Just My Life

* Mojito Anyone ... *

2012-01-17T22:09:00.000-06:00

Mojito ...

So simple, a little rum, a little spearmint, a little lime juice, some club soda, sugar and sliced lime, add crushed ice and yum ... a wonderfully refreshing drink.

I wonder if it would taste as good without the rum, because one of these just make me want another one ...

Went to Bonefish for our 14th anniversary tonight... it was so good ... Bang Bang shrimp, Seared Sesame Tuna, ..... yum, oh and a mojito.

Ingredients

Ice
6 ounces light rum
12 mint sprigs, or spearmint, 8 roughly broken apart
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons sugar
Club soda
4 slices lime

Directions

Place ice in beverage shaker then add in the rum, 8 broken up mint sprigs, lime juice and sugar. Shake well and serve over ice in a high ball glass. Top off each glass with a splash of club soda.

Cheers! V

* A New Year *

2012-01-08T18:03:00.000-06:00

Gary bought us exercise equipment and has made a mini gym for us in a building behind our house.

Now to get myself into the routine of using it!

Wasn't that sweet of him ........................................... :)

I'll try to let you all know my progress, only if its good though!

Later, V

~Thanksgiving or Christimas - You choose! ~

2011-11-25T19:53:00.000-06:00

We all gathered at my sister's home for Thanksgiving this year. Have I mentioned that my sister loves, I MEAN LOVES, Christmas? She has already started her Christmas decorating ... see below ....

And she's not done.

She has a Christmas tree in every room. She lives in an old farmhouse style home. On the main floor, she has a kitchen, dining room, living room, parlor, two bedrooms and a bathroom. On the top floor, she has two bedrooms, a big playroom, a small kitchenette, and a bathroom. Yes, there is a tree in every room, plus alot of additional decorating to boot.

Every tree is beautiful. She decorates for other people too.

It is like a Christmas wonderland. She loves Christmas.

I don't have my tree up yet.

But I am thinking about it.

Thanksgiving was fun at her home, but I kept thinking we should be opening presents too, or at least singing a Christmas carol! ~.~

Til later, V

~ An afternoon outing ~

2011-10-16T21:41:00.001-05:00

Went to my grandson's 4th birthday today.
At my ex-husband's house.
Always a little uncomfortable when I'm around the ex, with his slim pretty wife (and also very nice) in their big perfectly clean and orderly home ...
Didn't help much that his dog bit me as we were leaving ....

If it weren't for that, it was a great little birthday party.

Shitty ending though!

Never surf the web at work ….

2011-09-19T20:40:00.000-05:00

Never surf the web at work ….

Yeah, I know you shouldn’t but sometimes the temptation is just too strong. You need a break from the tedious and mind straining – a mental health break is how I have heard it referred to, so I clicked over to one of my mind clearing web sites (glamour.com this time) just for a quick peak and there is this eye catching article jumping out at me …" 51 guys tell the truth " … how to be good at sex … so, of course, I had to click on it, I mean, I still need to know this stuff! So I open it and have just read the first two suggestions, when my employer comes walking down the hall and I know he’s headed my way, so, I casually move my mouse to the “x” kill button, and nothing happens, the next entry slides across my screen, and I click again on the “x” and still nothing, my employer is coming closer, my mind is racing, how do I explain this, I can’t even drop my screen, click! click! click! aachhk!, finally, as his shadow is starting to darken my doorway, the screen drops and I am safe, my boss turns into his own office, not mine, and now I am starting to wonder what those next 48 suggestions are … and really, considering the stress of trying to cover up my net surfing, it really wasn’t much of a mental health break. So, one more time … ~.~

~Church and Demons~

2011-09-15T22:03:00.000-05:00

So, I was at church Sunday, me and my guests, you know my little personal demons, namely, resentment, distrust, anger, distraction, just to name a few. I have this problem alot here lately at my church, trying to put aside the fact that I really don't like all of the changes that have taken place in my church over the last year, and focus on all that I do like about it. Sometimes my "guests"(you know ... the demons) talk louder than the music, louder than the minister, louder than the person trying to shake my hand and say hello during the meet and greet time, that I have to just tune out. This particular Sunday, when these voices were disturbing my ability to worship in His house, I took a time out, sat down and turned to a couple of verses in the Bible which come to my mind alot here lately ... namely:

Revelations 4:6-11

... In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’^[b]
who was, and is, and is to come.”
⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

I've been thinking how overwhelming and powerful that must feel to be in the middle of all of that praising, love and worship, so anyway, I started reading this passage, actually read it several times, then God began to place people in my heart and I began to pray for them, people that aren't my friends, just people I "know" and some that I have just been told about, one whom I only met for one quick weekend about 15 years ago, for our ministers, our music leader, for me, and more, and as I continued to pray, and I could gradually feel my load begin to lighten, my guest demons were slowly releasing their talons and slithering off my body and hopefully out of the building, and then I became more aware of my surroundings and the sounds around me and was amazed to hear the music, they were singing: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come ...." my verses which God took me to were being sung back to me - now just how awesome is that? I think its pretty awesome. My church service went much better after that.

Click on it, be blessed with me.

Revelation Song

Til later y'all! V

~ Turkey Sighting ~

2011-09-04T04:07:00.000-05:00

For the past few weeks I have been seeing two turkeys on the small grassy patch on the side of Hwy 72 as you are getting to the top of Chapman Mountain (headed East). Sitting in traffic, or creeping over the mountain in extremely slow traffic, I have had the opportunity to view these birds quite often. I have imagined them as being mates for life and built up a turkey love story in my head, yes, I am bored on my way to work in the mornings! So I finally researched the turkey and the mating history, turns out, they do not mate for life, nor even for one season, they are quite the promiscuous little things. So now I have to think up a whole new story for them ... a hot torrid tryst until the next one comes along I guess. They just don't look "hot torrid" they look like an old familiar and relaxed couple out for their morning stroll, and evenings too (I have spotted them around the 5 PM time too), like they probably know each others likes and dislikes, etc. I've most likely spent way too much time thinking about these little philandering trollops, but it did add interest to my morning drive ...

Til later, V

~ I love the smell of sawdust ~

2011-08-18T09:19:00.000-05:00

Its true. I do. I love going into building supply stores like Lowes and Home Depot; and walking through the lumber area and smelling all of that fresh lumber and if someone has had something cut at one of the store saw stations and that fresh smell of sawdust in the air, well, it just brings a smile to my face and a lift in my spirits.

Our building is full of carpenters and constructions workers of all sorts and the hum and buzz of saws and the bangs of hammers have been going on for over a month, and amazingly enough, it has not dampened my appeal for any of this. In fact, I would rather just be able to walk about or sit in the corner and watch these workers create walls, built in desks and shelving stations and install plumbing fixtures, and just be amazed by their abilities to do these things and to see it all take shape and form.

I'm not sure why I have this love for sawdust and fresh lumber smells but I do. I think it is linked with my appeal construction workers, carpenters and even some road workers; most likely it has something to do with the fact that just about every man in my family (dad, brothers, several uncles, and cousins) have all worked in construction and it is part of a comfort combination. In fact, if I were to see two men, one in dirty construction gear and a little sweaty looking from a hard day's work; and, a man in a suit fresh from the office, my head is more turned by the construction man than the suit. It just looks more honest and real to me. I guess that is why when my husband comes in dirty and sweaty from working outside on the yard, or some project or sawing logs and trees (he's done a lot of that since the tornado) ... I kinda like it ... :)

I guess I am just a blue collar groupie!

Til later, V

~ Construction ~

2011-08-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

We had 14 small leaks in our house as a result of the April tornado.   Not the dripping kind, just the kind that left the brown circular spots of various sizes in our living, hallway and kitchen.   We had a new roof put on and scheduled with the same company for them to come in and fix our ceilings.   They have now rescheduled twice; however, this time, it was after we had spent a day and a half packing up our living, hallway and kitchen - so freaking frustrating!

However, my living room has never looked so roomy.   There are NO knickknacks, NO books, NO clutter anywhere. We didn't move out the big furniture, just all the "stuff" and some of the small pieces and all of the wall art is gone. It's like I have an empty canvas and I am actually looking forward to bringing it back in and hopefully maintaining a less cluttered look in here.    I don't know what I will do with my excess "stuff", but I'll figure it out.

Wish I could put in hardwoods now while my house is so empty, that and new windows, then all I would have to do is add my two car garage, new laundry room, master suite and sun room.   Yeah, I think thats all ....     Wonder if I could talk Gary in to doing all that anytime soon.   LOL!

Take care y'all!

Later, V

~ Wilkins Family Reunion July 9, 2011 ~

2011-07-10T14:40:00.003-05:00

Here's the gang, well, except me, I was behind the camera, don't know why I didn't use my timer ...

Above, Marge, Ronnie and Donna Wilkins (Uncle Henry & Aunt Olene's family)

And below is Mom (Inez Wilkins) ...

Isaac, Stehanie and Allison Wilkins (Jim & Inez' grandson and family) ...

Mary's family (Jim & Inez's daughter) Byron, Macie, Mary, Chad, Mandy, Ella, Elizabeth and baby Mason ...

Me and my husband, Gary ...

Timothy (Jim & Inez's oldest son) and his wife Rachel) ...

Tim and two of his children, Isaac and Hannah ...

Had to add this one too because I thought it was so sweet ... (and besides its my blog and I admit, I am biased ...)

Timothy, Me, Mom, and Mary ....

Nip and his family ...

Isaac and Allison ... (again biased ... sorry!)

Mary and her grandbabies ...

Elizabeth and Ella Collum ...

Margie, Terry, Hilda and John Thurston ...

More photos of Nip's family ...

Tiny (because he weighed 3 lbs when born I learned) & Nip (well, he doesn't know how he got that name - his real name is Stancell, but we all know him as Nip!) ... (Aunt Polly and Uncle Tap's sons)

Freddie (Barron) and Jan Scott ... (Aunt Sue and Uncle Scottie's son and daughter-in-law)

Some of Uncle Bert & Aunt Miriam's family ... Josh, Butch, Barbara and Randy (whose wife and daughter was here too, but had left before the photos...)

I know I missed some people, like Sandy and Larry, Nava Jean and her family who were there, my sister-in-law's daughter Hannah, and a few others, but I tried!

It was a good time and it was good to catch up with family. We missed the ones who could not make it and hope they will be able to be with us next time.

Looking forward to next year!

~ Fourth of July ~

2011-07-04T20:08:00.000-05:00

My neighbors had a 4th of July party on Saturday, they built a 150 ft slip and slide that you could drive a car down, (their side yard is on a hill) and made a pool at the bottom with logs and tarps and filled it full of water. They had sprinklers all along the side of the "slide" and they used no more tear baby shampoo to keep the slide slippery Yes, it was totally deserving of a You Might be a Redneck if ... joke of some sort, or CMT top redneck moments ... there was tons of grilling, alot of kids running around with visible bruising all up and down their back sides (think about it a thin sheet of plastic on top of dirt and patchy grass, sliding at a somewhat high speed for yard sliding anyway ... alot a bruising - I don't know why they kept doing it) and alot of drinking, There were about 40 - 50 people there.

We went over and ate and traveled back and forth from our house to theirs for most of the day, watched the fireworks and the party lasted way into the night - I could hear it all while I tried to sleep in my bedroom next door ...

The highlight of the evening was when the lady of the house came out and yelled across her yard ... "WHICH ONE OF YOU IDIOTS THREW UP IN MY BATHROOM AND DIDN'T CLEAN IT UP ???!!!???" To which at least 5 guys all raised their hands .....

Hope everyone else's 4th of July was fun!

~ Done ~

2011-06-26T16:29:00.001-05:00

Done.

I don't think painting donkeys are my "thing". I will find my "thing" one day ... I have faith!

~ View from the Boat ~

2011-06-01T21:32:00.000-05:00

We finally christened G's canoe - a Christmas present from me to him - took us a long time, but the day was pretty, a little on the hot side, but we went early, finished early and enjoyed it. (Madison County Lake)

Here's a few photos from the boat ...

My favorite shot: (plus it was really shady here!)

A trip to the beach and no photos to prove it!

2011-05-23T22:04:00.006-05:00

Honest I really did go to the beach - it was beautiful the entire week we were there. Nice refreshing breezes blowing in from the ocean keeping us cool as we hung out on the beach with our toes in the sand, we saw dolphins every single day splashing east in the mornings and west in the afternoons. They even put on an amazing jumping show for us for a few minutes one afternoon. We saw a sea turtle ... in the water about 20 feet from us - kind of freaked us out at first because we didn't know what it was and it was a large dark shape coming toward us and then veered west and its green and yellow head popped up above the water, that was when we could tell what it was. Whew! Still glad it veered west. And glad it was a turtle. Do sea turtles bite? We were on floats, and I just don't think they would have offered much protection. We saw two sharks - we could have done without those little viewings. They were both within 5 feet of the shore and swimming along quite fast. Pam said she thought they were nurse shark, whatever that is, all I know is that they were shark and large enough to take a huge chunk of meat from my body, if it so chose, and intruding on my vacation peace of mind. Amazingly, I still got in the water, more than once after spotting them. I felt quite brave, or stupid, I guess.

My friend Pam, from Houston, met Gary and I down there and we had a really good time together. But no photos, I am really letting myself down with my camera.

I did, however, bring it out to snap a photo of her new art purchase. They were having Artquest in Seaside and she bought this ... I had to take the photo in 3 pieces so the whole thing could be enjoyed ... the artist incorporated decoupaged papers with her art, some of her other pieces had beautiful pieces of glass that she made herself ... here it is:

I loved it!

This is trees. She used wall paper scraps to make the tree tops and it looked like squeeze paint to outline them. They were so whimsical and fun.Look close and you will see she decoupaged a piece of map from the emerald coast and then painted faintly on top of it ...

See how she decoupaged paper cut outs in this part of it?

It was painted on wood, she spread paintable caulk on it for the texture, let it dry, then painted her base color, the orangy coral color that peeks through, and then the rest of her colors on top of that. She was very informative on her technique - Pam and I became her art groupies and went back to her booth at least 4 times to examine and drool over her art and talk to her. She was pretty interesting to talk to.

Then, when we left, we went to Lowes, bought ourselves a piece of wood, some paintable caulk and we went back to the beach house, and proceeded to create our own master pieces *-* of mixed media art ... This is mine:

I couldn't get a good photo of it. But I liked it enough to hang it in my office, for now anyway. I loved the texture the caulk added to the art - I have a hard time loading enough paint onto my canvas to get texture, so this was definitely a tip I will use again.

I started my donkey painting too, but its still in the early stages.

So, anyway, that's all the photos I took from my beach vacation. You'll just have to take my word on how pretty the beach was .... wish I was there again right now ... with no worries that is.

Til later, V

Post note: Mojitos - good!

~ Blessed ~

2011-05-03T09:24:00.001-05:00

Blessed. That is the best word I can think of.   We had little damage, a couple of trees down, lots of limbs down, yard a mess - and we think we have a leak in the roof - this rain will tell!   My family in Cullman all survived without harm or damage to their homes too.

We - and by we, I mean Gary - cleaned up the yard, cut up the trees and our yard now looks almost normal again.   He loves his chain saw! It took him 3 days of constant work - which he seemed to really like (I don't get it!), and he was done!   There is still some little things to be done, but for the most part, he took care of all of it.

I cleaned the fridge and freezer out - little by little - trying to save or cook what we could - in the end - we lost both freezers of stuff - which wasn't a huge loss and most everything in the fridge - we had three coolers packed with ice and fridge stuff. Thanks to our camper, we had hot water to take showers (heats by propane!), and thanks to all of Gary's Boy Scout skills and supplies, we survived quite well with no power - just missed the TV for news updates - we survived by radio.

By Saturday afternoon we needed some normalcy, so we took off to Murphreesboro for an overnight of normal - on the way back we went to a park in Manchester - Old Stone Fort State Park - we like checking out any potential camping grounds. It was so pretty.

"The Old Stone Fort is a 2000 year-old American Indian ceremonial site. It consists of mounds and walls that combine with cliffs and rivers to form an enclosure measuring 1-1/4 miles around. The 50-acre hilltop enclosure mound site is believed to have served as a central ceremonial gathering place for some 500 years. It has been identified as, perhaps, the most spectacularly sited sacred area of its period in the United States and the largest and most complex hilltop enclosure in the south. Settlers tended to name such enclosures “forts.” "

It was beautiful.   In the middle of the walls and mounds - which you could not see anymore was an open field that was just spectacular.   It was a nice diversion. Gary wants to go back and camp there sometime, so we will most likely return.

Our power came back on within an hour of returning home on Sunday, and I returned to work on Monday. Gary is still out.

Gary (who grew up in Tuscaloosa and still has family there) lost one of his best friends to the tornado in Tuscaloosa, his dog found his body in the wreckage of his home. They grew up in each others homes from early childhood on. Also, one of his aunts and two of his cousins lost their homes in Tuscaloosa. He is going down on Wednesday for the funeral and to check on his family.

Considering all of the losses of lives and homes, yes, I can say we are blessed.

~ Beautiful Morning ~

2011-04-13T08:55:00.000-05:00

I opened my door to leave for work this morning and felt like I have opened the door to Snow White's forest. Everything was so green, the flowers so vibrant and little critters scattered all over my yard, 2 squirrels, 1 rabbit, and several birds. It was beautiful. What an awesome way to start my day.

~ Flowers and Dogs ~

2011-04-03T22:54:00.001-05:00

My wisteria is blooming - so pretty - and the bumblebees are a buzzing like crazy!

We took our boxer Maggie for a play date with other boxers at a dog park in Madison, it was so much fun to watch them all play - I was worried about fighting, but they were all great! There were other breeds, not just boxers ... I wish it wasn't so far away, I would take her often!

~ Art ~

2011-03-29T20:48:00.001-05:00

I have sketched my donkeys ... this is on paper ... it was a fun sketch ... haven't started the painting yet, but I will.

I worked on my spring bouquet - I just wasn't quite happy with it, but now I am and I gave it to my sister. She liked it.

And I finished my recent cow, I gave it to Michelle W. and Keira named it "Moo". Appropriate don't ya think!

Fun stuff, wish I had more time to just do "fun stuff"!

Til later, V

~ Mondays with Mom ... and sister too ~

2011-03-29T08:20:00.000-05:00

So, I made my weekly trek to Cullman last night. My sister came over and after dinner we sat around the kitchen table playing cards. About an hour into the game my sister looked over at me and said if I didn't get control of my mustache on my upper lip, I was going to look like a man one day ... so a few minutes later I told her that she really should not dye her hair that color anymore because it accentuated her balding scalp and the glare was hurting my eyes ... Sisters! We have such a great relationship!

Oh, and Mom won the game of cards!

~ Brown Sugar ~

2011-03-26T18:27:00.000-05:00

I have read the label of brown sugar for the first time today and I feel so ignorant for not doing so before.

I was in the middle of preparing a dish that called for brown sugar and when I took down my box from the cabinet, which admittedly had been in my cabinet for many months ... I was stumped on what to do when the contents were hard as a brick. I sent G off to the store and while he was gone, I started to google how to soften brown sugar - also something I had never done - when I finally decided to read the box. Duh!!! and Double duh!!!!

Place the desired amount of hardened brown sugar in a bowl, cover this with two damp paper towels, microwave for 30 seconds and walah! softened brown sugar. I was amazed, shocked, and delighted!! It worked!!!! YAY! You can also do the same thing without the microwave part, but just leave it in the bowl overnight - however, I have not tested that method.

I now feel really stupid for all of the hardened boxes of brown sugar I have thrown away over the years.

I really do need to start reading labels more often.

~ Photo Blog ~

2011-03-20T20:33:00.001-05:00

My husband and I took a day and went "lallygagging" - we went riding around on back country roads, wound up in Guntersville, ate an awesome meal at Top of the River and these were the only photos I took - at Lake Guntersville ...

Snowbird weekend at Smith Lake ... I made Laurie pose for me, I personally think she could be a model ...

The house was awesome, the stairs to the lake were long and steep, the weather was beautiful, and being with friends was a blast!

See, she really could be a model, very photogenic and an awesome smile!

Til later, V

~ Randomness ~

2011-03-06T01:58:00.000-06:00

It's 1:45 AM, bolted awake about 45 minutes ago in the middle of a horrid dream, being attacked, nasty way to wake up. Prayed for bit and when I couldn't go back to sleep, I got my pillow and blanket and took to the couch. Its like a second bedroom - at least 5 out of 7 nights, I am in here at some point in the middle of the night - wide awake - for at least a couple hours or more. Menopause? Probably. Especially since I recently made fun of one of my best friends when she told me her doctor told she was in it. Actually I burst out laughing and then started singing, "your in menopause" over and over. Well, we are 50 and its bound to happen sooner and later.

I'm tired of the rain, well, really I'm not. I could have stayed in my PJs all day today and watched old movies and ate junk food and been quite happy, but I'm stressing with the dogs - getting them to go outside in the rain to do their business is sooo aggravating. I usually wind up putting on my rain boots, grabbing an umbrella and walking around in the yard with them, just so they'll leave the cover of the back door "stoop".

I got my hair cut off today and colored. It looks much healthier. I wanted variations of blonde with some warm caramel like colors thrown in, but I am a brunette with some auburn/caramel like colors instead. I'm good with it though, change is nice, plus its going to fade and in a week or so, and it will probably look like what I had in mind anyway.

I was standing in line at Walmart behind 3 young men last night. They were all buying huge cans of some sort of power/energy drinks and large boxes of condoms - each.

There. That is what I will leave you with.

Good night, I hope.

~ A day with my son & his family ~

2011-02-27T17:11:00.001-06:00

Ribs
Potatoes
Cup cakes
Ice cream
Dog slobber
Blowing bubbles
Building forts with rocks & twigs
Batman
Robin
Evil rabbit
Tinker Bell
More dog slobber
Hugs
More dog slobber
What a great day ....

~ Praising God in My Car ~

2011-02-24T08:25:00.000-06:00

Driving to work this morning listening to a CD that a young lady with an awesome voice recorded (and who works in our office); I was praising the Lord in my car all the way here! Found out after I got here it is a song done by Casting Crowns - I had never heard it before. Awesome song, awesome lyrics ...

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am

I am Yours, I am Yours

Enough said - Huh!

Til later, V

~ Facebook ~

2011-02-16T15:38:00.000-06:00

I have decided that it may not be such a great idea to be a "friend" to your children on Facebook ... sometimes you read stuff that you just wish you hadn't.

Just my thoughts here ....

Til later, V

PS: No, Lisa, I am not talking about you. ~.~

~ A woman's opinion ~

2011-02-15T13:18:00.000-06:00

I love going to my mom's every Monday night. We always have just "us" time, which is nice; PLUS, after I get ready for work on Tuesday morning, I have the bonus of having another woman's opinion on how I look before I leave the house.

For example, this morning as I was walking out the front door, she told me I looked like a chicken with my wings dragging behind me; of course, this was after she had looked at my hair and said "you didn't do much to your hair this morning did you?".

Yes, these Tuesday mornings are such a nice way to start my mornings; and really a man would never give us an honest opinion like that would he? (Well, at least he'd better not!)

Just keeping it real chics!

Til later, V

~ Couch Shopping ~

2011-02-13T21:29:00.000-06:00

I have been couch shopping for over a year. In spurts, I will make the rounds to the furniture stores, looking for "the one" only to come away unsatisfied with the offerings these stores have on their sales floor. They are too firm, too soft, the couch cushions and sewn to the couch and not loose and re-adjustable, too short, too long, not the right color, and on and on.

The problem is that I already have the perfect couch and its in my living room. Its worn in just right, its the perfect size, and I like the colors. If only the seat cushions were not ragged, snagged, and actually has some shredded holes in them, all thanks to my wonderful dogs, oh and it smells ever so slightly of .... wait for it ... dogs!

It perfect for sleeping, for curling up in the corner with a good book and a cup of coffee, or a remote control and a glass of sprite.

We went again today looking for that perfect couch. I found an almost perfect one - but it was burgundy, solid burgundy, do I want to get stuck with burgundy as my main color scheme in my living room for the next several years????? I sat on it, I even laid on it, while I pondered on this almost perfect couch ....

Then we came back home, and we both agree, we have the perfect couch ...

We just need to consider recovering it, maybe, but we haven't been to the furniture stores in Athens yet ....

Til later, V

~ Internet Cafe Devotions ~

2011-02-01T10:12:00.000-06:00

I subscribed to receive Internet Cafe Devotions delivered to my email daily (also on facebook); sometimes I read them, sometimes I skim them; sometimes I say I simply don't have time today and hit delete; and sometime I read them and read them again.

If you have just a few minutes a day for a quick read, and sometime a read again, I recommend it.

Website: http://internetcafedevotions.com/

Here are a few excerpts from today that were just for ME:

“God is searching for people who want to grow spiritually. The parable of the seeds and the sower is really a story on spiritual growth. We decide what kind of soil our heart will be by how we hear the word of God. We determine if our heart will be responsive or not. If you want to grow spiritually you will. If you don’t, you won’t.”

"Perhaps…

…salvation has more to do with God’s plans than our own.
…His timing is perfect and He meets His children exactly where they are.
…the way God reveals His glory to each of us is a mystery. (Ephesians 6:19)

And perhaps… you or I may plant or water seeds, but ultimately God is the one who makes them grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6-8)
We plant the seeds. God brings the harvest—in His time, according to His plan.
What a comforting and freeing truth this is."

That's all I got for today, but I think its enough ... for now.

Til later, V

~ Longings ~

2011-01-28T20:43:00.000-06:00

Oh how I long to ....

be organized .... I remember when I was...
be more energetic .... I remember this too!
make more time for Him ... you know who I am talking about ... the man upstairs
get off the couch more often ....
sleep all night and without sweating ...
sleep all night ....
wake up early enough to go work out, come home shower and have a nice healthy breakfast and still make it to work on time ... hahahahahahahahaha ...

okay, I think I can continue now ...

finish so many unfinished projects ...
be able to take time off from work without guilt ....
be able to take time off from work without having to work myself into a frenzy the week before ...

well as long as I am being silly, may as well add ... slimmer, financially secure, and healthy to this list!

But really, even though I have these longings, I have a good life, a blessed life, a happy life and that counts for so much more than alot of those longings up there ... well except for the 3rd one, it's not that I don't - I just feel the need for more.

Later, V

~ Snow Days Again ~

2011-01-14T21:33:00.001-06:00

I was a dud on snow days this time, I went outside looked for cardinals in the snow, snapped a photo of Peyton running in the snow ...

And, finally painted a cow ....

And then unlike so many others, I was back at work on Tuesday. Wish I had a government job.

~ Painting for a Friend ~

2010-12-28T21:15:00.000-06:00

My friend wanted a painting of a sand crab for Christmas ... so I did my best. I hope she enjoys it.

~ Snowmen on Parade ~

2010-12-28T21:01:00.000-06:00

How often do we get snow in Alabama, much less on Christmas day! It was great. I kept seeing all of these cool snowmen, so today I went out looking for the snowmen still standing ... here is what I found ... enjoy!

These were about on their last snow ball ...

No fear of falling when you are already laying down!

I am sure I missed some awesome snowmen, but I thought these were pretty cool!

~ Merry Christmas ~

2010-12-21T09:16:00.001-06:00

Why is it that Christmas can bring on such melancholy feelings. One minute, I am happy and excited about the season, the family gatherings, the beautiful gift of the Christ child and all that changed with His birth; the expectation of the small children in my life of Christmas morning and presents and all that goes with it; and then all of that can fall away in a heartbeat and I can be filled with sadness over the most diverse things, my children who love to celebrate this time of year, but don’t seem to carry the true reason in their hearts or lives, nor are they sharing it with their own children; the resumes we have received in response to an ad for a part time runner – people with college degrees are applying for this job, people who have retired but now need to supplement their income, so many people who are so over qualified for this position, out of work, needing money, wanting a job, and I wish we could employ all of them, one day that could be me – I can’t help but think. My mother’s finances without my father; the children in my life who really only recognize Christmas as a time to gather in all of the loot they can think of to ask for. Shopping – need I say more. And then there is my fish that is wobbling around in it’s tank as if its on it last fin; and I know its silly to get upset about a silly betta fish, but I just want to cry because I don’t know what to do for him.

I think I may need antidepressants. Well, no I really don't.

And then I read this ... an excerpt of something someone who passed away last week after suffering from pancreatic cancer ".... Life happens and the devil is always there to take advantage of a situation. He is there to whisper desperation and hopelessness into your life any way he can.
Realizing this I slowly stopped wallowing in self-pity and started to see the truth as I know it. God is good! He can take the most horrible, hopeless situation and make it better. He offers strength and guidance to all who seek it and as you can imagine, I did." I didn't know this person, but she touched me through her story.

Perspective. I needed this. God is good. What a gift He gave us.

Merry Christmas y’all. My wish for anyone reading this is that you can hang on to the “happy” in this time of the year. Celebrate with your family and friends and always always remember the real reason we actually celebrate this time of year. That is what I am aiming for. Sometimes, it’s too easy to forget that, or not necessarily "forget", but to lose focus, you know what I mean?

~ A visit with a friend ~

2010-12-17T22:22:00.000-06:00

I went to Houston last weekend and had a wonderful visit with one of my oldest and best friends. We had a great time; but can you believe it, I, who usually am a camera bug, only took a couple of shots of her beautiful dogs and none of us!

This is Sophie, a gorgeous Wheaten ...

And this is Jasmine, an Airdale - gorgeous!

Had to take two of Sophie! She was sooo sweet!

~ Working late - life on the square after hours ... ~

2010-12-09T23:12:00.001-06:00

I had to work late tonight, stuff that needed to be done before I go out of town. Going to visit my friend in Houston - yay!!! Total girls weekend.

Anyway, back to working late - I work downtown and I have to drive around the courthouse square to get to I565 to take me home; it was about 8:30 PM; and as I was coming up on a red traffic light on the east side of the square, I looked over and there was a young man, standing in the back of a pickup truck with his pants down around his ankles and his hands on his "you know what" and that is all I will put in print about what he was doing. There was a crowd gathered around him all laughing and taking photos of him with their cell phones. This lasted the whole time I was stuck at the light and was still going on as I drove away.

I was stunned by what I saw, but more than that I was so overcome with sadness that I began to cry; for the young man, for the crowd encouraging him and well just for the world and what has become of us.

I had an older co-worker who once said, that if society gets much worse, God may have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah - you know, the cities He destroyed because of the sins of their inhabitants ... it was said in jest, but her saying always comes back to me when I see or witness something so harsh.

By the way, this is the most current photo I could find on the web of the ruins of Sodom and Gommorah

you know it was destroyed by fire and brimstone, from the heavens, sent down by God ...

Genesis 19:24-25 (New International Version, ©2010)

²⁴ Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. ²⁵ Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.

I worry for our children and their children ... it was just a distressing thing to witness.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chron. 7:14

Oh that we would.

~ Thanksgiving Day ~

2010-11-25T21:35:00.001-06:00

It was a great day to share with family. The only ones missing were my kids and my oldest niece and her family, who lives out of state.

So glad the rain held off until evening!

~ Thankful ~

2010-11-23T19:11:00.002-06:00

So, its that time of year ... as I read recently ... that your family ties you to a chair, forces you to recite reasons to be thankful and then stuffs cooked Turkey and dressing down you until you go into a 6 hour coma ...

Well, to be honest, we do actually do this, or did in the past. Dad would have us stand in a circle, holding hands, getting ready to bless the food before we gorge ourselves into oblivion, and tell what we are thankful for or say a prayer of thankfulness. I didn't mind, I actually enjoyed it, I do have alot to be thankful for; even in bad times, there is so much to be thankful for. Salvation, great husband, awesome parents, sister and brothers, plus more family, friends, and so much more.

My problem was trying to decide which thankful thing do I recite aloud, because after all, there is some awesome food waiting for us in the kitchen! And we were all really thankful for that too!

I hope you all have a wonderfully thankful and happy thanksgiving holiday.

~ Crap Day ~

2010-11-18T10:59:00.003-06:00

I had a crap day yesterday. Problems with a co-worker. I needed to vent and I needed a second opinion. I called 3 friends to lay all of my negativity on them and get feed back. All 3 friends were not available to talk. So I stewed, then went home - talked it all out with my husband. And I felt better. And I was able to come to work today and be civil and even friendly.

Really, I think I just wanted someone to affirm my feelings and get aggravated with me. Which my husband did a fairly good job of and gave me some totally man advice " just blow it off ".

Which I have.

So, if any of my 3 friends that I called yesterday and could not talk, read this ... no worries - my husband did a great job and really that is what he signed on for, right?

~ Office Birthday Lunch ~

2010-11-07T08:48:00.002-06:00

My boss' wife, sweet Kelli, upper right corner, planned an office lunch for my birthday at Cotton Row, with champagne and all the works, great fun!

~ Graduation Photos ~

2010-10-30T23:22:00.002-05:00

I am so not a professional, but I sure do love playing with my camera. My brother's stepdaughter, well, my niece, Jessica, let me take her "casual" graduation photos. It was a fun day. Here are a few of my favs ....

And afterwards, I lost my keys, thought I had locked them in my trunk with my camera bag, had a great lunch with my sis and just when I was getting in her car to go home - some 2 1/2 hours later, I found my keys under her seat! YAY!

~ Lunch ~

2010-10-30T23:17:00.002-05:00

Went to lunch at Sonic Friday. Sitting there reading my book and munching my lunch, Frito Chili Pie, what else .... when a movement caught my eye... I looked up just in time to see a homeless man, well, at least he had all of the looks of a homeless man, he could have been otherwise, but I digress .... I looked up just in time to see him lean up against the building and relieve himself. Ugh! I tried to feel sorry for him, but the door the a public bathroom was just around the corner. Ugh again.

~ Thinking about Painting a Cow ~

2010-10-19T21:06:00.003-05:00

I am thinking about painting a cow .... well to be more specific, painting a portrait or a cow - that sounds weird, preparing a painting of a cow ??? ... anyway - so I went around my neighborhood and took photos of my neighbors cows ... I love the top middle one ... hmmm what do you think? I kind of like the tag in the ear cow on the bottom too ....

Then I came across this ... actually I pass this everyday ... have always loved it, now I know why, this would make a very cool painting, or screensaver, or in one of those funky calendars about cows or old cars ...

Then, I saw this little beauty, isn't it adorable! I'm just not sure I could paint it. I'll have to see if I can sketch it first. The photo looks pretty good without transforming it into a painting though ... why stress my mind when I can just look at the photo instead.

And then, here is Mr. Crab, actually I have decided to name him the "Blue Collar Crab" because of how hard working he was when he was digging his hole, he is my first next project, for a friend for Christmas, I did a preliminary sketch this weekend, then painted it with water colors, I hated it. I hope it looks better with acrylics or maybe oils ....

I am looking forward to dipping my paintbrush into some colorful paints and brushing it onto a fresh clean canvas and see what happens ...

Wish I had my own art room, but I will settle for my corner of the kitchen ... for now .. maybe forever.

~ Has it been one year already ~

2010-10-08T09:30:00.004-05:00

Memories of Dad

... absent from the body and present with the Lord

They say times flies when you are having fun, but truly time flies regardless of your enjoyment level. It doesn't seem like 12 months ago that I got a call from a nurse at Vanderbilt Medical Center to tell me that my father had passed away; at the end of the phone call - my mind had not processed that he had actually passed away. It had processed that I needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible and that Dad was not doing well. I hung up, and in a tizzy of nerves and stress, I grabbed my purse and ran out of my office, calling my husband, my sister and my brother telling them that Dad was in trouble and we needed to get up there now. I was crying and upset, and then, at least 15 minutes later, as if the words from the nurse had been chasing me from my office, they slammed into my brain and I had to pull over, call the hospital back and have the nurse tell me again what she told me before and she confirmed that yes, my father had passed away and that a nurse was with my mom now. I didn't know I could cry as loud and long as I did.

One year ago today I lost my father, he was awesome. I remember his imperfections too, but they were all a part of what made him awesome. He was someone we (his family) all turned to for advice, for help, for his wisdom, which sometimes we took and sometimes we didn't, for his companionship, his love. "They say" you never know how much you will miss someone until they are gone - how true are those words! How often you called them, how much you took them for granted or how much you took what they did for granted. Their companionship, their laughter, their sense of humor, how much he did for mother - in and around the house and more, how much he meant to all of us. We just miss him - we loved him. I thank God for His Love and the knowledge and comfort that we all have to know that Dad is enjoying his "divine retirement" and that someday we will see him again.

~ Kind of Random ~

2010-09-24T09:59:00.002-05:00

Sometimes when reading, you come across something that just makes you pause, think about and read it again and then maybe again.

The below excerpt is from an article in a magazine that came to our office by accident, and it gave me that moment … it may not ever make it any easier having a loved one or friend go through a hard illness, of even if I may someday have to go through a hard illness myself, but it is something, I hope I will remember always.

“…. Divine retirement. That’s how my father-in-law, Howard Martin, referred to dying. “It’s just a transition from here … to There,” he’d say. He made that transition May 11th after 4 ½ years of cancer slowing taking him away. As caregivers, Bill and I had our share of anger with God. Why would this wonderful Christian man have to suffer? Howard would say it was the closest a human could ever get to understanding what Jesus went through on Earth. …” “A Revelation on Old Hickory Lake by Christy Martin” emphasis added

The bold/italicized parts are what stuck with me.

We are doing a Beth Moore study on Revelations at Church now; and she talked a good little bit about John, the beloved disciple; and how he was the last of the disciples alive at the time and how he … (I think this is how she worded it …) had not had the opportunity to honor and glorify God through his death like so many of the other disciples had, i.e., beheaded, hung, hung upside down, etc., in other words, killed because of their beliefs and love of our Lord.

There. I will just end it here. Because these things … above … have been good for me to hear and ponder on this week. I hope they are good for you too.

After re-reading the above, it sounds like I have had death on my mind, but I haven't. I have had life on my mind.

That’s all I got.

~ Beach Photos ~

2010-09-09T20:27:00.009-05:00

Five days at the beach - it was nice = the weather was awesome and we had a very relaxing time.

This was where I hung out most of the time .....

This is our only couple photo from the beach ... I haven't quite got the hang of self photos ...

I watched this little crab dig a hole, he was a little worker bee! Isn't he cute! Well, since it was working so hard, it is probably a female!

See his work! double click ...

This little seagull kept posing ... so I snapped away ... I have way too many photos of this darn bird!

This one put on a show of his hunting skills ... kind of gross, but I couldn't stop myself from taking these photos .... double click again ...

And these I just liked ... double click again ...

And what are beach photos without the sunset photos??? double click again ...

That's all. Well, actually there were a whole lot more, but that's all I will share, don't won't to bore you all too much!

Well, just two more ....

From the bottom step of the deck .... nice.

From the deck ...

It really was a very pretty five days at the beach!

~ An excerpt from my beach read ~

2010-09-09T20:10:00.002-05:00

I don't know why but I always enjoy reading something just a little bit smutty while I am at the beach .... ~.~ I loved my beach read this time - I thought this was an interesting comparison ... what do y'all think? '-'

"A man who makes soup for you has to be fantastic in the sack. ..."

" ... Think about it. Soup takes time. It takes patience. It takes attention to detail. A man who makes soup knows how the take his sweet time with things. He uses the right ingredients, and he whisks in the seasonings with the the right flick of the wrist. Then, and only then, he turns up the heat to finish things off. Bring matters to a simmer. And you know about good soup right, the longer it takes, the better is taste."

Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews

Does your man make you soup? G makes two kinds, vegetable beef and white chili, both homemade with lots of chopping and sauteing involved ... both are awesome. Just saying.

~ Evening Meals ~

2010-08-31T22:13:00.004-05:00

I've learned ... the evening meal with my mom is an "event". I have gotten so used to doing everything on the run or in front of the TV and never sitting back and just enjoying the "evening meal" without all the extra background noise - it seems odd but refreshing to sit down to a meal with my mother and husband when she is here; or mother and sister when I am there and just have a meal and visit, sometimes we are at that table for almost two hours.

I haven't gotten to the point that I want to have this "event" every night, but sharing it with my Mom when we are together is nice.

~ Sometimes Dreams are Cruel ~

2010-08-28T07:53:00.003-05:00

I am on a float in river, tied off to a boat. People fishing from the boat and a young boy hooked a giant size otter and reeled it in; as it was being reeled in past me, I looked into it’s bright blue eyes and told it how sorry I was that it had been hooked and how sorry I was they were not going to let it loose; the otter looked back at me with sad eyes and said that was okay, it just hoped they went ahead and finished him off if they were just going to let him die anyway.

*Flash forward a storm is coming up on the water causing huge waves, the boat takes off with me still on the raft and we are being tossed everywhere with waves as tall as buildings crashing all around us. I think they have forgotten I am on a raft tied to the boat, so I just hang on as well as I can.

*Flash forward and the boat turns into a car and I am in the backseat, we are crashing off a wave onto an interstate highway filled with 18 wheeler trucks, we are having to swerve in and out before our car finally levels out.

I wake up I am in the back seat of my parents car and I think I am dreaming, I look around and rub my arms realize I am not dreaming - this is real. I ask Mom where we are going, she never answers and then I look over and Dad is driving and staring straight ahead, it takes me a second, but then I remember, wait, Dad is gone, died last year, I start calling Dad? Dad? Daddy?!? DADDY DADDY !!!! he never turns toward me and then his faces starts to distort and not look like him anymore.

Then I am sobbing, hard body shaking tears and Gary is rubbing my arm, asking me whats wrong and telling me its okay, its okay, I am still crying and I realize its 5:38 AM August 28, 2010, I am in my own bed, my Dad has been gone for 9 months and 20 days and I feel like I have just found out he died.

~ LANDSCAPE 2 ART CLASS ~

2010-08-26T21:56:00.002-05:00

So, I have been taking a landscape class at the art musuem, its been fun, I like the teacher, we have one class left and then I am taking a break from classes. I am going to try it without teaching for a while and see how I do ....

We'll see!

2nd painting started 4th night ....

Almost finished 5th night .....

I have one class left; its been fun, but I am ready for it to be over.

~ LANDSCAPE 1 ART CLASS ~

2010-08-26T21:49:00.002-05:00

1ST CLASS

2ND CLASS

3RD CLASS - FINAL
LANDSCAPE FROM BIG SPRING PARK

~ a senior moment ~

2010-08-19T10:08:00.003-05:00

Double-click on image to read better. :)

~ Isaac, Stephanie and Allison ~

2010-08-17T20:16:00.002-05:00

Allison...

and family ....

It was fun.

~ A day ~

2010-08-16T20:52:00.003-05:00

Here is the scenerio: Work had been crazy; stressed to the max, sat at my desk in the privacy of my office and squalled like a crazy woman for 10 minutes today from the pressure; note: crying really does relieve some stress; managed to leave on time for the first time in about 2 weeks; plus, I have been away from home for 4 days; husband and 3 dogs alone in house for 4 days - yes its going to be messy; out of dog food; out of human food; stopped at grocery store on way home from work - husband said left over pizza in fridge so don't have to cook ... then when you are about 8 minutes away from home, husband calls and says ... oh Zach (20 year old stepson) and his new girlfriend are coming for dinner, but we should have plenty of left over pizza .... uh yeah right, I am going to serve left over pizza to company; so back to grocery store, rush home, try to clean messy house, put a decent dinner on; oh and the bathroom ... well, I just won't go there, but yes, had to clean it too, they show up early; dinner is late, but pretty good, and I am beat! Clothes are still in suit case unpacked, still lots to do, but I have decided to hang up my wonder woman outfit for the day and go to bed.

Can any of you identify?

~ House/teen sitting ~

2010-08-15T12:21:00.002-05:00

Staying at my employer's home again, watching his teenagers and his home ... basically all I do with the teens are keep tabs on who they are with and where they are - they are good kids - and they are pretty self-reliant - which is good.

Last night I set their burglar alarm off at around 11:30 PM and most likely woke the neighborhood up! Argh! Also, earlier in the day I went upstairs to their "playroom" to figure out what the loud noises were and it looked like a blizzard had hit - they decided it would be a great time to tear out the stuffing of a huge bean bag chair and take turns jumping into the pile - there is white fluff everywhere. All I could see of one of them was the top of their head sticking up through the fluff.

They have assured me they were cleaning it up themselves ....

~ 2nd night class ~

2010-08-08T20:11:00.002-05:00

My cell phone take crappy photos, or maybe its the photographer ... anyway here is my second night class results ... still not finished but is looking a little better.

Maybe I will bring my real camera next time.

~ A short and random Photo Blog ~

2010-08-03T20:10:00.005-05:00

I love this woman. I love her so much. Even if she does read too much when she comes to visit me. I still just absolutely adoringly love this wonderful awesome woman. My mother by the way.

This is a face only a mother could love, and that's me, I'm her mother. Sweet baby Maggie! Isn't she adorable!

And, I did a little painting for a friend ... not really happy with it, but it was fun.

And this is the 1st phase of my landscape painting class at the museum ... green blobs ... supposed to be a section of Big Spring Park as seen from the doorway of the musuem classroom .... we'll see ....

~ wedding of a friend ~

2010-08-01T22:33:00.002-05:00

So, I helped a friend with her wedding this past weekend, did a little decorating, a little photographing, and just a little friend time ...

It was a sweet wedding, for a sweet couple, a sweet beginning ... ahhh love ... isn't it grand!

~ In case any of you were wondering where I stood on this ... ~

2010-07-26T08:27:00.004-05:00

My favorite ...

Thankfully, I do not have this problem ...

Love this one!

arghh ....

All courtesy of an email I received today!

~ I like lists ~

2010-07-14T13:36:00.003-05:00

(borrowed from another blog ... )

Feel free to play along!

I am…. goofing off at work
I think…. I stressed my fish by changing its bowl today
I should…. try to get all of my ironing done tonight
I dream…. of going on a tropical vacation ... soon
I want…. to go spend a long weekend with my friend Pam soon
I know…. who my Redeemer is ...
I don’t like…. nosey annoying people
I smell…. nothing. nope *sniff* *sniff* nothing. whats up with that!
I hear…. the radio
I fear…. for someone dear to me with problems to overcome
I usually…. chat with my Mom everyday
I search…. for the good in people
I miss…. my Father
I always…. sit in the same spot on the couch
I regret…. hmmmm what shall I choose, what shall I choose ...
not finishing college. There.
I wonder…. how much my dogs understand when I talk to them
I crave…. originality in my art oh, and other areas too I guess.
I remember…. a fun day in the past.
I need…. a pedicure - really bad!
I forget…. to take my Nexium daily
I feel…. blessed
I can…. love even when disappointed
I can’t…. seem to build up my IRA
I am happy…. most of the time
I lose…. my voice easier than before my last surgery
I sing…. not as good as I used to
I listen…. to books on tape more than the radio
I shop…. too much. There I admitted it.
I eat…. out too much
I love…. my husband, my children, my family, my friends, my animals, my Lord,
and the list goes on ...
I wish…. I could magically lose the weight I need to without trying real hard!

~ No time ~

2010-06-30T08:17:00.002-05:00

I have things wondering through my head all the time that I might like to blog about; even form the words to say, but I never seem to have the time when I have the thoughts to blog, and I never seem to have the thoughts, when I am the time to blog .... Y'all have really missed out!!! (~.~)

So, anyway, here is a question for Going Goofy ... see the photo below; I was playing with my photos the other day and was wanting to attempt to do a photo collage with different exposures or color .... any suggestions? Really should have limited it to four also ... There is a famous photograph or photographer who did or does this isn't there ?????

Help.

This breaks my heart ...

2010-06-22T08:31:00.001-05:00

... and we haven't even seen the worst yet

Breitbart.tv » Lots of sharks, lots of oil seen off Alabama Coast

~ Butterfly Sitter Needed ~

2010-06-16T13:46:00.002-05:00

I have a friend who is going out of town for a few days. We were emailing each other about trip planning, etc., and she added, other than having to board her dog, she is trying to find a butterfly sitter because she has 3 monarchs which will be "hatching" (my term - not hers, and I am sure that is the wrong terminology for this ... ) while she is gone and someone will need to be there to release them ... She has a butterfly garden and several butterfly houses. If she didn't live so far away, I think I could handle that job. A butterfly sitter! It even sounds fun.

~ I missed my vacation ! ~

2010-06-14T08:33:00.004-05:00

We were supposed to go to Seagrove Beach from May 28 through June 6 and we missed it. We actually had to cancel. My doctor was going out of town for 3 weeks and wanted to see me before he left ... the week I was supposed to be on vacation ... and even had me scheduled for surgery - just in case - which Praise the Lord I didn't need! BUT since it was unknown at the time and I knew I couldn't take vacation for a week and then be out due to surgery for the next week consecutively without my employer going ballistic .... sooooo we cancelled our vacation :( And now we probably will not be able to reschedule until September because of other summer commitments; and by then the oil will have most likely taken over the beaches of Sea Grove - BP is really on my hit list!

My whole summer feels off now - we always take Mem week for vacation and now I have the whole long summer staring me in the face - its kind of depressing missing your vacation. Blah!

~ Stuff ~

2010-06-08T21:17:00.002-05:00

Memories from last weekend ... went to Lake Mitchell with my husband to his brother-in-law's family lake house ... see the turtles lined up on the fallen log, they were everywhere ... cute!

Oh, and last week, went painting ... here it is! Geraniums - I love them.

~ Journaling ~

2010-06-03T08:10:00.002-05:00

A few of my friends and I have started a journaling swap group. (We keep a journal for a few weeks and then meet for dinner and swap - way to get to know each other better ... ) Thank you M or was it S? OR both? Anyway, I have been in a really negative mood here lately and haven't journaled much because I figured my negativity would make its way onto my pages and who wants to read that kind of stuff! I came across this link on my Facebook:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/thehiddenworldofgirls/

it was from a NPR link of open journaling for girls... or something like that .... here it is:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127238417&sc=fb&cc=fp+

Anyway, it gave me a whole new outlook on this journaling thing - maybe I will starting carrying my water color pencils around with me to do my journaling from now on!

This was one of my favorites (there is one that shows their travels that was very cool, but I couldn't get it to copy ... ) :

Check them out, they were all pretty cool! It may give us all some journaling prompts - something I always need ...

~ A hard day at the office ~

2010-05-26T16:21:00.002-05:00

A friend of my boss' is getting married and he is in charge of decorating the car; which means, I am in charge of decorating the car .... finally a job I can enjoy!!! Of course, it is going to be a totally girly decorated car!!! Look at this awesome "just married" sign we made! I found it on-line and thought hmmmm I can make this and it turned out great! It's to hang on the back window of his SUV.

We also made streams of pink, green and silver ribbon with jingle bells and flowers attached to them to hang off the back of the car; and found some "just married" removable stick ons for the windows .... fun!

Sadly, that only took up a small portion of my day and then it was back to the legal world ... ugh!

~ A painting for Stephanie ~

2010-05-22T21:40:00.002-05:00

I started this over a year ago for a friend of mine ... and then before I finished it, I just stopped ... don't know why, just wasn't in the mood to finish it and when I had the mood, I didn't have the time ... anyway, its done, its not original, I used someone's elses art as inspiration, but I'm not selling it and not claiming it as my original art ... so no harm done, PLUS ... my lady's right hand has an extra finger (ha!) sorry Steph! Started to redo it, but decided that is what would make my painting unique!

~ Auctions & Yardsales ~

2010-05-15T19:33:00.002-05:00

Went to a couple of yard sales this morning and founds some cool books and the two below wooden folding chairs ($2 each) - I love them - I am trying to decide what I want to do with them, clean them and leave them as they are, which I kind of like - they are worn in looking. Or, should I sand them and paint them with crazy colors, like each wooden slat a different color, or what ... leave me a comment and let me know. I kind of like them as they are, but painting them would be fun too.

And last night Gary and I went to an auction and I bought the below quilt. I like the butterflies .. kind of old fashioned looking. It was hand stitched, etc. The edges were frayed, but I couldn't see that from where I was sitting, I paid $14 - did I pay too much? I washed it with clorox and Gain in hot water, then washed it again in just Gain and put it in our camper. I also bought a whole box of sewing mishmash, which I will probably need some of to stitch up the frayed edges of the quilt :)

~ Camping ~

2010-05-13T20:29:00.005-05:00

Our first camping trip of the year ... Mothers Day Weekend ... Gary gave me a new little travel camera ... these were my first photos ... (We were at Oak Mountain State Park)

This is our campsite. The two trees (same tree just two different photos) with the scrapes ... we made with our camper, trying to pull into the first site we wanted .... :) no worries, no bad damage... poor tree!

We were just a short hike from the water. There was a "swimming hole" full of laughing kids, in the photo below - top right photo - if you look real hard, you can see the kids in the water - they sounded like they were having a blast.

We went looking for a flea market on Saturday and wound up at Tannahill State Park and we rode the train ...

enjoyed a little Civil War history ...

we also ate some really good barbeque here.

Just have to throw this photo in (below) ... they were camped beside us - it's our dream camper, everything automatic, just push a button and your RV levels itself, push another button and the extender slides just automatically slide out, same for the awning * sigh * we better win the lottery soon huh!

I bought this little "forrest lady" at Tannahill, her name is Michelle - this photo does not do her justice - I just love her! (ah hem ... once a month they have a huge arts/craft weekend at Tannahill ... every 3rd weekend ... just thought I'd throw that out there ...)

And we did find a flea marker. In Bessemer - it was okay, but I probably would not go again.

It was an awesome weekend. I have a wonderful husband. He made this weekend great for me.

~ medical update ~

2010-05-11T09:05:00.002-05:00

I still don't have my "normal" voice back from my March 2 surgery, but I can breath so much better - yay! I went to doc this past Friday and was told my vocal chords are not closing all the way and they should. This is causing my raspy voice. He says I have a "tight" chord - probably damaged a little from the extremely harsh post surgery coughing and/or during laser surgery - he gave me some vocal exercises to do (Gary says I sound like I am trying to call a whale) and I have to go back again on 6/4. He scheduled me for surgery on 6/7 if not better. He will pump some collagen into one side of my chords so they will close properly; he will also again look at my airway and make sure every thing is healing properly and not regrowing another ledge ... BUT - if better by 6/4 - no surgery. Which is what I am hoping for! and praying for! Y'all too ... right? :)

~ camping again ~

2010-05-05T22:49:00.002-05:00

Why is it packing to go camping is sooo much work!? I am too pooped to go camping! Nah, I guess I'll still go, but it sure is alot of work getting the camper ready to go sometimes ... We are going for a long weekend ... Oak Mountain State Park.

See y'all soon!

And, uh no that is not our camper ... its just for looks :)

~ Art Project ~

2010-05-02T19:52:00.002-05:00

Hanging out with my friends, sharing an awesome meal, getting a little crafty and having a great time. Thank you Brenda for a great night! Sherry, Laurie and Mechelle too! Also, will be waiting for that recipe for the delicious dessert ... chocolate ice cream roll up cake with strawberries ... Love my friends!

~ A Mouse's place in society ~

2010-04-23T09:49:00.003-05:00

So, yesterday I was on my way home and as I was stopped for pedestrian traffic in front of the courthouse, a young girl in the 19-23 age group came walking by wearing the cutest little ruffled peasant off the shoulder dress when I noticed movement around her neck and hairline. A mouse flitted out from under her hair ran across her shoulder and then poked its head back under her hair leaving it's hind quarter and long pink tail dangling and swinging down her shoulder and arm. Ick. Gross. And double Ick. Are mice potty trained?

~ Men Praising God ~

2010-04-20T20:14:00.006-05:00

I really like seeing men get happy in church; see them getting happy in the Lord, almost jumping happy, bouncing on the balls of their feet happy; or getting so filled with the feeling that the Holy Spirit is so, just SO that they reach their arms out as if to try to touch the very physical presence of Him as The Spirit soars all around - I don't know if I put that into words as well as I could, but there is just something that touches my heart to see a man get happy in the Lord. My Dad got happy in the Lord, loved to be in the presence of other men and share that happiness with them. I loved that about him. Maybe that is why it touches me to see Gods love shine through other men. I bet it's awesome to be in the midst of a men's Christian conference when they just let loose and really praise the Lord. I've seen glimpses of this in a few of the men in our church. It made me happy.

So, if you ever see me in church with a big goofy smile on my face for no obvious apparent reason, its probably because God has allowed me to glimpse the happiness of Him being showered on someone in my presence. .... Or it could be that I just got my own shower of Love and am still feeling the splashes of It all dance around my feet, who knows.

~ My past weekend ~

2010-04-13T20:35:00.006-05:00

Wasn't last weekend an awesome weekend!? It was like a beautiful breath of fresh air for me. My husband and I went riding together, the first time in months and months - for me. We rode through at least 100 mud holes; climbed hills; had a picnic by a bubbling brook (sounds like that came right out of a book .. the bubbling brook part - huh!? probably did, I read alot), but it was a fun fun day! Those are my boots, I was showing off my mud!

What wasn't so fun was this, see that trigger in the photo below? That is my gas button, my right thumb has to push that button to go, for 15 rocky, bumpy, arm jarring miles, my thumb has to push that button with my right thumb. About two hours, of rocky, bumpy, arm jarring miles. I had to sleep with a heating pad on that thumb that night! It throbbed like crazy! But it was a fun day.

Sunday was nap day. In a hammock. In my back yard. The book was just for looks, I didn't read until after a nice 1 1/2 hour nap. In my hammock. In my back yard. Nice. My husband even put a small fire in the fire pit so the bugs wouldn't bother me. And they didn't. I love Sunday afternoon naps.

And, my wisteria is blooming over my swing. isn't it pretty!

Have a great week y'all!

~ For Today ~

2010-04-04T19:57:00.007-05:00

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... I am writing this Sunday evening and there is darkness outside my window; but earlier we enjoyed a beautiful sunny Easter Sunday - very nice.

I am thinking... about my day today; enjoyed a good meal, a nice nap and time with my family.

I am thankful for... family, love, Jesus, a wonderful husband, sweet dogs, and good friends, not necessarily in that order - of course!

From the learning rooms... every day is a learning day, something new all the time and sometimes just relearning old lessons.

From the kitchen... I made the best Parmesan chicken - not the kind with red pasta sauce and noodles; but chicken tenders coated in crushed pecans and shredded Parmesan cheese and browned in olive oil. Very very good.

I am wearing... yoga pants; sleeveless top with a hoodie jacket; I decided my husband has seen enough of me in sloppy oversized pjs for my evening loungewear - so I went out and bought alot of "yoga style" clothing for lounging, so at least if someone comes to the house unexpected, I don't have to run to the bedroom to change, plus these clothes are really comfy.

I am creating... nothing. absolutely nothing. okay, now I feel like I need to go work on a painting or my scrapbook projects - guilt ...

I am going... no where tonight. I am in for the night YAY!

I am reading... too many books started, but I did finally finish one of them today - Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella. Cute book - easy read, don't know why I took so long finishing it.

I am hoping... my doc can call me in some different antibiotics as I am currently broke out in a rash from the Bactrin which he prescribed me Thursday.

I am hearing... my dog Maggie snore - she is laying next me.

Around the house... it's almost time for me to go flower and fern shopping ... almost.

One of my favorite things... Sunday afternoon naps.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Monday @ moms, Thursday, I have a hot stone massage scheduled, but I also have an engagement girls outing to go on, one will have to be cancelled.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... my sister's newest family addition - Pepe' - he was Mom's but she decided he was too much work for her, so now he belongs to Mary. He is a toy poodle. Cute huh! He came to visit today; my boxer Maggie, thought Mary had brought her a snack treat!

~ Is it spring yet ~

2010-03-27T16:14:00.005-05:00

Today was beautiful! I'm still not ready to work in my yard, but I did decide to take a look to see if I could see some true signs of spring ...

Here is what I found ....

My yellow bells are blooming and my jasmine is budding and about the burst into bloom.

My hosta has broken through the dirt and dried dead leaves and shining their twisted and furled stems up toward the sun.

And, I found what I think is a stray tulip which will look really sad all by it's lonesome, but I didn't have the heart to dig it up; if its stubborn enough to find a way to come up out of the dirt where it was, then well, I'll give it at least one season where it lays ... I tried to see if my Lantana was showing any signs of rebirth, not yet, but I have faith, its down under the tangle of dead looking stems, leaves and dirt, not asleep anymore but just rolling around in its cover of dirt and trying to put its pillow over its head, but like an alarm clock, the spring season is coming and its going to have wake up and put on its finery soon, so it may as well quit hitting the snooze button, its time to get up!

Happy Spring y'all, whats blooming or trying to in your yards?

~ Celebrating Dad ~

2010-03-25T08:57:00.005-05:00

Today would have been my Dad's 82 birthday and I so badly miss him. When I start getting sad about him not being with us; I have become an expert and pushing the thought from my mind or replacing it with how happy I am that he is with Jesus and not in pain anymore - which I am, but I miss him.

My dad was not a perfect man, he had his faults just like we all do, but he was an awesome Dad to me and someone that I looked up to and respected more than I could even try to put into words. He loved all of us so much and wow did he love my mom. He wasn't a mushy mushy gushy man with his love (although he did have some of that to share with us too), he showed his love in all that he did; he told us too, but he was a man of actions and that is where his love shone for all of us. If he could fix something for us, grow a huge garden to share, or share his knowledge in any way possible - that made him happy. I think that is why getting sick and weak and unable to "do" like he wanted got him down so much. He NEEDED to DO; that was who he was. He gave us a beautiful home to grow up in; but it was his and Mom's love that made it that home, not the brick, wood and mortar; just their love first for God which they showed us in their lives without having to even say it; their love for each other and their love for us kids; that is what made it home for me. I knew no matter where I moved; where my life took me, even when I stumbled in my walk with God and disappointed them; no matter how old I got; and, not even when they moved from the "home" I grew up in to three different houses, home was with them - love was with them. Their door was always open, just like their hearts and arms.

I miss my Dad. I just wanted to share something to honor him today. After all it's his birthday and I want to celebrate with him and since I can't do that, I will just share a little something to celebrate him. Happy Birthday Dad; I love you. I miss you. I know one day we will be sharing another "home" together.

~ Photos ~

2010-03-22T00:07:00.006-05:00

Not been blogging lately, don't know why ...

Anyway, I offered to take some photos of our runner that she might could use as grad casual photos - some of them turned out pretty good.

I took more, but here is a sample ... pretty girl!

~ Friendly Neighbor ~

2010-03-07T17:03:00.004-06:00

I am getting tired of being off from work.

Now, those words just don't sound right. I guess I wish - if I was off work - I was doing something fun and not recuperating from another airway surgery.

I am very thankful that my surgery has gone well; I am thankful for praying friends and family; I am thankful my surgeon was in town; and the list goes on ... Mostly just thank you Jesus for it all. Oh and I am thankful for insurance too - very thankful - YAY insurance! I have taken it for granted in the past, but never again.

I was laying in my hospital bed - not feeling the best in the world - when my "roommate" came over to be friendly and neighborly - we had the same surgeon and we were sharing a "step down" room - not intensive care, but a nurse stayed in our room 24/7 - She wanted to know what kind of surgery I had and about my symptoms, etc., we were exchanging our "war" stories, so to speak. Anyway, she is probably about 34-38 and she has had 71 surgeries related to her airway. I was stunned - 71 airway surgeries - I am still stunned.

This was her second with my surgeon. She currently has a tracheotomy and has to push a button on her throat to talk. She was such a happy upbeat person and I was glad she shared my room.

That's all I got for now ... until later .....

~ From Start to Finish ~

2010-02-28T13:06:00.003-06:00

I took my first portrait class; below are my results, it was a 6 week class and I photographed my progress and the end of each class.

This is my Dad. And after working on it for so many weeks, it looks just like my dad; but my mom and sister say it looks more like one of my uncles ... I could never get him to smile and every time I tried, it just didn't work, so I finally gave up. I decided after the class to put him aside and let him be for now, maybe I will pick it up again, at a later time. I want to take a class on eyes and mouths. Then maybe I'll have a go and fixing what I don't like.

I enjoyed the class and I really want to try more portrait work. Maybe if its someone I don't know I will do better. But I am not unhappy with the results.

~ A Melancholy Day ~

2010-02-26T08:50:00.004-06:00

I am having a melancholy start to my day. My breathing is getting bad again. My airway feels more narrow every day. I tried to get an early appointment with my surgeon (my next followup is not until late April), but he is out of town - they told me to go to the emergency room. It just felt so unsympathetic to be turned away like that, not even an attempt to have one of his medical partners see me in his absence. He has a new nurse working with him and I have decided I don't like her very much after that conversation - she was very "cold". So I am going to try to see someone local and see what they say ... enough on that. Although, I think "that" is the root of my feelings today. I dislike having health issues, it depresses me, especially when its the same re-occurring thing.

Today, I would rather be here .... riding a double decker in Rome with one of my dearest friends, not worrying about my health, just excited to be where we were and experiencing an awesome time together.

Or here, watching my husband look for shells, this was a good day, we had a good time.

Or here, watching the sunset with my husband and enjoying a summer vacation.

Thank you Jesus for the memories in my life, that I can recall when I have days like this one.

~ Snow Day ~

2010-02-16T10:40:00.004-06:00

Have you ever spent a whole weekend cleaning house and it still not be done come Monday? That's me. I cleaned all day Saturday and most of the day Sunday and come Monday morning, I still have clothes in washer, clothes in dryer, 2 rooms to vacuum and one bed that needs clean bed sheets ... but I swear I was cleaning house, honest. It just don't seem like it now! Next time, maybe I should turn the TV off ... Hallmark Movie Channel was playing some sweet romantic movies all weekend .... it was Valentines Day after all.

... oh yeah and it snowed, thus the title ... :)

- Stuff Be Gone -

2010-02-08T09:05:00.003-06:00

I was cleaning my kitchen Friday night and was becoming frustrated at how much "stuff" I have on my counters ... so, I picked up something and threw it in the trash. It was a gift from a dear friend at least 5 or more years ago - rarely used but I loved it and had wanted it sooooo bad when she surprised me with it - only to quickly realize how un-needed and unuseful it really was, but out of loyalty of our friendship, I have kept it, moved here, moved it there, used it rarely, got little pleasure from it unfortunately; but Friday night, I got absolutely ecstatic with it, when I savored the pleasure it gave me to throw it into my trash can. I got giddy. I started looking for something else to throw away because I didn't want to lose this feeling - happiness, satisfaction, and a little bit of freedom from STUFF!

I managed not to completely fill my trashcan though.

But, I am still on the prowl.

And, I am sure my friend would have been very happy to see how much pleasure I got in throwing her gift in the trash, I did keep it for 5 or more years after all. :)

~ 25 Cent Book Sale ~

2010-02-01T08:31:00.002-06:00

Attn: All Book Lovers and avid readers .... I got this email today from the "Friends of the Library" thought I would pass it along in case any of you are interested in a book sale.

The Friends Of the Main Library will be having their semi-annual 25-cent
book sale Saturday, February 6th. The sale is located in the Jane Roberts Auditorium
in the main library, Monroe St. downtown Huntsville, and will start at 9:00 Saturday morning,
February 6th and will end at 3:30 p.m. This sale will include all types of books, fiction
and non-fiction, paperbacks and hard backs. There will be several thousand
books on sale including history, psychology, religion, foreign language,
children's education, plus several tables of fiction. All books in the
auditorium will be 25 cents each.

This sale is open to the public so invite all your friends to come down and
browse through the thousands of books we will have on display.

Important:
This sale applies only to the books in the auditorium! The FOL Bookstore
will be open, but their prices will be as marked in each book.

* Teenage sitting/house sitting *

2010-01-26T10:58:00.002-06:00

So, my boss and his wife had the opportunity to go on a last minute trip out of the country and they asked for my help with their two teenage children, and with lots of financial incentive, I readily agreed :)

They are such busy children! Golf, basketball, basketball practice, baseball practice, guitar lessons, chemistry tudors sessions, and friends friends friends, plus squeezing in some homework and meal time - wow! It is has been a while since my kids were teens (they are now 27 and 29) and I have decided no one should have to raise teens more than once in a lifetime! They can be exhausting just trying to keep up with them! Especially since these two are so very social and involved in so much.

But, they have been great - of course the week isn't over - but so far, so good. Missing my husband and dogs though; and even though they have an absolutely fabulous mind blowing house, it still isn't home to me and as the saying goes, there is simply "no place like home."

That's all I've got!

~ Snow Days ~

2010-01-08T21:09:00.007-06:00

What is about a sprinkling of white cold stuff that can make us act like kids again!

Gary wanted to hook the 4 wheeler up to the knee board and for me to pull him around on it! But being that he is 50+ and me 49 ... He opted for the little hill in our back yard instead to have his fun on. I decided just to be the photographer ... much safer, less ER visits ...

The dogs all enjoyed the Snow too, really though, I think they were just happy to see us doing something other than being couch potatoes! It was fun to get out and play, we should do it more often and probably would if it hadn't rained so much so far this fall. It was nice to walk on our yard without it being mushy to walk on, frozen ground felt pretty good after months and squishy dirt and grass.

I had to work both days of snow, but it was still fun. Hope everyone else got to enjoy the Alabama blizzard!

And on another subject ... wasn't the Bama game just awesome. I'm not a big football freak and rarely watch a whole game, but of course, this was THE GAME all faithful Alabamians had to watch and swell with pride over - Gracie Lucie you are forgiven because you are actually not from here even though we do claim you as one of us now your disloyalty was completely understandable and will be therefore be overlooked THIS TIME :) .... in case my tone doesn't come across right, this was all said in a perfect ladies southern drawl ... :-) back to the game, it was great, I was getting so upset at times, I had to leave the room because I was getting to anxious about it all, of course in the room I walked into I immediately turned that TV on to the game ... so kind of defeated the purpose. It was surprising to me at how into the game I got, I just don't do that, but wow was it a good game. Would have been fun to watch with a group ... maybe next year!

Y'all take care now, and as Trace Adkins says in his new song I heard on the radio yesterday .... Ala freaking bama *Roll Tide*

Later,

Gary Sledding

2010-01-08T19:59:00.002-06:00

this was supposed to be a video slide in fast motion to see G's slide ... didn't work, oh well.

~ Handbook 2010 ~

2010-01-06T10:17:00.002-06:00

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't overdo. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip..
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree....

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change...
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

AND

40. Feel free to pass this on, I did.

Why Facebook Is for Old Fogies

2009-12-28T11:16:00.001-06:00

Why Facebook Is for Old Fogies

Had to share, thought this was funny and oh so accurate, it was on one of my friend's (Toby) Facebook ...

~ A Bologna Sandwich and a Sweet Memory ~

2009-12-09T21:08:00.006-06:00

I had a bologna sandwich and chex mix for dinner tonight. Gary was gone and so I didn't cook. So my bologna sandwich was relished in the pleasure of knowing that when I finished, there would be no dishes to do, no left overs to take care of, no table to clean off. All I had to do was toss my paper towel and empty Lipton Green Tea bottle into the trash and wah lah, all clean.

Last night, I came home to baked ham, field peas, homemade macaroni and cheese, homemade biscuits, and baked sweet potatoes - oh and perfectly sweetened iced tea; this morning I got up, took my shower got ready and went into the kitchen and there was a fresh pot of coffee waiting on me; fluffy scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, toasted english muffins, perfectly browned and buttered with real butter and a warm bowl of "real" oatmeal, ya know - not the kind from the brown paper envelope, poured into a bowl with water and nuked in the microwave - but the real kind from the cardboard box and cooked on a stove.

Yep, it was Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and I was basking in the love and warmth of my momma's kitchen :)

So my bologna was okay, because I still had my fresh memory of my momma's wonderful cooking in my mind. Plus than meant TWO nights of no cooking :)

I don't know what has happened to me, I used to love to cook.

~ Photo Post ~

2009-12-05T11:02:00.002-06:00

A few of my favorite Christmas ornaments. I don't have a "themed" tree, I just have a little bit of this and a little bit of that ...

A baby dedication, my great niece was dedicated recently. We had a gathering at my niece's house afterwards ....

Memories from Thanksgiving, kind of melancholy without my Dad, but we had a happy time together.

That's all I got.

~ Blessing the Children ~

2009-11-29T21:39:00.002-06:00

I went to church with my nephew and his family for dedication of their daughter, Allison. During the service, their church did the sweetest thing for the children. When it came to the time in the service when the children were being released to go to children's church, all the children went to the alter, and each child had someone from the congregation come and lay their hands on a child as prayer was said for the children, the sweetest prayer, blessing them, rededicating them and strengthening them. They do this every week.

I thought it was awesome.

~ I am inspired by this woman ~

2009-11-29T21:04:00.005-06:00

I went to the funeral of a friend; she wasn't a close friend, but her life touched mine she impressed me over and over in her life; and after her funeral, I realized her life touched many others. I knew she had a desire to share her faith with others, but I didn't realize how much of a burden she had for people who did not know the Lord and the extremes she went to to spread the word. I say "extremes" because she did more than I ever have, or even ever thought I would to share her faith and love in Jesus Christ with others, all the way up through the end of her life. I was only beginning to get to know her when she left our church, moved in with her parents and her journey of her illness began. I knew her after that mostly through her blog and through the comments she and I left for each other occasionally. Shawna Mascalino was an amazing woman. I am sorry her life was shortened and that her last days were spent dealing with her illness, but I know she honored and glorified God through it all. What an inspiring woman she was to me.

So, in honor of Shawna, let me ask you, Do you Know Him?

Without Him I could do nothing

Without Him I'd surely fail

Without Him I would be drifting Like a ship without a sail

Without Him I would be dying

Without Him I'd be enslaved

Without Him life would be worthless

But with Jesus thank God I'm saved

Oh Jesus, oh Jesus

Do you know Him today

Please don't turn Him away

Oh Jesus, my Jesus

Without Him how lost I would be

~ Simple Woman's Daybook 11.23.09 ~

2009-11-23T13:17:00.006-06:00

FOR TODAY...
Outside my window... overcast, dreary, with a big smear the window cleaners left on my window last week ...
I am thinking ... I have a dull headache and hoping it will go away soon.
I am thankful for... for day with friends on Saturday.
I am wearing... black jeans, black shell, pale blue sweater.
I am remembering... the art show which I meant to go to this past weekend :(
I am hearing ... Sir Elton John singing Benny and the Jets
I am going... visit my niece at her first apartment tonight.
I am reading... After the Fire by Belva Plain
From the learning rooms ... I heard this weekend that peocock feathers are bad luck to bring into your home. It has to do with the beautiful, eye-shaped markings on the peacock feathers. Many cultures associate them with the evil eye, and to bring the evil eye into your home is to invite trouble and sorrow. Most of the info I read was all based on mythological origins, so according to how much stock you place on mythology, well... you decide for yourself. :)
I am hoping... this Thanksgiving will be a happy celebration even though we have just recently lost my father - his life was a true celebration and we know he is resting in Jesus' arms.
On my mind ... the upcoming holidays.
Noticing that... the leaves around my office are mostly gone from the trees.
Pondering these words...
From the kitchen... Thanksgiving foods - what will I make besides the sweet potato dumplings.
Around the house... needs a thorough cleaning which it will probably get when I put "christmas" up.
One of my favorite things ~ still this: the happiness my dogs show when I come in the door at the end of the day.

From my photo memories ...

My daughter and her sons, whom I miss very much. They live too far away!

Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook today. If you'd like to read other daybooks or perhaps do one yourself, stop over to Peggy's at Simple Woman's Daybook today.

~ Where are the kleenex? ~

2009-11-12T07:25:00.003-06:00

Okay, I am definitely giving up Nicholas Sparks books! You just know you are going to cry when you pick one up. They are good books and well written and if they can make you cry, then well, they have succeeded in reeling you in and getting really into the whole story, which is what a book should do. But some authors should just provide the kleenex with the book! * sigh *

"The Rescue" was good. Just don't forget to have a tissue handy at some point in the book, you will need it.

~ Simple Woman's Daybook 11.9.09 ~

2009-11-09T08:33:00.004-06:00

FOR TODAY...

Outside my window... slightly overcast, leaves falling, and a single bird flying away ...

I am thinking ... well, because I am at work, I am unfortunately thinking about work;

I am thankful for... my salvation; grace, forgiveness

.I am wearing... long denim skirt, sandals, black sleeveless top with black cardigan and turquoise jewlerly;

I am remembering... some happy times with my Dad - it's been a month;

I am hearing ... soft music playing from my radio.
I am going... get ready for my Red Rooster weekend;

I am reading... still - The Rescue (Nicholas Sparks)

From the learning rooms ... no matter how many times you read the Bible, there are parts in that will come across as a new revelation and give you an "ah ha" moment;

I am hoping... that today will be a great day.

On my mind ... too much to write for now.
Noticing that... my desk is a mess!

Pondering these words... Phil 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

From the kitchen... making a mexican lasagna tonight ... that's all.

Around the house... it is slowly getting cleaner

One of my favorite things ~ spending a day alone - every now and then.

From my photo memories ...

Remembering a fun day with my daughter, several years ago up on Monte Santo Mountain, one of our favorite places to go, just me and her.

Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook today. If you'd like to read other daybooks or perhaps do one yourself, stop over to Peggy's at Simple Woman's Daybook today.

~ Some beach memories ~

2009-11-07T10:14:00.003-06:00

Gary and I went to the beach back in September (Labor Day week) - was a nice get-a-way. Never posted these photos ...

It rained a little and God gave us a rainbow ...

and then the sun shined ....

It was a nice few days away.

~ A Visit to a Friend ~

2009-11-07T09:47:00.006-06:00

Mom and I took a ride up to Tennessee to visit a friend last Saturday. She lives deep in the woods ...

This is her driveway ....

This is her pretty little rustic home ...

and this is our friend Lynda (with my Mom).

It was a good visit and a fun day.

~ Happy Birthday to Me ~

2009-11-06T10:40:00.003-06:00

Wow! Aren't birthdays awesome! First to have my whole FB wall filled with birthday wishes from my friends; I kept logging on FB off and on all day just to read all of the good wishes again; made me smile all day. Then my husband surprised me with this:

It a Keurig Elite B40 Brewer - ooh lah lah - I have been coveting this little coffee maker for several months, but it was just too expensive and I couldn't make myself spend that much money on a coffee maker that just makes one cup of coffee. But, the coffee is great, and now I don't have to stop at McD's every morning to get my first cup of coffee. Love it! I was expecting a pair of earrings. I liked this so much better.

Then dinner at Carrabbas with my husband. Potato crusted halibut. Can we say, yumm?

My daughter, Lisa, sent me a package containing some beautiful jewelry; and dinner at Mom's with my sister and my oldest best friend, Ann - and that meant more presents - yay! Plus, another great friend sent me a package containing all kinds of art supplies for painting ... YAY again! My boss and his wife gave me a beautiful oil painting, which I will try to post a photo of - its a beach scene and I love it. And, I got some gorgeous silver and black earrings from my co-worker. I am so freaking spoiled this week, I am not worth 2 cents!

I almost hate for this week to end, its been more fun that Christmas!

So, happy birthday to me! I don't deserve all of this, but I sure have enjoyed it!