end and I couldn't stop laughing. For women I am sure that this would be a total disaster but nevertheless this was fun to watch. So far, the comments have been that the video is funny, but a deeper argument has ensued: Is it real or is it fake? After viewing, feel free to leave your comments either way. For me, it really doesn't matter, as I laughed incredibly hard!

@ Yahoo! Video


~LF

Dodgers & Fans Feeling The Blues.....

The losingest team in pro sports history was soaked in champagne and whooping it up Wednesday night.

Next stop for the Philadelphia Phillies: the World Series. Jimmy Rollins got them rollin' with a leadoff home run, Cole Hamels pitched his third gem of the playoffs and Philadelphia beat the fumbling Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 to win the NL championship series 4-1 for its first pennant since 1993. "After hearing about the '93 team over and over and over again, we finally have a chance to make our mark," Rollins said. "This was an organization that I felt when I got here I wanted to try to change. And I had my opportunity to. You know, we had been used to losing."


MVP Performance:
Cole Hamels is the fifth pitcher since 1990 to allow one earned run or fewer and pitch at least seven innings in a series-clinching win in the NLCS. Hamels, the series MVP, limited the Dodgers to five hits in seven innings. The 24-year-old lefty has allowed three runs in 22 innings during the postseason, with two wins over Los Angeles and another over the Brewers in the first round. He'll have ample rest to pitch Game 1 of the World Series. "We were able to enjoy this moment," Hamels said. "To get an award like this is something surreal."


Now, the Phillies will go for their second World Series title beginning next Wednesday night at Tampa Bay or Boston. The Rays lead the Red Sox 3-2 in the ALCS, which resumes Saturday afternoon at 4:30 pm (Eastern Standard Time) at Tropicana Field.

Last year, the Phillies became the first professional team to lose 10,000 games. This season, the ball is bouncing their way.

The NL East champions, who didn't clinch a playoff berth until the final weekend of the season, took advantage of three errors by shortstop Rafael Furcal in the fifth inning and shrugged off another homer by Manny Ramirez.

Brad Lidge closed it out for the Phillies, who won their lone championship in 1980 by beating Kansas City in six games. They also reached the World Series in 1915, 1950, 1983 and 1993, when they lost to Toronto in six games on Joe Carter's ninth-inning homer off Mitch Williams.
Now they're headed back, carrying the hopes of a championship-starved city that hasn't had a title to celebrate since the NBA's 76ers won it all in 1983.

"This is for the city for Philadelphia," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We have one more step, one big step -- then we're going to make a grand parade."

For Manuel, it was an emotional night. His 87-year-old mother died Friday, shortly before the Phillies won 8-5 in Game 2. "I guarantee you my mom's watching right now," he said after Wednesday's victory.

Fun Facts
• The Phillies advanced to World Series for first time since 1993 and improved to 4-0 in LCS close-out games. It's will be sixth trip to the Series for the Phillies, who won it in 1980.

• Cole Hamels got the win and is 3-0 this postseason. His three postseason wins rank second in Phillies' history. Steve Carlton is first with six wins.

• Jimmy Rollins hit his third career postseason leadoff homer, most all-time. It was his second homer this postseason. He's the first player with two leadoff homers in same postseason.

• Rafael Furcal tied a postseason record with three errors in an inning, matching the mark set by Willie Davis (1966 Dodgers, World Series Game 2). He made four errors in the series after making four errors in 36 regular-season games.

You can bet your last cheesesteak, Broad Street is primed for a party. And those Philly fans, who always expect failure, can relax -- at least for a week.
"These guys are going crazy right now," slugger Ryan Howard said. "I can only imagine how it is in Philadelphia."

Ramirez homered in the sixth to end Hamels' shutout bid in what might have been his final game with the Dodgers. The slugging left fielder, who hit .520 with four homers, 10 RBIs and 11 walks in eight playoff games, can become a free agent after the World Series. He batted .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 regular-season games for the Dodgers after being acquired July 31 from Boston. Los Angeles has fallen in love with Manny Ramirez. They of course want him to stay in L.A. and continue playing for the Dodgers. The question for L.A. is was that the last game for Manny Ramirez in a Dodgers uniform? We Dodgers fans certainly hope not! Manny Ramirez was so kind to come out to thank the fans after the awful loss to the Phillies that kept them out of the 2008 World Series. They appreciated that a lot and hope to see more of #99 next season.

Manny wasn't the only one to come out after the game was over and thank the fans. Joe Torre came out to thank the fans, and Nomar Garciaparra waved to the fans. They knew that without their fans support they wouldn't have gotten as far as they did.

On the bench, Joe Torre came up short in the postseason again. He won four World Series in his first five years as manager of the New York Yankees from 1996-2000, but hasn't won one since. This was his first year as the Dodgers' skipper after 12 with the Yankees.
"I was proud to be their manager," Torre said. "This was an up-and-down year. I think they learned a lot. They learned to come together. This game tonight got a little ugly in the middle with the defense, but they never stopped plugging away. And that's what John Wooden taught me a long time ago, that it's not always the club that wins that you're proudest of. And I certainly was satisfied with what I saw here."

Have no fear Dodgers fans, there is always next year. This was only Joe Torre's first year with the L.A. Dodgers and look how far they went. They are a good ball club and next year year will be even better. Here's to a wonderful season next year!

~LF

A Tribute To My Granny

I can hardly believe it has been 3 years already since my Granny went home to be with the Lord. Some days it seems like just yesterday I was sitting on her couch talking to her about life and believe you me she had many stories to tell me. Then there are some days where it feels like she has been gone forever because so much has happened in the 3 years she's been gone. I got married, graduated college with my Bachelor's degree in Psychology, bought 2 new little Dachshund puppies that she would've loved, moved almost 3,000 miles across the country to a town I had never heard of let alone lived in before. I remember she always called me adventurous and said that I had a lot of living to do. She must have been right because boy have I experienced so much these past few years not to mention why lies ahead for my husband and I.

She was so incredibly happy for me when she found out Richie had asked me to marry him. She said, "Oh good you've finally found your soulmate, I am so happy for you two". Right after then I started planning the wedding and she was the one who told me to make it however we wanted it and not to be coerced into doing things that we didn't want. I wasn't able to get much advice about wedding stuff from my Granny as we got engaged September 2nd, 2005 and she passed away on October 15, 2005. There was one area where she made sure to talk to me about. It was about living for Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. She talked to me about always remembering to keep God in the middle of our marriage and He would always take care of us as long as we had our eyes fixed on Him. I have never forgotten those words and I hold them close to my heart every day. She was right about so many things. Though she wasn't there physically at our wedding I felt her presence very much so. I left open a chair for her and I put a beautiful rose on that chair to symbolize that she was indeed with us in spirit. We played the song holes in the floor of heaven and it touched everyone who was there to share our day with us. I could almost see her smiling down on us and saying, "I love you precious ones". It wasn't by any means a time of sadness, other the other hand, it was a time of celebration and a way for my Granny to be "there" with us as we became husband and wife.

Something else that I remember about my Granny is that she loved to take drives and admire the beauty that God had created. She use to come and pick me up from daycare and ask if I wanted to go for a nice drive. Well of course I always to and the best part was the ice cream that I knew my Granny would almost always pick up along the way. Yum! She's the person who got me hooked on ice cream, milkshakes, or even a root beer float from A & W once in awhile. My Granny could always come up with an occasion to have an ice cream. I can say the tradition continues to this day in my own household. We love ice cream and every once in awhile like to have a treat. Yum yum!

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One last thing that I remember about my Granny and loved so much was her prayer life. She was one who prayed faithfully for hours. She was so amazing and we all felt the power of her prayers. I remember getting to spend the night at my Granny's house many times while growing up. It would be bedtime and she would start saying her prayers while she was down on her knees. Many hours later I would wake up and she would have fallen asleep while saying her prayers. She sure was my faithful prayer warrior. She would pray for our President, the Pastor of her church, family members, friends, and just about anything else that came to her mind. She would always tell me to pray about whatever was going on in my life and God would work it all out. She said, "pray about it and just let go of it and give it over to God". It was in giving it all over to God that I found a certain kind of peace, the peace that only God can grant.

Granny I miss you so very much! There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of you and remember all of our memories and good times that we got to share together. You made a special impact on my life. I often find myself doing things the same way that you did and it brings a smile to my face. I learned so much from you. The most important thing you taught me was to live one day at a time and live for God!

IN MEMORY OF
EVELYN LORINE HATCHER
(1919-2005)

~Lorine Hatcher Fender