On haitus I guess

Haven't blogged in a while, I guess because I was very nervous about our trip to Mississippi and the onset of Hurricane Gustav! Maybe I must explain that I am pretty much terrified of water, having been through a flood once in my life, so it made the trip a little more nerve racking than it should have been. The Husband's parents were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, so it was pretty much a requirement to be in attendance. The only family member that wasn't able to attend was Pete and I missed him a whole bunch. Things were going well, except for the heat and the tv station set to updates of Gustav. I didn't need a reminder. The party went well, we got to see the grandbabies, as John and Megan also travelled from South Carolina to be there. Now I want your opinion! Who could not LOVE this face?


Or this face?
Or this face?

It was so good to see all of the kids and have at least a couple of days with them. Of course, I don't need to remind you about Gustav! There was a mandatory evacuation for Jackson County Mississippi issued on Saturday. Well, the party still remained to be considered. Husband's mother was very intent on having said gathering! Well, to stay married for 50 years is a real milestone and does call for a celebration. In the back of my mind all I could think was Gustav, Gustav, Gustav. Same weekend as Katrina hit 3 years ago. Oh, lord, what had I gotten myself into? Well, needless to say, the party took place and was very nice. Here's a picture of the cake.

That's their wedding picture on top of the cake!

Here's the happy couple cutting the cake!

All in all we had a real nice time. Megan, John and kids left Saturday night after we had all eaten way too much seafood, potatoes, coleslaw, ribs, hush puppies, and biscuits. They couldn't find a motel room until they were almost to Birmingham. We left Sunday morning after Husband helped his Dad board up the house. Traffic was horrible. I have never seen so many cars with Louisiana plates in all of my life. I don't blame them though, I would have skedaddled! Sometimes we were going 20 miles and hour, and then up to 50 miles an hour. It was a long drive and we were exhausted by the time that we arrived at our front porch.

Now it's back to the same old daily grind! I will say though, that there's no place that I would probably rather be than HOME. It's nice to visit different places and see new things, but home is the best place of all.

GEEEEZ!!!

Has it been that long since I have posted? Well, I guess so. Guess that I've been feeling pretty funky lately or didn't really have that much to share. Truthfully, I have been in sort of a funk and feeling very disgusted with myself. Seems that my life has dramatically changed over the last several months for several reasons that I really won't go into right now, but I will name a few. I guess the first big change was my work hours. For some unknown reason, I convinced myself that if I didn't have to go to work so early, I didn't have to get up so early. I have finally realized that I should never have done that. It has really messed up my life. Well, not MESSED UP, just kinda messed up. I should have continued getting up at 3:30 in the morning and I would feel much better than I do. See, that was my time for quiet. My alone time. The time that I could make the coffee as strong as I wanted to and not have anyone complain, and drink the whole entire pot by myself, now I'm lucky if I have time for one 12 oz. red plastic cup. The time that I could sit and work on that DAMN Sunday newspaper crossword puzzle to get my brain in gear and realize how much words fascinate me, even though it does take me all work week and I usually have to get my bible (crossword puzzle dictionary) out. So, to make a long story short, I started sleeping in until 4:30 or 4:45 or 5:00 every morning, and I have lost some sense of myself. I miss that time in the morning and how it gave me some sense of peace and time to get my thoughts together. So, therefore, being the procrastinator that I am, I am going to start getting up earlier next week.

I am rather aggravated with myself over the fact that I have not practiced my hobby of photography! There are so many places that I want to go to take pictures and I just won't do it! I don't know why! Maybe fear that I am the only one that will enjoy seeing the visual outcome of what I choose to shoot. Maybe I fear that I don't have a digital SLR that you can do so much with, but I really LOVE my film cameras! Speaking of cameras, while in Idaho, my brother gave me the camera that my dad used to take pictures with! Oh, how I wish that I could find some film for that one!

It even came with it's own fancy carrying case and 4 good flash bulbs! Now if I just had some film! Guess that I will Google it and see what I can find out!

Now how's that for a treasure?

I also need to start walking again, but it's too damn hot here! Especially after working in temperatures equal to the depths of hell all day. I need to do a lot of things, but I have also come to a depressing realization that they just are not going to get done!

On a more cheerful note, had a really good time at Philosophy Gallery last Saturday evening just visiting with friends, and we probably overstayed our welcome. But, you know how it goes when you get to talking! That is the only time that Time Does Not Rule MY life!

Wesley is finally getting his two front teeth, or so he told me on the phone!

I think that those people in Sweden kidnapped my dear neighbor, as I have not seen her since she returned home!

I am still trying to plan a little summer party/get together which will include Sangria, but it's just too damn HOT!

My husband is watching some show about RATS on the History Channel! GROSS!!!!

I miss Michael, Ashley, Gavon and Grace!

I have become addicted to Confessions of a Pioneer Woman! That's probably why I haven't posted because most of my computer time is spent reading her blog and her recipes and looking at her photography!

Had my mouth all set for some rhubarb pie, but don't know what happened to it! heehee!

Reading a pretty good book called Sharp Objects!

That's all for now folks! PEACE!

Lots of stuff!

Oh, heavens will I ever recuperate? Kids and grandkids arrived one day early, so it has been an exhausting weekend for us! With family, in-laws and neighbors, the weekend was well spent! Will just post a few pictures to explain the weekend and call it good! First of all I would like to say SHAME SHAME SHAME ON the person that keeps letting their dog do this in front of my dear neighbor's house (Patience and Bill's), to be exact. They take such good care of her dogs and treat everyone's property with the utmost respect. Why can't other people be like them?

We had a wonderful time Friday night on the porch. Met a new neighbor, visited with current neighbors, and with Megan and John. John's family came over and things got a little crazy. Megan cut Pete and John's hair, once again to freak me out, and here is the end result!

Yes those are mohawks! Can't wait for them to disappear! Then came time for the grandbabies to have some fun! They found a sand pile in the alley! Oh, heavens!

We grilled out on Sunday and had a small birthday party for Wesley, who will turn 6 tomorrow!

We won't talk about the sangria on Friday night. All that I will say it was THE BEST batch that I have ever concocted! In closing here's me and Sonnie!
Yep! The mohawk's gotta go! Maybe I will get some sleep tonight! Wish me luck!

FUN and FAMILY and REAL GOOD FRIENDS!

Well, our weekend with the grandchildren went pretty well! It was so much fun to have them in the house for a couple of days, even though the arguing, running, screaming and all of those kid things had me on my last nerve! Thank God for the little magic pill that I am allowed to take when moments that seem too stressful seem to overwhelm me! They weren't that bad though. I did get my camera out and actually took some pictures of them WITH FILM! It's so easy today to just whip out the digital camera and snap snap snap and it's done, then if you don't like it, hit the delete button. I am very critical of myself when taking pictures and can't wait to see the finished product. I then go through and tell myself everything that is wrong with each picture, and once again assure myself that it will get better next time. Here's a few examples! I know you are all probably tired of looking at grandkids, but you will survive!

This is my Wesley! We tried to pull the other loose tooth, but it wasn't ready to budge!
William Max looks just like his Opa! He can sure eat those waffles at Waffle Hut! Miss Bailey is 6 going on 16! She loves to be primped on! She sure tells the boys what is what!

THE MOST BAD ASS BIKER GANG IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

This is Miss Grace! She like buttershlies and shlowers! She's moving to Texas soon!

This is Grace's brother Gavon! He kept the soccer balls going for afternoon play sessions with the grandkids!

Good fun was had by all. On Saturday, it was a so called Mexican Fiesta for all of us, which included dinner at Casa Mexicana with Ashley and Michael, Pete, and Phil, home made sangria (which was to die for), helicopter rides and haunted houses!

On another note, only 2 weeks until Idaho and all I know is that I better get busy!

No words for today, and there are plenty of pictures.

THE YOGA STRAP!

Who would have thought that something so simple would make me feel better! I went to physical therapy again last Tuesday and man was it awesome! I got an unbelievable massage, and Emily worked on some pressure points and I am trying to throw my shoulders back where they should be. While I am working this contraption really works. It's like a long cotton strap with 2 D rings on the end and I have to throw each end of the strap over my shoulders, cross it around my back then around to the front and tighten it up. I know that it sounds weird, but on Wednesday when I came home from work I was almost completely pain free for a change, and I didn't even have to take any muscle relaxers. I did wait a little too long to rig myself up yesterday though, but made it through the day just fine.

When I got home I had 2 beautiful grandchildren waiting on me. The weather was nice and they were all out in the front yard with the neighbor kids riding tricycles! It was awesome seeing them play together like they used to all of the time. Then the third one arrived later. It feels so good right now to have them in the house, doing all of the stuff that they used to do, like running in the house, (a definite NO NO), begging for juices before they have finished the one that they are drinking, asking for treats (which they usually get and they will be full of chocolate before they leave for their journey home), being hungry 100% of the time, (and I thought that Pete was

bad!), but it's still nice to have them around! Bailey, Wesley and Will will leave tomorrow morning a little after 6 a.m. instead of 2:30 this afternoon. I washed all of their hair with my lovely grapefruit shampoo! They smelled so good! I even scrambled them some eggs! So our goal for this afternoon is to entertain 3 small children! It's kind of overwhelming, as they have never stayed with us for this long. I am too old for this stuff!! haha!

In regards to OTHER STUFF only 19 more days until my trip to Idaho! I have yet to get my luggage down from the attic like I said that I was going to or make my lists complete of everything that I want to do while I am there, although the list is started.

Also, got some news that has me rather distraught, sad, and upset, and every other emotion that one could feel in that respect. My neighbors are moving to Texas:-( They have been such good friends and we have shared so many good times with them. I will hate to see them go. It's been an awesome experience watching their children grow. They are like our second grandkids! I know that they will be back for visits, as they still have family here, but I will miss them so much.

It's kind of weird having a day off! I am finding myself wondering what to do, although these kids are keeping me kind of busy, which is a good thing!

Will post more adventures with the kids and hopefully more pictures tomorrow!

word of the day

PROGENITOR
(prō-jěn'ĭ-tər) Pronunciation Key n.
A direct ancestor. See Synonyms at ancestor.
An originator of a line of descent; a precursor.
An originator; a founder: progenitors of the new music.

PATIENCE PICTURE

SELF EXPLANATORY!

IN PREPARATION

What a stupid title for a blog, but I couldn't think of anything else! Just a few things to bring up and then it's off to work I go.

Went to my first physical therapy session last Thursday. Turns out that my shoulder blades are pulled away from my spine too far. I know that this sounds kind of freaky, but that's what Emily said. She also told me that I need to learn to relax! I thought to myself, yeah, that'll happen, but I really have been trying. I go back again today at 3:00 and she is going to give me something to wear called a yoga belt. Evidently it will make me stand straighter and hopefully pull my shoulder blades back to where they need to be. At least this is the way that I understand it. She did some weird pressure point thing on my head, back and stomach, and since then I have been able to turn my head and look up at the sky, so this is a plus. I am still having problems raising my arms though. That is really a trouble spot for me, since right now, at work, the particular job that I am doing entails raising my arms all day long. I just love being short handed at work! Yesterday was awful and very painful! I even took my muscle relaxers all day and tried to relax, but, by the time that I got home I thought that I was surely going to parish! Edwin found me a huge ice pack, and I spent most of the evening on the couch. It did help a little bit, but, it doesn't feel like it's going to be such a good day.

Next, I need to BRAG on my GRANDSON! I am telling you that everyone thinks that they have beautiful grandchildren, but I have the most beautiful, cute, smartest grandson ever! Wesley spent Saturday night with us. When he arrived he came marching in just like he always does. It was so awesome just to have his presence and know that he was somewhere close. I asked him if he was going to sleep by Oma and he told me yes, but then when I got up in the morning Edwin was laying by my side and Wesley was racked out on the couch! When he woke up I asked him what happened. He said that Opa was laying by me. I told him he should have left Opa on the couch and laid by Oma. He informed me that he couldn't do that to Opa! How cute is that? On Thursday night we will have Bailey and Will come to stay the night with us. I told Wesley's dad that if he wanted to spend one more night with him he could bring Wesley back on Friday morning, but he may end up bringing him Thursday night also. Friday night, we will have all 3 grandbabies all night! Should be quite a circus around here. I hope that we aren't too old to keep them entertained. I know that we won't have a problem with them entertaining us though. I plan on making a video of Will reciting the "Stinky Cheese Man" if he's not too shy to do it. I am going to try and french braid Bailey's hair, or play beauty shop for a while, if she will let me! Actually, all three grandbabies are quite beautiful! Since they have moved to South Carolina I have missed them so much and it will be nice to spend some quality time with all of them, even though the time will be short.

Only 22 more days until I leave for Idaho. Mother has informed me that I will be working for her! Oh, goodness! I wonder what she has planned. Probably changing a light bulb or something like that! I hope it is that simple. I am so nervous and excited!

WORD OF THE DAY

VEXATIOUS
/vɛkˈseɪʃəs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[vek-sey-shuhs] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1.
causing vexation; troublesome; annoying: a vexatious situation.
2.
Law. (of legal actions) instituted without sufficient grounds and serving only to cause annoyance to the defendant.
3.
disorderly; confused; troubled.

PATIENCE PICTURE

Me and Wesley being silly!