A Girl Named Kelly Kelly

Eating Like Birds

2011-09-07T12:41:00.002-04:00

Every year we have hummingbirds. I don't know if the same ones come back each year or not, they say that they do. That's fascinating to me to think that a little bird that flies to Mexico or some other warmer place in the winter months actually can remember my little ol' hummingbird feeder and come back to delight me again in April or May of the next year.

I'm in my office working today and keep getting distracted by the buzzing sounds they are making as they are fighting for a spot at the feeder. I have never seen so many.

They seem to be a bit gluttonous and they don't want to share with each other. I held my iPhone camera focused on the feeder for a few minutes. I watched them battle with each other for control of the feeder. While sitting there focused and ready, I was able to snap this rare time when two birds lit and actually shared the food. I guess they tired themselves out trying to scare the other away and decided there was room for two.

I am in love with these birds and I'm going to miss them when they fly further south later this fall. I have read that it's a good idea in Georgia to keep at least one feeder filled throughout the fall and winter because while they are migrating, you might get a surprise visitor stopping by for a gulp of that sweet stuff they love so much. I have also read that it's a myth that if you keep your feeder filled into the fall that it will hinder them from migration. They migrate when the days become shorter, not whether or not your feeder is filled.

Hope you have had some hummingbirds to watch. If you haven't, put out a feeder next year. You will be glad you did.

Till next time...

Wordless Friday

2011-09-02T09:32:00.000-04:00

A Special Birthday

2011-08-22T16:29:00.001-04:00

Saturday night the entire Kelly family celebrated the 90th birthday of our patriarch, Ed Kelly. Ed is a wonderful man. He's a World War II veteran, husband to Jean for 64 years, fathered five sons, grandfather to seven grandchildren, great-grandfather to three great-grandkids. He's done a heck of a lot of living in his 90 years.

The party wasn't a surprise. When we began to plan the party, he was very adamant that he DID NOT want a party. He said he was a 90-year-old and thought a birthday party for someone his age would be silly. We DID NOT agree. We had a lovely party for a very, very special person. Here are some photos of the celebration.

Jean and Ed arriving at the party. I hope I look that good when I'm 90!

Two special ladies; my mom and my mom-in-law. Notice Jean is holding her arm. She fell shortly after they arrived. She is at the doctor at this moment having it X-rayed and Jeff just told me that it IS BROKEN. :-(

Two special men; my dad and the guest of honor, my father-in-law.

The cake table. Also on this table were the medals Ed was awarded during the war. I made him a scrapbook with all of his old Army pictures. The original pictures were quite small, so I enlarged them to 8x10 size. I think that's a more enjoyable size for a 90-year-old, don't you?


His delish birthday cake. I ate so much cake that the next morning, I felt like I smelled like cake frosting. It was very good.

His medals from the war. One is the Distinguished Flying Cross. I loved looking at the medals and thinking about all the history behind each one. So special.

My young Kelly boys; Ross and Cam.


Four very handsome Kellys. Cam, Jeff, Ed and Ross.

Thanking everyone for coming.

The daughters-in-law. Me, Ed, Nan and Sherry.

After he blew out his candles. I hope he wished for many more birthdays!

Ed and one of his Army buddies. Have you ever seen such happy smiles? That generation is one that, in my opinion, will never be duplicated. It was truly The Greatest Generation.

I picked this up at Wal-Mart. It's a poster frame with a big mat for people to sign. I then used a couple more mats to get it down to a 4x6 picture size. I loved the idea, if I do say so myself.

My sweet Aunt Theresa,, who always goes the extra mile with everything she does, brought this pretty present to him. His invitation was part of the wrapping. So clever.

My hubby and his daddy. Do you see a resemblance?

The Kelly fam.

I feel so lucky to be part of that sweet family.

Till next time, XO.

The Cost of a Fun Day

2011-08-18T08:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to Buford for a fun day of shopping with one of my BFF sisters, Suz. We spent about five hours on our feet shopping. We looked at clothes, shoes, accessories, makeup, lingerie. You name it, we checked it out. Actually bought a few things, too. Suz's birthday is Saturday. I bought her gift and also bought the gift for my mom and dad to give her. It was loads of fun. I think retail therapy should rank as high on the list as psychiatric therapy.

However, as with most things I do lately, it came with a price. Tuesday I went to the orthopedic doctor because I've had recurring trouble with my foot. My left foot has felt bruised and sore for weeks, but has gotten so much worse lately. Finally, it was so bad I really felt like I needed to have it looked at. I have a bruised heel and plantar fasciaitis. Oh, yeah, and arthritis in my big toe, which hasn't bothered me at all. Yet. That'll probably start hurting as soon as the other things go away.

I guess walking around the Mall of Georgia for five hours isn't really a good idea for someone with a bad foot. I did wear the heel cup and brace, but by the time I had driven home, when I got out of my car, I could barely stand on it. I knew it was time to bring out the big gun.

This is the other brace that doctor prescribed. It's a night splint. It pulls the foot up and does something or other to the tendons and ligaments, blah, blah, blah. I can wear it when I'm awake, but when I'm asleep, that's a whole other story. At some point in the night, both nights I've worn it, I have yanked that thing off. And it's not an easy task to get off either. It has about 38 Velcro fasteners on it. It's hot. It's cumbersome. I don't like it.

I wore it all evening last night because it did give my foot some relief. As did staying off of it for the rest of the night. I had planned on working out, but I wasn't able to go. It's hard to work out on one foot. I was bummed at first, because my OCD makes me feel like a dog if I do something that's out of my routine.

But look what I got to enjoy because I stayed home.

A beautiful sunset in my own backyard. Something I would have missed had I been at the gym. Who needs a lovely beach view when you can see something so pretty in your own yard?

You may remember a while back, I asked all of you to pray for the son of one of my instructors at the gym. He has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Please keep the little fella in your prayers every day. He's fighting hard and is about to enter into a new phase of his chemo where he will be admitted for 3-4 days for treatment every few weeks. They are fighting it aggressively. Here is the link to his CaringBridge page that his mom updates a few times a week. I'm sure you'll admire her strength as much as I do. And he's just the cutest thing you've ever seen.

Okay, loves, gotta run. I have a long drive to Macon, Georgia to make this morning. It's gonna be another hot one here, so stay cool.

Till next time...

Bandit and Her Mini Me

2011-08-15T13:52:00.000-04:00

Our dog, Bandit, is a 10-year-old Jack Russell with OCD. Her disorder is licking. She licks anything and everything. The carpet, the air, the floor, her bed. There is nothing that she won't try to lick. She likes to play, but she likes to chill and lick more.

Her favorite place to hang out is with me in my office. Sometimes she'll carry her bone in her mouth and try to lead me into my office when I'm not even going in there.

We had her spayed when she was a baby, so she never had any puppies. I like to buy her little stuffed toys and I call them her baby. I encourage her to love on her baby, trying to keep her busy and to, hopefully, keep her from licking. She'll carry it around in her mouth and put it in her bed for a day or two. You know, really loving on it. The next thing you know, she's pooping out her baby's stuffing.

That is until I found her Mini Me.

This little baby was $14, has no stuffing, was labeled as "indestructible", which isn't entirely true, but nonetheless there is something about this "baby" that Bandit loves.

They're both black and white, although Bandit has no spots. When I bought Bandit a really cute bandanna and it was too big, I cut it and made her "baby" a matching bandanna. I don't know if it's the bandanna or the colors of the baby or exactly what it is that's so different, but she has had this baby for a month now and she hasn't destroyed it. Quite the contrary. She puts it in her bed with her and lays her head on it. It's so cute I can hardly stand it.

Today she's spending time with me in my office. She has her baby and her bone.

But guess what she's doing?

Licking.

Oh, well , at least I tried.

Till next time...

Pics From a Long, HOT Georgia Summer

2011-08-14T15:23:00.000-04:00

Well, y'all, have we not had some serious heat this summer? I mean, it's been so hot that I haven't had any desire to do A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G in my yard. Nothing. Nada.

I planted these flowerpots together on the same day, with the same flowers, from the same nursery. Look how much better one did than the other.
Honestly, I'm tired of taking care of them, but I do love the black petunias. I think if I water them every day and talk nice to them, they'll still be around by fall. Then I'll stick some orange and white mums in there for a while. When I bought these flowers at the nursery, they had them displayed in pots as college colors; the red, the black and the white. As you can see, my version of the display didn't pan out so well. Next year I'd really like to remember that the flowers that you buy in April as little babies are full-grown monsters by Mid August.

Even MaMa's wedding day rose hasn't been able to stand this heat.

It's okay, though. This little beauty is from Twin City, Georgia. One of the hottest places in the state, with 10,000 gnats per second swarming around your nose. I know she'll come back as soon as it cools off some. She'll be a shining beauty next May.

What about these hostas? They normally do so well there.

Oh, that's right. Last spring we cut down the tree that gave them the shade that they love so much. Boo me. Transplants next year? Maybe.

Tea Olive tree one didn't do so bad.

Tea Olive tree two didn't do as well. I think it's because of the huge, ugly cedars that are hogging up all of her water. The cedars may be gone next summer. They may be replaced by a privacy fence. No offense to our neighbors.

For a few days last spring, I watched the sun throughout the afternoon. The Japanese Maple seemed like it would be a nice, shady place for a few pink impatiens.

Unh-unh. These girls are HIGH MAINTENANCE. They want just the right amount of sun. The right amount of shade. The right amount of water. And if a handsome Japanese Maple can't take care of you? You've got problems.

And by the way, don't look at them funny either. They will take it personally. Impatiens, unless they're planted under a tall, strong Oak tree, no thanks.

Begonias normally do great here. They're not very dainty and they don't need a lot of attention. Apparently, though, they do need some.

It looks like a rabbit may have been giving them the attention that I haven't.

Oak leaf hydrangea. Oh, how I loved you. Your blooms were gorgeous. They stood so tall and looked great in some arrangements I made. Thanks for sharing your beauty. Enjoy your down season.

Ahh, my prized hydrangeas. I'm emotionally attached to these hydrangeas. Their blooms always amaze me with their size and color. Sometimes the prettiest shade of lavender. Other times a sweet baby blue.

You couldn't have been prettier this summer. Whether it was on a cool, windy May afternoon for a graduation party or a scorching hot Kimball July 4th party, you bloomed at your fullest at just the right time. This fall we're going to move this hardy beauty. She's going to the shade. Bless her heart. She has stood in that hot, burning sun long enough. She never, ever let me down. It's time she be granted the rest in the shade that she deserves. She may share another big bloom or two this summer, but I think she's done for this year. Live on Aunt Louise and Barbo's hydrangea.

This little rock garden thrived on neglect and burning sun.

The camellia cutting that my daddy got from his daddy's house has continued to grow and, despite the heat, I think it'll be ready to be transplanted into the dirt next year.

Our cedar tree that we decorate every Christmas grew a lot and I'm already thinking of pretty decorations to put on it.

Kelly's Mountain didn't seem phased by the summer heat. That big ol' rock just sits there and takes it.

I do love that old rock.

The vinca around our mailbox did great. Vinca is kind of like a weed; it's very hard to kill. I guess that's why it survived, because that area of our yard gets no shade at all. And, yes, I do need a new mailbox. This one won't stay shut and it looks kind of sloppy, don't you think?

Don't ask about this one. I really don't know why there is an arrow stuck in the stump of the tree. But it's been there all summer, so I guess you could consider it yard art.

Crazy heat apparently makes shrubs grow out of control. Early spring I cut these ugly things back so much that I thought for sure they'd never come back. But oh, no. They're almost as big as they were when I cut them back. All they are good for is for the 9999,000 pesky white flies that call those shrubs home. Next summer, these shrubs will be gone. Something else is going in that spot. Something that knows its limits. Geez.

This is actually two shrubs and a gardenia bush. But due to outrageous growth this summer, it just looks like one green blob. They need to have some space. Another job for the fall.

So summer 2011, you've been great. I've enjoyed your visit very much.

But I know you'd hate to wear out your welcome, so anytime you'd like to go, it's okay with me. I'll look forward to seeing you again in May 2012.

Till next time...

Did She or Didn't She

2011-08-13T18:13:00.002-04:00

Hello there! Apparently I missed the documentary on TLC entitled "Crazy for Pippa." Do you remember her? She was the beautiful bridesmaid and sister of Princess Kate Middleton. She was gorgeous. Almost as pretty as the Princess herself. She has such a beautiful figure, and it was showed off quite nicely in her bridesmaid dress. Well... rumor has it that she padded her derriere for the royal wedding!

Not sure I believe it, but I wouldn't be surprised. That's a problem I wouldn't mind having, but no amount of working out seems to be making a flat bottom out of this apple bottom of mine.

And then in another scandalous (ha) story, Grazia magazine has reportedly admitted to using Photo Shop to make Kate's waist appear EVEN smaller for their latest magazine cover.

The waist depicted in the magazine cover is so small, I don't see how it would accommodate the necessary organs a member of the Royal Family needs to live!

As beautiful as Kate was, and as tiny as her waist was, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD ANYONE NEED TO MAKE THIS WAIST SMALLER?

Some people are never satisfied, I guess. Padded booties and doctoring pictures to make waists that are already tiny even smaller. I don't get it. I betcha there's a man involved in there somewhere.

Till next time...

Keep Moving

2011-08-12T19:02:00.002-04:00

I'm returning after yet another "blog break." To be honest, I have gotten so discouraged trying to upload pictures and blah, blah, blah, that I just lost patience with my blog. I ended up feeling so frustrated every time I would try to post.

Anyway, I'm going to start writing again. I don't know if I even have anyone who cares anymore. But I know that I'll be sorry if I don't, because I don't keep a diary of any sort. Considering that I type as major part of my job, typing is much easier than hand writing in a diary or a journal.

I'm also considering paying someone to make a custom blog design for me. The only problem with that is that I like to change so often, so I worry that might be expensive. We'll see.

If anyone reads this, thanks for reading, and also a big, huge thanks to Carolynn at Makin' Cute Blogs. She may be just the one I contact about making a custom design. She has lots of cute ideas, including the adorable picture that I used above. What a coincidence that it's just how I feel right about now.

And as always, till next time.

Jesus Loves the Little Children

2011-06-10T19:12:00.003-04:00

Friends, I am asking for prayers for family and friends tonight. So much loss and sadness, worry and anxiety. I don't know what non-Christians do in times like these.

If you have followed my blog, then I'm sure you've heard me speak of my Aunt Theresa. You may even read her blog, They Call Me Ganky. She was happily expecting her seventh grandchild today and was hoping for a boy to keep his two sisters busy. Indeed a precious baby boy was born. He was born with collapsed lungs and a hole in one of his lungs. He has improved somewhat this evening, although he is not out of the woods quite yet. PLEASE be in prayer for this sweet baby, his mommy, daddy, sisters and all the rest of their family. Pray for God to guide the hands and minds of everyone taking care of their baby.

I also ask you to pray for a sweet little five-year-old girl that I've never met. My town used to be much smaller than it is today. Suz went to high school with a boy who married the daughter of some friends that we met through some other friends. Sounds complicated, I know. The boy and the daughter had a little five-year-old who fell down and broke her arm. In the process of getting the bone set, the little girl began having a seizure, then went into cardiac arrest. She died on the way to the hospital. The shock and anguish this family is suffering is unfathomable. Please pray for God's comfort on them and that they will feel His presence like never before. Her memorial service is tomorrow.

For, as the children's hymn says, Jesus Loves the Little Children. They are precious in His sight.

Nail Biter No More

2011-05-31T16:30:00.002-04:00

For as long as I can remember, I've been a nail biter. Bad, bad habit. Years ago I wore acrylic nail tips, but I'd bite those off or pick them off or both. And they really did nothing except weaken my nails even worse than nail biting alone.

I get a manicure every couple of weeks. In between manicures, though, I'd probably pick the polish off and repaint my nails at least six times. My nails were so soft and weak.

Not anymore! Have you tried the new shellac polish?

It is an absolute miracle! Your manicure will last a FULL TWO WEEKS, without so much as a chip in your polish. Your nails stay shiny too! I LOVE IT!!! It takes a little longer to get the shellac manicure, and it cost a little more, but it is so worth it. Especially if you're a nail biter like me.

My weekend was not the best. I had a very bad migraine headache that ruined my day on Saturday. Then on Sunday I was so wrung out and nauseated from the headache medications that I missed my cousins' graduation party. My mom and dad and Suz and her family came over late afternoon to swim. I was trying to lift myself onto the tailgate of Cam's truck to sit and watch the kids hit a few golf balls and my hand slipped, and as my dad would say, down I went. Face down in the dirt. My arm hit the corner of his tailgate and I've got a couple of scratches and bruises. I was really, really lucky I didn't break my arm or my shoulder. I sure have been sore.

Yesterday, we were invited to a low country boil. I still wasn't feeling all that great, but we did go. It was outside under the most beautiful, huge shade tree. After about 30 minutes, I was sizzling hot and miserable. Really miserable. By the time we left, my head had started hurting again and I went to bed praying to wake up this morning without a headache. It was gone when I woke up. Not sure what's going on with the ol' head, but I seem to be going from one minor health problem to another. Very frustrating.

Back to the gym tonight. We worked out only once last week, so I'm ready to go. Maybe. As long as my head doesn't hurt. Or my arm. Or my ankle. Or my stomach. Or my wrist.

Till next time...

Class of 2011

2011-05-28T12:31:00.006-04:00

Last night was Cam's graduation. It was a beautiful night, not too hot, not too windy, no rain. Just perfect in every way.

Earlier in the week, Cam got a crazy idea to shave his head. He started off slowly. At first it wasn't too bad. Then he shaved it smooth as a baby's bottom. That I wasn't too fond of at all. In fact, I cried.

But I'm not one to hold grudges, and I love him so much anyway, that I forgave him.
It's just hair; it'll grow back. Just not soon enough for me.

Union Grove did such a great job with the ceremony. I think they made it special by adding a few extra touches. They released white doves before the ceremony started. It made me tear up.

My boy receiving his diploma.

I love the hat toss.

Fireworks went off as the graduates were exiting the field. Another special touch, I thought.

In 9th grade, each student wrote a letter to themselves to be opened on their graduation night. That was my favorite special thing they did. I think he looked forward to reading what he had written. He didn't even remember writing it.

If you know Cam, then you know that the letter to himself wasn't anything nostalgic or sad, but filled with humor.

So after so many trips back and forth taking and picking him up from school, after many lunches being made, homeschooling him for a year, being his class room mom for six years, volunteering at the middle school, sweating at football practices and games, going to boring meetings at the beginning of each year, checking up on his grades on the computer, and so MANY, MANY other things, our son is a high school graduate. We are very proud.

Now, it's time for college. I've seen a determination in Cam the last couple of years that has set my expectations from him very high. I know college will be the hard. It may even be the hardest thing he's ever done. I hope and pray that he will see it through to its fruition.

My wish for my youngest son is the same as it was for my oldest son; that he live well, love much and laugh often.

Way to go, Cam! Your high school journey is finished.

Till next time... Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, and don't forget to take a moment to remember the men and women who gave their lives for US!

The First and The Last

2011-05-20T14:53:00.002-04:00

First day of first grade.

Last day of 12th grade.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

You are the guy who'll decide where to go.

~Dr. Seuss

Gone With the Wind

2011-05-17T16:57:00.017-04:00

We had Cam's graduation party last Sunday evening. As soon as I started planning his party, I had envisioned a lovely, sunny, warm afternoon. I imagined setting the tables up in the front yard underneath the shade of the trees. I was prepared for the bugs that would surely swarm the picnic table covered with the contents of the low country boil. I even had a canopy in the ready in case the evening sun was too hot.

Alas, though, a warm, sunny afternoon was not to be. Instead it was a cold, windy one. I didn't have to worry about the bugs. Even they couldn't brave that wind. Didn't need the canopy either. In fact, a fireplace would've been nice to back up to.

I chased down napkins that blew off the tables. Even the salt and pepper shakers weren't safe. I ran those down, too. My 2011 confetti that I had ordered lasted on the table for about one second. Then it, too, went with the wind.

Admittedly, I was disappointed. It turned out nice, but I was upset that it was cold and windy. Just didn't seem the right weather for a low country boil. I had worked so hard on the planning and decorating, it was a little upsetting.

Crystal came over early in the day to help me put the tablecloths on each table. The wind was so awful that even using an entire roll of packing tape to tape them down, the cloths were still blowing away. We ended up having to tie the tablecloths down with ribbon, which required me to lie on the ground underneath the table to tie them. I pulled a tick off my back yesterday. I'm guessing it's from rolling around in the grass tying tablecloths.

But despite the adverse weather, it was a great party. I think he'll remember it forever. He better anyway.

Here are a few pictures of the day. Also, I have learned that whenever you have an event such as a graduation party where you're going to be busy chasing paper plates and greeting guests, it would've been SO nice to have a photographer. Suz and Alayna made the pictures that I did get. They did a good job, but in hindsight, there are so many pictures I would liked to have had taken, but just didn't think about it.

I had this banner made for him. I thought it turned out so nice. If you ever need to order party supplies, visit Shindigz.com. They have EVERYTHING and you can custom order most of it to suit the color scheme of your party.

These are the tables. Each table had a little Mason jar with a hydrangea for a centerpiece. But I didn't get a picture of those. Chances are, I was picking them up off the ground instead of snapping pictures.

I made Cam this photo board with lots of pictures from his childhood all the way up till now. I had every first day of school picture on it. We had to nail it to a tree to keep it from blowing away.

Me and my sweet boy.

Jeff, Joseph and Ross were the boilmasters. They did an awesome job, especially for a first time.

When everything had been added to the pot and cooked till it was done, they scooped it out and dumped it on the picnic table.

It was a lovely sight. The shrimp were hard to peel, but once you got into them, they were delicious. The crawfish, not so much. I won't be trying those again. Yuck. The sausage was great, as were the potatoes and corn. A low country boil really is a good idea to serve to large crowd. So easy.

There are a couple of nice bakeries around my area, but when it comes to cakes, unless it's baked by one of my aunts or cousins or my mom, I like Publix cakes the best. So naturally, that's who I chose to make the cake for the party. Boo. It was dry and not nearly up to my expectations. It was pretty though.

After everyone ate, we went inside the garage to let Cam open his cards. That and to warm up.

He had lots of family and friends there and to all who came, it meant a lot to him. And to me.

He is blessed to be loved by so many people. He got so many nice cards and notes. Despite the wind and cold, despite the dry cake, despite the shrimp that didn't want to come out of their shells, it was after all a lovely party.

I got bruised, scraped and a big, fat tick bite getting ready for it, but it was worth it. Thank goodness it's over!

Next up. A beach getaway for me. I think I definitely deserve it.

Till next time...

There's Always Something to Be Thankful For

2011-05-05T08:28:00.012-04:00

There's always something to be thankful for if you just look. I had loaded my pictures, then went to get a cup of coffee. Used the last paper towel, so took out a new roll. Pretty butterflies and that little saying were the design on my new roll of paper towels. Coincidence? I think not. Isn't it wonderful that we Christians go through life seeing things not as coincidences, but as messages from our Lord? Sometimes I'm just amazed by the "coincidences."

Oddly enough, my blog title was going to be Thanks. This time of year is really my very favorite around my yard. My flowers love springtime in Georgia. So does my lawn. Even though it begs to be watered and wants trimming every week, which my husband lovingly obliges.

Today I wanted to say THANK YOU to special people who shared their flowers with me over the years. They now make my yard so pretty, which makes me so very, very happy and always bring back wonderful memories.

Thank you, MaMa Kimball, for this beautiful lamb's ear. I can see them growing all over your yard. Wherever the wind blew a seed, the next year a sweet lamb's ear would be growing. Thank you for showing me that a "lady" can get her hands dirty digging in the dirt. What would I give to sit on your porch or walk around your yard with you, you carrying your "grubbing hoe." I miss you. Thank you for sharing your lamb's ear with me. They're beautiful this spring.
Thank you MaMa Howell. These hen and chicks came from her plant, through my Aunt Theresa. They grow where nothing else will grow and require very little attention. And to me, that's kinda the way MaMa Howell was. She shared and gave, and asked very little in return. I'd sure love to sit on your front porch with you again, you in your rocker, rocking the special way that I remember. Thanks for my hen and chicks. As you can see, MaMa, they're doing so well. I've planted them in a strawberry pot and placed it in my rock garden. That's the hottest, dryest place in my yard. They thrive there.
Thanks, mom, for the pot of ivy. It has completely taken over the area around our swing. It's lovely and so cottagey. The ivy, too, likes to be left alone. Doesn't ask for much attention, but spreads and shares its beauty. To me, ivy is a little comforting. I think that's why it's so cottagey-feeling. And what's more comforting than your mom? Thank you, mama, for giving me the everlasting gift of comfort. In winter, spring, summer and fall, the ivy grows.

A few years ago, Jean gave me a few hostas. She hates waste and wanted to share the glory of these sweet plants. Thank you, Jean. They have multiplied and multiplied and multiplied. I have worked in them some this year and prettied up the spot they're in. If the deer and rabbits don't eat them, they'll be very pretty. I guess the deer and rabbits know you don't like waste. They figure a green, tender hosta would be a terrible thing to waste.

Thanks, sweet Auntie Theresa, for this little flower. Theresa gave me several different kinds of plants a couple of years ago. This one and the hen and chicks are the only ones to have survived. This plant is just like Theresa. Always there. Winter, summer, spring and fall. Always. There. Thank you, Theresa. I planted some begonias and some other things along with it to keep this little cutie company.

Thanks great-Aunt Louise, for my prized hydrangea bush. She shared with me a cutting and I brought it home and planted it. I didn't really know if it would grow and I certainly didn't know how big it would grow. It grew huge. I separated it and planted another cutting and it, too, is growing huge. And beautiful. I love my hydrangeas very much.

My sweet neighbor growing up, Ms. Roberts, who passed away a short while back, always had the yard of my dreams. Flowers, ivy, a small fish pond, lovely pavers for her little patio, an outdoor brick grill, pretty wrought iron benches inviting you to sit in the shade. It looked like a yard from an English cottage. Several years ago, she gave me a cutting of this oak leaf hydrangea. I planted it alongside our swing. It grows with the ivy and looks so nice. Thank you, Ms. Roberts. It's got lots of blooms on it and they stand so majestic and strong. They make nice arrangements to take inside.

Coincidence that these plants have a likeness to the sweet women who gave them to me? Coincidence that this blog came to my mind just days before Mother's Day? I think not. What do you think?

Till next time...

Please Pray for Ketren

2011-05-02T17:21:00.003-04:00

I am a believer in the power of prayer. I'm also a believer in the power of spreading the need for prayer, especially throughout blogland. I've seen it work. I know that there is power in number, so I'm asking you to pray for a very special little boy.

His name is Ketren. He is 22 months old. His mom is one of my class instructors at the gym.

So many times I've seen him running across the gym, sippy cup underarm, big smile on his face.

Just last week he was diagnosed with leukemia. He's at one of the local children's hospitals in Atlanta receiving treatment. In one day alone, this precious baby went through THREE surgical procedures.

To say that his mom, and indeed his entire family, are brokenhearted would be a ginormous understatement. I don't think there are words to express how much their hearts are breaking. They need prayer in a big, big way. Prayer for healing, complete and full, for their sweet little boy. Prayer for strength to get through the long days and even longer nights that lie ahead for them.

I have linked Ketren's Caringbridge page with his button on my sidebar. Please take a moment and read his story. Unfortunately, I don't know how to make HTML code for you to grab a button, but I know you all know how to add his button and link. Will you please do that for me? But more than that, please, please pray for Ketren and his family. God hears our prayers.

Till next time... If any of you know how to make buttons to make it easy for my readers to grab, would you fill me in? I'd love to get this spread throughout the blog world. Thanks!

Senior Prom and Easter

2011-04-28T12:46:00.018-04:00

I guess it's better late than never, right? I had a few pictures from the past couple of weeks that I wanted to put here on my online diary. That's what it sort of is, right?

Cam's senior prom was two weeks ago. Look at the beautiful wristlets the girls wore! I couldn't get over how pretty and colorful the flowers were. And, of course, the girls' dresses. They were just gorgeous.

And I thought my handsome fella dressed up pretty darned nicely! Daddy brought his '55 Chevy over for Cam to make pictures with. He didn't drive it to the prom, though. Um, no.

Isn't youth a beautiful thing? I was happy with the way his suit looked on him and well, his date was darling. They complemented each other so much.

Bright and early the next morning, we headed south. Vidalia, home of the world-famous sweet onion is where we landed for our Kimball Easter.

Almost everyone was there and we couldn't have asked for a prettier day. The kids had their egg hunt. Just look at this look of excitement on my cousin, Rick's little girl. Priceless. Once again, isn't youth just wonderful?

But we can't be kids forever. Here is my mom with two of her three brothers. They look pretty good, don't ya think?

The following weekend was Easter weekend. Another exhausting, but wonderful time. Easter Sunday morning I went to my first-ever sunrise service at the square in McDonough. It was another gorgeous day and when the sun was rising in the sky, it just gave me chills.

We listened to a wonderful sermon and some amazing music. I really, really enjoyed it.

Jeff''s mom had lunch for everybody for the first time in a long time. There are so many people and she never let us bring anything before, but this time we all brought sides and it worked out good. She still made most of the food and probably worked hard the day before, but it sure was good.

Kristi got Jeff and his brothers, mom and dad together for a picture. I love the way Jeff is holding P-Nut's arm. Such a sweet picture.

Sunday night we had my family over for Easter supper. After a few weeks of pretty nice weather, the kids decided it was time to try out the pool. Here's my first swimmer of 2011.

Y'all know how sentimental I am, right? My kids and my nephews and niece range in age from 22 to 7 years old. But they KNOW that when they come to MY house for Easter that EVERYBODY hunts Easter eggs.

Since the excitement has died down for most everybody with the exception of Eli, I decided to try something a little different this year. We had our egg hunt at dark. Everyone brought flashlights and had to hunt their eggs in the pitch black. Which, BTW, I thought it would never get dark that night.

This was a good picture of everyone except Cam. Not sure why he felt he needed to make such a face, but, oh, well. It's great of the others.

It was a huge success hunting eggs in the dark. And it did make it a little more challenging for my 22-year-old son! Ha!!!

After all the eggs were found -- or so we thought -- they checked out their loot.

Jeff found three more eggs Monday and Cam found one of the silver eggs last night. Thankfully, none of it was chocolate. That would've been a terrible thing to waste. It was jelly beans. Which I ate anyway.

There is nothing on our schedule this weekend and I am SO glad. I'm sure we'll be working around the house, but no big event to get ready for.

We had very bad storms in Georgia last night. Tornadoes skipping all across the state. I'm thankful that all of my family and friends are okay. It was pretty scary for some of us. Jeff slept through most of it. I kept watch, knowing that if I tried to wake any of the three of my Kelly men, they would probably just roll over and tell me to leave them alone. But I kept watch just in case. Thankfully, we didn't have to hit the basement.

I only intended to work on my post for a few minutes, but here I am two hours later. Ugh.

Till next time...

In Your Easter Bonnet

2011-04-22T08:20:00.003-04:00

Music: Irving Berlin
Lyrics: Irving Berlin
Premiere: Saturday, September 30, 1933

Never saw you look quite so pretty before
Never saw you dressed quite so lovely what's more
I could hardly wait to keep our date this lovely Easter morning
And my heart beat fast as I came through the door
For
In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it
You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade
I'll be all in clover and when they look you over
I'll be the proudest fellow in the Easter parade
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm planning on going to an early sunrise service Easter morning. I've never been to one before, but I've heard it's very moving. The weather should be just perfect. This will be the first Easter in my recent memory when the weather will be so nice. All the sweet little girls won't have to cover up their pretty smocked dresses with a drab, old sweater. It's sure to be a beautiful day.

Happy Easter everyone. I hope your Easter weekend is filled with celebrations of our living savior, lots and lots of laughter and even more love.

Till next time...

Prom 1983 and Prom 2011

2011-04-16T10:07:00.003-04:00

It's prom weekend here! Limos everywhere you look. Beautiful girls and handsome guys! But just look here at this lovely beauty in 1983. In case you didn't get the subtle clue, this is me! I'm in a bridesmaid dress I borrowed from my Aunt Theresa. And back in 1983, you didn't wear a wristlet, but instead you carried a big bouquet! Anyway, I remember the night well. I was very excited. I remember where we ate, what we did after the prom, but I remember nothing about the prom itself. Must've been pretty boring. Last night was my nephew Joseph prom. It was held at the Georgia Aquarium. I bet that was a lovely place to have it. I wish I could've seen it. My dad brought over his prize possession; his fully restored '55 Chevy. He brought it over for Ross, Joseph, and today will be Cam's turn. I took 106 pictures before they left. There was not one bad picture of Kelsey. I do believe she's one of the most photogenic girls I've ever seen. These are a few of the pictures I wanted to share with y'all. Kelsey, Joseph, and my dad. My dad with four of his six grandsons. So dang proud. I'd have given anything for Ethan and Eli to have been there. Joseph and his sweet mama, my sweet sister, Crystal. We all drove over to my cousin Tracy's beautiful house to make more pictures. Rain was a big concern and we knew she had a lovely front porch that would make a nice backdrop for the pictures. The rain held off, so we were able to make pictures all around her house. Her azaleas were in full bloom, as were lots of other pretty trees and shrubbery. It was absolutely gorgeous. These were two of my favorites that I made while we were there. And of the 106 pictures I made, this one was my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE! I'm not sure what it is that is so captivating to me, but I love it!

It was a fun, tiring night. And guess what? I get to do it all AND EVEN MORE again tonight. Tonight's Cam's senior prom! I've got lots of ideas of pictures I want to make here at home. Then we're heading over to a pretty tea room to make pictures with 17 other couples. Oh, boy, it's gonna be a long day! But one I'm sure I'll remember probably longer than I'll remember my own prom in 1983.

Till next time...

Eli is 7 and Word of Advice

2011-04-14T08:35:00.003-04:00

Today seven years ago, my sister Suz and Jason completed their family of five! Eli Marshall was born and I wonder now how we lived without him. What a sweet, happy, smart little boy he is. He's growing up so fast. I really can't believe he's seven years old today. Happy birthday, Eli Marshall. Yesterday I spent literally ALL day going through hundreds of pictures. Cam graduates in six weeks and I'm picking out pictures to use for his party. I wanted the first day of school for all twelve years. I finally finished last night after 7. And I started at like 10 in the morning. And worst of all, I still can't find his ninth grade picture. The search will have to continue. But not today. My heart can't take looking at any more old pictures. Looking at the old days makes me so sad. Anyway, a word of advice to all you moms out there. When you have a picture of a special day or a picture that you just really love and think you may want to use again someday in the faraway future, put it in a special folder on your computer and back it up, of course, on something external. Or print it and put it in a special box or something. Oh, how I wish I had done that. And another piece of advice. This one more important than the other one. Never be too busy or too tired or have too much work or have too messy a house to enjoy your kids. Because believe me, when Kenny Chesney sang the song, Don't Blink, it was for all us moms out here. Last night I just wanted to grab Cam and hold him and never let go. Of course, he would never have let that happen, but if I could've had one wish, that would have been it. These next six weeks are going to be long and hard. Pray for me. I'm a mom who blinked. Till next time... I'm headed to Buford to celebrate the birthday of my sweet nephew. I'm going to have a great day, that's for sure.

Our Staycation

2011-04-11T15:34:00.004-04:00

Ross, Cam and a few friends spent a long weekend in Tybee. Jeff and I decided that rather than going anywhere ourselves, we'd just have ourselves what we dubbed a "Staycation." I have to be honest. It was a lot of fun. We did what we wanted, which involved more work than we had intended. We ate what we wanted. We slept with no interruptions. It was strange, but in a fun way. I'm in no way implying that I'm ready for my nest to be empty. But, of course, you all know that. Wednesday I finished painting the garage. It nearly killed me. Then Thursday before Cam left, we cleaned out the utility closet in the garage. If I thought I was nearly dead on Wednesday I was truly on the brink by Thursday when we finished. That closet hadn't been swept out in at least two years. Our cat sleeps in there and I'm so allergic to cat dander. Stupid me didn't wear a mask and so I inhaled so much dust and dander that I was coughing and felt pretty bad the rest of that day. It's so different having sons. They are funny about pulling out your camera to make pictures of things they're doing that you'd like to remember. For example, when they were ready to head out Thursday, I wanted a picture. But I was too embarrassed to ask. I knew they'd harass me. Because of the dust and dander in my lungs, I didn't feel up to the harassment. So I have NO PICTURE! They had a good time while they were there. There was only one minor glitch; Ross got a parking ticket for parking against the flow of traffic. Pretty minor I'd say for four boys, two girls and a three-night stay away from home. I was proud of them. Back to the staycation. Friday night we had dinner at our favorite mexican restaurant in Atlanta. Of course, unless I'm working, I don't go through Atlanta and pass this heavenly spot. So we stopped. Got a dozen hot donuts. I think I ate five. Maybe six. I don't think I want anymore for a while. I woke up Saturday morning and still felt crammed full of donuts. Luckily, I was hungry by that evening because we went to Outback for dinner. Oh, those cheddar fries are to die for, aren't they? I got my fall and winter clothes put away and brought out my spring and summer. That was a job that took a couple of hours and one that I have been dreading. Glad to have that done and over with. Now I need to go shopping. I'm asking myself what in the world I wore last summer. Jeff doesn't enjoy fishing. If he walks down to the lake with me, he usually looks for a shady spot to lay back and enjoy the peacefulness of the lake. Yesterday, while still on our staycation, I walked down to the lake. Look at this nice bass I caught. But don't look at me. I have on no makeup and look dang old. I was on staycation after all. Look how pretty the azaleas from MaMa Kimball's yard are this year.

And this makes me super excited. I found the first bloom on my hydrangea bush.

And the good news is that there are dozens of them! Each year I hold my breath because one year for no reason at all, they didn't bloom. Can't wait till the bush is hanging full of those big, pretty flowers.

Guess that's it for now. If you've never had a staycation, I highly recommend one. Very stress free and not super expensive. Gotta hit the gym. Just like I do on a vacation, I oinked like a little piggy on my staycation. Ugh.

Till next time...

All No Work and No Play

2011-04-04T15:11:00.004-04:00

All work and no play could make A Girl Named Kelly Kelly a dull girl. If she had time to be dull, which she doesn't. I know so many people who are on vacation this week. It's spring break for most counties around here. It's making it very difficult to stay focused and work while lots of folks are at beaches and lakes having fun! But work I must. And I must so that we can have ourselves a beach trip in May and our family beach vacation in June. I'm not usually a jealous girl, but honestly, when it comes to the beach, I'm always jealous of others who are there when I'm not. Oh, well. This weekend I really didn't have too much time to think about being jealous. We worked our booties off at home. We had our house pressure washed on Friday. The guy did an awesome job and the house sparkled. Everything, that is, except for the windows. It seems that all the gunk that washed off the house washed onto the windows. They looked bad. I bought one of the Windex window cleaning kits. It worked quite well on the outside windows. Then I had to clean the ones inside. Some of them I couldn't reach, so Jeff cleaned those for me. Window washing is a job! But I have to say cleaning the windows made the biggest difference. Having clean windows makes the whole house clean. Ahhh, you know I love that. Yesterday was such a beautiful day. It wasn't as windy as it was on Saturday. I decided to go to the little lake in our neighborhood and fish for a while. I actually caught three. Then I got my line tangled up in a tree and had to break the line to get it loose. I forgot my tackle box at home, so I left. It was great fun while it lasted. While I was washing windows on Saturday, Jeff finished filling the hole where the tree I hated was. You can see what's left of the tree in the background of this picture. My sweet husband does such a great job at every project he works on. He is a perfectionist and I am so lucky, because perfection is what I like. Now we'll get a birdbath and a bird feeder and it'll be a bird's heaven. I've been working on Cam's graduation announcements a little each day. I don't want to be down to the last minute and stressed over getting them out, so I do a little at the time and it's not so bad. They sure are pretty and I get emotional every time I look at them. It's such a milestone for him and well, for me too, really. Speaking of the sweet lil' devil. He's painting the garage for me today. He's actually leaving for Tybee with Ross and some friends on Thursday for the weekend. I know he doesn't like to paint and I sure am glad he's doing it for me because I don't like to paint either. He had my debit card all weekend, so I had a little leverage when asking him to do it for me.

The worst part is that now that the walls are going to be nice and fresh, the baseboards look positively awful. That means they'll need painting, too. Something is telling me that Cam will not have time to get to those before his trip and we all know that I won't be able to wait for him to get back to get them done. I'll likely be painting baseboards this weekend.

So like my title says, all work and no play makes me a dull, but very busy girl! Busy is good, especially if you're accomplishing things that make you happy.

Till next time, peeps. Live, love, laugh!

Up Too Late

2011-04-01T09:14:00.005-04:00

Last night I stayed up way past my bedtime. About 9 o'clock I discovered that the Betty Broderick story was on Lifetime Movie Network.

It is one of my all-time favorite movies. I've seen it dozens of times. It's a long movie, too. So I watched the entire movie again. Then guess what? It came back on again. And guess what? I stayed up and watched it again. This morning I could hardly pry my eyes open.

It's a fascinating movie to me. She was one mean lady.

There are several other movies that I've watched over and over. I'll even watch them back to back if they're played back to back.

Of course, if you know me at all, you know this one is my most favorite. I've seen this one more times than I care to admit. Even seeing this movie poster makes me want to pull it out of its case and watch it right now.

Driving Miss Daisy is one I'll watch anytime it's on, too. I love Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman. It's definitely one of my favorites. Such sweet southern charm. I love it.

Kathy Bates is one of my favorite actresses. I love everything she's been in. Misery is a great movie to me. If Jeff comes in the room and I'm watching it, he promptly turns around and walks back out. He hates it. In fact, I do believe he hates all of these movies that I love.

Ahh, Dolores Claiborne. Another great one with Kathy Bates. Dark and very disturbing. I love it.

I can kill two birds with one stone by watching Fried Green Tomatoes. I get a Kathy Bates fix and a Jessica Tandy fix all at the same time. Won't flip the channel if I come across this one either.

Not sure why I like this one so much, but I do. I'll watch it over and over too.

I'm not all morbid. Who doesn't love Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde? My favorite part is after she and her boyfriend break up and she's in the bed eating the chocolates. Love it when she comes across one she doesn't like and just throws it across the room. My kinda gal.

These are reasons why I might stay up too late. And believe me, there aren't many, but one of these movies will do it every time. How about you? What movie will you stay up late to watch, even if it's the one hundredth time you've seen it?

Till next time. Happy Friday!!!

Why Didn't I Think of That

2011-03-30T21:24:00.004-04:00

I was reading through my daily blogs and came across the cutest thing I have seen in a while. I always read Laurie's blog. She has two pretty little girls and is such a witty gal. I'm blogging tonight from the ipad and cant get it to link up with her blog. She's Laurie's Life on my sidebar list.

She was showing about a gift she had received and I thought it was so cute. And a great way to use old buttons.

My mom used to have this old, old sewing machine that was on a wooden desk-type thing that belonged to my great grandmother It had these little tiny button and notions drawers. It was FULL of old buttons. When we were kids, we would play like we were cashiers and the buttons were change. It didn't take much to entertain little girls in the '70s.

Anyway, I did a Google search and found lots of good info on making your own button bracelet like the one she received. Maybe they've been around a while and I'm a day late, but I fell in love with them.

I can't figure out how to get my pics smaller. I hope they don't hurt your eyes. They are so big. Neither can I figure out how to get past the pics and finish my post. So I will just leave you with these pretty images.

I can't wait to get to my mom's and get in those button drawers.

Till next time...

The Grocery Store

2011-03-29T15:33:00.003-04:00

Grocery shopping is one of my wifely/motherly duties that I absolutely 100 percent despise. I walk into the grocery store and have a panic attack. All those ingredients and food feel like they've got hands reaching out to me. Buy me. Buy me. Buy me. I started couponing a little while back. Crystal introduced me to her new "hobby." She was saving lots and lots of money every week. I thought, hey, why not. I bought two Sunday papers, because that's what she told me to do to get the most benefit, clipped my coupons, checked the ads and went to the store. If I thought I was having panic attacks just doing my regular grocery shopping, the fear and anxiety I added with my new "hobby" was off the chart. Trying to find what I needed to buy, making sure I had the coupon, that it was the right size and quantity had me a blubbering idiot by the time I made it to the checkout register. I have kindly asked Crystal to please introduce me to a new "hobby." On the way home from my deposition this morning, I decided to stop in Kroger (without my coupons). We needed groceries. We go through seriously about 20 bananas a week. I have to go fruit shopping about every other day. But we also needed food-food. Like for suppers and such. Dang it if the same thing didn't happen. Anxiety. Pressure. I couldn't think of a thing to buy. And I even had a recipe and had made a list. I spent $90 at the grocery store today. And this is what we're having for supper tonight. How sad is that? I also bought 30 of these. Ross and Cam will eat boiled eggs for supper. Well, that and a banana. And Tyson already grilled chicken. I think this little lady has the right idea of what a weekly menu should be.

What do y'all think?

Till next time...

Pizza and Baby Chicks

2011-03-28T14:10:00.003-04:00

Sunday night supper was at Mellow Mushroom last night. None of us felt like cooking and decided we'd let the pizza chefs at the Shroom cook for us. Eli was starving when we got there. We all got situated and I talked him into sitting beside me by telling him I'd get him some crackers ASAP. He told me he was so hungry he could eat a raw fish. HA! I don't know about that, but the boy can put away some pizza. After dinner, we went over to my mom and dad's house to visit with them for a while. Daddy had some baby chicks to hatch. Out of 30 eggs, I think 6 chicks hatched.

Eli was in love with the chicks. So much so that he wanted to take one home with him for his pet, claiming that they had zero pets. He is so into animals right now. He rode with Jeff and me to my mom and dad's. We were talking to him about what he wanted to be when he grew up. At first he said that he wanted to be a court reporter like his mom. The reason being that he wouldn't have to work every day! HA! Then he went on to say that he would like to work at an aquarium or zoo.

Everything Eli says cracks me up and charms me at the same time. He asked my dad if he just bought a carton of eggs for the chickens to come out of. His favorite chick was the light golden one. That's what he called it. Light golden. There was a little runt whose eyes were just barely open. He was kinda left out of the group and we all felt sorry for he/she/it. Eli gently picked he/she/it up and took he/she/it to the water jar. We felt like the runt was feeling better by the time we left from all the TLC

Eli gave him.

Can you tell these two are the apples of my eye?

What would I do without them?

Till next time...

Back in the Day

2011-03-26T16:43:00.003-04:00

Friday nights have always been date night for Jeff and me. Way back in the day, when the boys were little, we would take them over to my parents' house every Friday night. We'd drop them off and then go out to eat or do whatever, but usually it was to go eat. And almost always it was to eat Mexican food at our-then-favorite-place, On the Border. They're not even open anymore.

Date night was definitely a highlight of the week and really set the stage for Friday becoming my favorite day of the week. It was always a relief to get rid of the kids and go somewhere with only Jeff.

The kids didn't suffer it out either. They loved staying over at my mom and dad's. Some very good times were had by all on Friday nights. My mom would usually cook them something neat. My dad would play some of his favorite DVDs, like Mr. Bean or Sanford and Son. And he had a junk box that the boys loved to get in.

We never rushed to get back and pick them up. At On the Border, there was no rushing anyway. It was always sooo crowded. They had the best margaritas. In the summertime, we'd sit out on the deck and I remember times when it would be so hot. Between the salt in the margarita and the Georgia heat, my feet would be swollen like Rosie the Elephant by the time we left. And by the time we'd get back to mom and dad's, they would be asleep. Jeff carried Ross out to the car until he was way too heavy to carry. Good times. Good times.

Of course, now, we don't take Ross and Cam to my parents' house on Fridays anymore. We don't take them anywhere. They rarely go out to eat with us. They have their own things going on. Last night was no exception. They had plans and, since it was Friday night date night, Jeff and I had plans, too.

What's the difference between now and back in the day? Friday night dinner date was here.

We went through the drive-through, got our food, pulled over in a parking place facing the gas station and watched people. People watching has been a longtime favorite entertainment for us anyway. And let me tell ya, a gas station off Interstate 75 is an excellent place to people watch. We watched a shadetree mechanic underneath a very, very old brokedown truck. Before we were finished eating, though, he had the truck sorta running. Apparently that was the least of his troubles, because Jeff pointed out that one of the tires was also off. I think he was gonna be there awhile.

Finished with our food, we left. Came home and tried to find something on tv. Wow. There was nothing except basketball, which Jeff would've been happy to watch. Me, I'd rather walk barefoot on thumbtacks. So we watched a couple of old sitcoms on Netflicks and got in bed before 11.

Sounds like an old-fogie date night, huh? That's what happens, I guess, when the kids get older and they're gone more. Date night kinda loses some of its lustre, some of its magic. Even with a banana pudding milkshake, the night just didn't have the same oomph of the date nights back in the day.

Tonight I plan on having another date night. Tonight we will not be staying in Stockbridge having an old-fogie date. I refuse to be old already.

Till next time. Enjoy your Saturday night.

So What's Up

2011-03-25T17:57:00.004-04:00

I'm back to my blog. Influenced by my blog buddy over in Iowa, I decided that these next few months are going to be so memorable that I need a sort of diary to document them in. What's better than an online one? My sweet little baby Cameron is graduating high school in May. Sniff. Sniff. I'm going to have lots and lots to talk about in the next couple of months.

Spring has sprung at my house. We're up to about an inch of pollen over every single outside surface. We're having our house pressure washed, but I think we should wait until all of the pine pollen has fallen.

I got a new iPhone. I held off until Verizon offered it and even then, I waited. Last Friday, I gave in and got it. I love it. It makes such good pictures. I'll be able to put lots of good pictures on my blog. I'm such a techno dumbo, though, so I haven't learned even a fourth about this phone. I probably never will.

Since my last post, I've changed jobs. I still do the same thing, but just with a different firm. It was a very hard thing to do, but I know it was a good decision and I'm happy with my choice. It's kind of weird, though, because Suz still works where I used to work.

I hope you'll notice over in my sidebar the new pictures of my boys. They're sillying it up for me in the pictures, but they've both been working out so hard and I'm so proud of them. I think they're the most handsome things. They bring me so much laughter every day. I can almost say I enjoy them as much now as I did when they were little boys.

Jeff and I have a project list a mile long. You know, the things that we want to do around the house. We had this really ugly tree in the backyard. The top of it was dead and the rest of it was horrible. I asked him to take it down. Well, he started on it last week. As of today, it is gone. I wish I had half of his energy. He cut it down with a chainsaw, then dug around the roots to loosen them. Ross pulled it out of the earth with his truck. I'm going to make a bird sanctuary in its place. I'm looking forward to sharing with y'all our projects. We're gonna be playing in the dirt for sure.

So life has been very good since January 28th and I'm excited to be back in blogland.

Till next time. Stay happy!

Going Hmmmmmmmm.

2011-01-28T21:10:00.003-05:00

This is how I have felt ALL day! I have had an awful migraine headache. Nothing has helped, and I've tried everything that's ever been given.

Oh, but don't feel sorry for me too much when you hear what caused the headache. Last night I couldn't sleep. I pulled out my phone and got on Facebook. My phone is practically the only place I look at Facebook, blogs, etc. If I can't look at it on my phone or in 5 minutes on my computer at home, I usually won't see it.

Anyway, I was probably on Facebook for a couple or three hours. Staring at the screen of my phone in the DARK. Probably very bad for your eyes. Obviously very bad for your eyes, because as soon as I turned it off, I was hit immediately with the worst headache.

I think staring at our phone screens, iPods, etc. too much at one time can give you a headache.

Do y'all have that experience?

Till next time.

Getting Prepped

2011-01-24T14:55:00.004-05:00

Today and tonight I'm getting myself ready for a big event. Perhaps after you see my picture below, you may be able to guess exactly what the event is.

And certainly, after you see this next picture, you will for sure know what the big event is.

I've never had a colonoscopy before. From all that I've been told, the preparation is way worse than the actual test. I'm on a liquid diet today. It's such a funny thing how you don't pay much attention to hunger because you know that you can satisfy that hunger whenever you want. Maybe you don't get to eat Little Debbie Nuttie Bars, but you know you can have a piece of fruit or SOMETHING. When you know you can't have ANYTHING to eat, it seems impossible to ignore those same hunger pangs.

Tonight at 5 o'clock is when the real fun begins. Hence, the need for the new Southern Living magazine. I'll likely be in a seated position a good bit this evening, so a new magazine to read should help pass the time.

There is no worry about anything being seriously wrong. I've been having some abdominal pain and they want to rule out anything other than a spastic colon. I've had that for years.

So are y'all believers in miracles? I sure am. If you've been keeping up with Joanne, then you too are witnessing a miracle right before your eyes! Her husband has been updating her blog and just a few hours ago he posted that she is breathing on her own for the first time since she came to the hospital!!! The power of prayer never ceases to amaze me! She is an amazing woman, as you can see from her blog, and God obviously has more for her to do here!

And one other thing. I took this picture just a few minutes ago. We still have one little spot in our yard with snow! Two weeks and this snow has been on the ground.

That hardly happens this far south. I've always heard if the snow stays on the ground for more than three days, then you'll get more snow that season. We'll see. Sure hope it doesn't snow when we are supposed to go to the deer land. It did last year, remember?

Okay, gals, that's all I've got for today. Till next time... I leave you with this: Hunger pangs are used to describe the contractions of your empty stomach as it expresses its great upset in being left unfed. Mine is expressing itself big time!

Toot Toot

2011-01-20T14:16:00.002-05:00

Yeah, that's right. Toot Toot or Honk Honk. Either way, I'm tooting and honking my own horn!

The gym that I work out at had a Leave a Legacy Challenge through the holidays. They gave you a card, and each time you took one of the classes on the card, the instructor signed off on it. If, at the end of nine weeks, you had taken 33 classes, you got to sign your name on the Legacy Wall.

And look who signed it! A Girl Named Kelly Kelly. I did it. Thirty-three classes in nine weeks! And really, I did more than that, but that was all the card held.

There is a sign as you walk into the gym that reads: Half the battle is showing up. And that is really the truth. Some days I'd rather do most anything but exercise. Some days I'm a quarter of the way through an hour class, and I think well, I'm just going to leave; I don't feel like finishing. But I stay. I stick it out. Since I had two C-sections and never went into labor, I've never really had an endurance challenge. I have learned a lot about my own endurance. I have learned not to quit.

Most days I happily go. I have started to enjoy exercising and sweating. Sometimes when I'm on my spin bike, I count the drops of sweat that fall off me onto the floor. Silly, I know, but it gives me a great feeling and makes me work even harder.

Now if I could just learn to quit craving cookies, chocolate, etcetera. Maybe I'll set a Legacy Challenge against sweets for myself and sign my kitchen wall when I go a week or two without something sweet. Nah, who am I kidding.

Thanks for letting me toot and honk my horn! I really am proud of myself.

Till next time...

Good Monday

2011-01-18T11:02:00.003-05:00

You rarely see Good and Monday used together in a sentence. But because of the bad weather last week, I hadn't seen Suz and her family for two weeks!!!!!!! That's a record, and it's one I don't want to break. That was too long.

I gave my mom a break and Jeff and I cooked Sunday night. Suz and her family weren't able to make it due to a church event. Joseph and Ethan were at their dad's, so they couldn't come either. We had a small crowd. We invited Ed and Jean, too. I know that they were glad to get out of the house for a while.

Jeff grilled his awesome chicken. I made baked potatoes in the oven. Aren't they so much better that way? I threw together a salad and Crystal brought green beans. I made Butterfinger Cake for dessert.

Since Suz didn't get to come Sunday, they came yesterday. What a fun way to spend an otherwise dreary Monday.

I spent time with my favorite six-almost-seven-year-old!

We played Mr. Potato Head until the poor tater was exhausted. Then we played Jenga. Fun game until your creation is knocked over. Eli is an outdoorsy kinda kid, so being stuck inside isn't his thing. We made the best of it and actually had fun. There is something a little relaxing about playing a child's game when you're an adult.

We ended the day at Waffle House, which isn't my favorite place to eat in the world, but it's close, convenient and who doesn't love a good waffle? My mom and dad went, too, and Cam rocked the Waffle House jukebox. I sat with Alayna alone at a table and I really enjoyed spending one-on-one time with her. She's such a sweetie.

All in all, it was a good Monday. A very good Monday.

Till next time...

Praying for Joanne

2011-01-13T16:04:00.002-05:00

The Internet has made the world a smaller place, at least for me anyway. I have made friends that live across the country. It has also brought to light the many, many prayer needs that are out there.

I follow Kelly over at Kelly's Korner. She is a sweet Christian girl who posts a lot about her life as a young mom. Sometimes, though, Kelly posts about prayer requests that have come her way. She blogged about Joanne yesterday. Joanne is a 38-year-old mom in Colorado who suffered a major stroke and was found by her daughter. Her treadmill was running.

While I may not have a lot of readers, I know without a doubt that my readers are praying women. Prayer is what Joanne needs right now. Her husband is updating her readers periodically from the hospital. Will you pay Joanne's blog a visit? Then will you pray for her and her family?

Also, if you feel led, a friend of hers is making a Prayer Bunting to hang in Joanne's room while she is recovering. If there is a verse of scripture that is on your heart after visiting Joanne's blog and reading about her, I encourage you to go here and post it. She'll make it a part of the beautiful Prayer Bunting.

Till next time...

It Was the Fever

2011-01-12T16:08:00.004-05:00

The cabin fever, that is. I hadn't been to the gym since Saturday. I haven't driven since Sunday. I have eaten way too much, while excusing it because of the snow/ice, which at first was like a second Christmas. I was grouchy. I was out of sorts. I was cooped up in the house with two 18-year-olds, a 16-year-old, and Ross. I was cursing the day we bought our big-screen TV for the living room. I was cursing the day I allowed Ross to bring the X-Box into the living room. I was cursing everything.

And then I slept and...

I didn't really sleep, but what I did was ask Jeff to go to Chick-fil-A with me for lunch. Getting out of the house cleared my mind. It also helped that, when we got home, all the male invaders were gone.

Now, please don't misunderstand me. I love my kids. I love my nephew, Joseph, who has been here since Sunday. I love Cam's friends. But I felt like if I didn't get some semblance of normalcy in my house I was going to go postal.

I must say that that Chick-fil-A was one of the best ever. I'm pretty sure it was because I was enjoying being back out in society. I felt the fever breaking.

When we got home, I pulled a dear friend out of the closet.

Within the hour, I felt like a new woman. I vacuumed the whole house, with Jeff's help. He understands -- well, sort of -- my fear of the man cave and the man bathroom. ~Gross~ He was very sweet to clean those rooms for me.

Got my Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner, my Clorox spray and wiped down every spot in my living room and kitchen. Wiped the leather sofas, fluffed the throw pillows and spritzed them with a little Febreeze.

Shook all the rugs, swept all the floors, and then stood back and admired our efforts.

Ahh, the clean, fresh smell of my house.

I tell ya, it wasn't the OCD this time. It was the fever.

According to Wikipedia: Cabin fever is an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in, in a small space.

Thank heavens, I'm cured.

Till next time...

Snow, Now Go

2011-01-11T09:30:00.007-05:00

We did get snow here in Georgia. We got a good three inches, but there were drifts of eight inches. Plus ice. Thank goodness we never lost power.

Everyone was excited yesterday. Playing in the snow, cooking up all their best winter goodies. It was fun. But like a visitor whose welcome is worn out, it's time for it to go.

The roads are like ice rinks. Some poor people have been stuck on the interstates since yesterday. When the salt trucks finally make their way to where they're needed, they crash into the medians themselves. I feel sorry for anyone who is out trying to make their way to work or wherever else they must go.

I also feel sorry for me. I DO NOT WANT TO BE STUCK IN THE HOUSE ALL DAY AGAIN TODAY. I cooked more yesterday than I did in all of 2010. I went to bed at 8 o'clock. I was exhausted.

Ross drives a big truck with four-wheel drive and went and picked up a couple of Cam's friends and Joseph's girlfriend. Cam rode the four-wheeler and picked up Joseph. This was my garage after they all came in from playing outside.

Ain't they sweet? They really were. I asked all of them to wear extra clothes so that they could take off their wet clothes before coming inside.

Jeff has a big project coming up this weekend, so he was glued to the computer all day yesterday and didn't get to come out much. Here's a pic of my sweet men and Joseph.

Cabin fever set in about 2 o'clock and I had to get out again. I took a walk and then got Cam to take me for a four-wheeler ride. The scenery was beautiful.

My street sign.

Home sweet home.
The pool.

Little flowers (or weeds) through the snow.

Tree coated with ice. I'm amazed we didn't have trees snapping because they all had a nice layer of ice on their branches.

This is the rose bush that MaMa Kimball gave me a clipping of. I rooted it many years ago. Her bush was a gift from PaPa's mother when they got married. Now, a piece of it blooms in my yard. I almost think it's prettier in the wintertime than the summer.

On the four-wheeler ride, I went to see how the cows down the street were handling the weather. I really didn't think I'd see them. I thought they'd be snuggled up inside their barn. But no, they were doing what they like to do best. Eat.

Precious little babies.

My favorite windmill.

So we enjoyed our snow day. Now, it's time for it to go. I am not one to be stuck inside. I like to get in my car and go. I guess you could say I'm fickle. I'm not going to chance sliding into a ditch or into another car, so I guess I'll be inside again today. I'm hoping that Jeff will be able to get away from the computer for a while and take a long walk with me. The sights we see every day look so pretty covered with snow.

The boys have gone to Waffle House that's a half mile from our house, but I hear them driving in the driveway now. So let the fun begin again.

Till next time...

Happy Birthday Jean

2011-01-09T12:22:00.007-05:00

Last night we celebrated Jean's birthday at Longhorn in Conyers. We had a good time and I think she enjoyed herself. I felt kind of bad because I meant to order her a cookie cake and I forgot. Longhorn gave her a birthday ice cream, which was good because she loves ice cream.

Sweet, wonderful in-laws.

I guess when you turn 84 there really isn't much you need in the way of gifts. So all she wanted was scratch off lottery tickets. That's what we got her. Well, that and a box of Turtles. Turtles are good at any age. She called us after she had scratched off her tickets and she won $45 off the tickets we gave her.

The boys went along. They would never miss their MeeMaw's birthday party. And they would certainly never miss an opportunity for a nice steak dinner.

They seem to have digressed back to the ages of 8 and 4 because they never want to smile or be serious for a picture anymore.

They end up looking like they need to be admitted to a psych ward.

Unless I talk to them in my meanest voice and grit my teeth. Then I might get lucky and get a decent picture of the two of them.

This is my SWEET little great niece, Kendal. I highlight sweet because she told Mee-Maw happy birthday before anyone else did. Other than Alayna, she's the only other little girl I have to dote on.

When they brought Mee-Maw's birthday dessert out, Kendal wanted a bite of it. She took her little bite. Then two. Then she was very thoughtful to pass Mee-Maw the dessert back.

I just thought that was so sweet. That's her mom, Kristi, with the pretty smile. And Kendal's brother, Drew, in Kristi's lap.

I had the most delicious chopped steak. It had a mushroom wine sauce and was covered with fried onion strings. I rarely eat fried food of any kind, so by the time we got home those onions were killing me. I drank half a bottle (no lie) of Pepto to get relief from those dang onions. Note to self: no chop steak at Longhorn. Stick to just the meat and potatoes.

Anyway, another birthday dinner for Jean has come and gone. She's having a little surgery this week for carpal tunnel, so say a little prayer that all goes well with it. She's a little anxious about it, and it doesn't help that it's scheduled for tomorrow morning when we're supposed to be having this wintry weather.

Speaking of which, does anyone else feel like they're waiting for a baby to come? It's making me so darned anxious that I'm not watching anymore weather forecasts. If it comes, I'm ready. If it doesn't, then I guess it'll just be like any regular old Monday.

But I sure hope it comes. I need to try out my new cookware that I got for Christmas. Sometimes it takes a snow storm to make me cook.

Till next time lovelies, enjoy your day.

Snow in the South????

2011-01-08T07:11:00.006-05:00

Seriously? The weathermen around town are pushing up their sleeves for lots of radar reading. They are wearing their sweater vests. They are getting ready.

When the weathermen start taking those actions, it's time for us to react. So today that's what I'm going to do.

I'm going to the grocery store. Although, I have enough canned goods to sustain life for my family for at least a month, but I don't think blackeyed peas or tuna would be very appealing during a snow or ice storm. So I will buy milk. Why, I'm not exactly sure, unless it's for snow ice cream or cereal. Speaking of snow ice cream, how do y'all make it? My daddy and mama used to make it when we were little and it was the BEST. When I try to make it, it tastes more like milky vanilla. I'd really like to ace the snow ice cream this time around.

I will buy bread. Just because everyone else is and I never like to be left out. Eggs? Yep, I'll pick up a dozen of those, too. Why? I haven't used eggs since I made my Christmas morning breakfast casserole. Again, I don't want to left out. Get the chili ingredients. Make sure I have plenty of hot chocolate. I've got plenty of homemade vegetable soup that I made during the summer and froze.

I will check my flashlights. There's nothing worse than being caught with no power and all of your flashlights are either, a. dead or b. broken.

I will round up all my candles and my old-fashioned oil lamps. Slick up the sled. Gather up firewood. (That one's actually on Jeff's To Do List). Get out our ski clothes. I'm sure Ross & Cam's will not fit anymore, but maybe they can tie their suits around them much as Randy's mom did in A Christmas Story.

I should go to the hardware store and get some rock salt. But from what I've been seeing on TV, there may not be any to be found. Good thing I've got a couple boxes of ice cream salt hanging around. I can at least salt our porch steps that I have fallen down when they were completely dry.

Charge the camera batteries. Make sure there is plenty of room on the SD card.

I have a book. I might need a couple of magazines in case I'm too distracted to dive into my book.

Lastly, rugs, rugs and more rugs. Taking off slushy, wet shoes before coming inside is something everyone, except me, never remembers to do. So I will put multiple throw rugs all around.

I know in other parts of the country, a few inches of ice and snow are routine. Here in the south, honey, it's like a second Christmas. We're very excited.

So what do y'all do to prepare for snow or ice? Let me know, because like I said, I don't like to be left out. Or caught with my pants down. Especially in the middle of a snow storm.

Till next time...

Out With the Old and In With the New

2011-01-07T16:06:00.004-05:00

Welcome 2011!

It's been a little while since I've blogged. I have a lot to write about. Like how our washing machine broke down with a full load of laundry, full load of water and soap. We got a new one. Our dryer was on its last leg, too, so we went ahead and got a new one of those, too. I actually washed and dried my comforter today without having to go to the laundromat.

I got a new phone, too. My old Blackberry wasn't doing the trick anymore. Plus, I felt like I was from the stone age with it. There is something so cool about the touch screen phones. Believe it or not, I actually like this one.

Even though I haven't been writing myself, I've still been keeping up with all of you. I may not always (ever) comment, but I do read. Last night I read my Aunt Theresa's blog. She wrote about a new found friend that she had made through blogging. Her name is Edie and her blog is BEAUTIFUL! Definitely one of the prettiest ones I've read. She herself seems beautiful, inside and out. She writes of her children, her home, her crafts, her faith, her life.

Her house burned to the ground a couple of days before Christmas, with hardly anything to be salvaged. Edie's story touched me in such a strong way that I could hardly sleep. After I read her story, I felt like I was going to be sick. For real. Her faith, though, was so encouraging to me. Her strength at a time like this unimaginable to me. I prayed for her. Will you please read her story and say a prayer for her, too? I just bet she could use all the prayers she can get.

Till next time...

What Defines Christmas to You

2010-12-20T21:28:00.003-05:00

Just thinking. And wondering. From tonight until Christmas, I'm going to be focusing on the beauty of Christmas. I want to try and do things that mean Christmas to me. But what? What really defines Christmas to me. I'm being brutally honest here. These are the things that bring me joy and make Christmas the most wonderful time of the year. Hmmmm. As my lists always are, in no particular order.

1. Listening to Christmas carols. I love the old, old ones. I like to listen to the ones that were popular in the '40, '50s and '60s. I try to imagine what Christmas was like back then.

2. Watching Christmas TV shows and movies. I love Christmas television shows. And once again, I like the old ones. Betwitched, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, Andy Griffith, The Brady Bunch (now there's a classic), Good Times, All in the Family. Well, you get the picture. And we've watched National Lampoon Christmas Vacation at least twice all the way through. We play it in pieces the entire Christmas season. Charlie Brown's Christmas is my most favorite. Next on my schedule is It's a Wonderful Life. I'm hoping my DVR is going to catch all the old sitcoms that will be on.

3. Snow globes. I will post a picture soon of my Christmas snow globes that I've been collecting since Jeff and I were married. I don't know how many I have. I've never thought to count. I love each and every one of them and they are my favorite Christmas decoration. My great-grandmother had one of the little blue plastic ones and I remember shaking it and watching the flakes inside. I couldn't have been more than about 5 or 6. You might say I've liked them awhile. For the next few days, I think I'll wind a few up and watch the snowflakes fall.

4. My MaMa Kimball's Not Like a Fruitcake Fruitcake. I made it again this year. It seemed dry at first, but I reached in my bag of tips and remembered that MaMa always put an apple slice or two with hers and it stayed moist and wonderful. This isn't your average, dried out, crumbly, full-of-who-knows-what. No, this is one that has 8 cups of pecans. Oh, yeah, it's divine. I'm blowing my diet from now until Christmas. MaMa Kimball's Not Like a Fruitcake Fruitcake comes but once a year. I'm eating it. I'll just have to spin that much harder in January.

5. And coincidentally, this one came last. Maybe it's because it's the one I'm focusing on the most. This year I'm going to really soak Christmas in. I'm going to enjoy every single second that I spend with every single person that I'm with this holiday. I'm going to make pictures to remember with, both on my camera and in my heart. I'm going to celebrate the birth of my Lord. I'm going to enjoy the smiles and expressions on my sweet boys. They'll always be boys, to me. I'm going to sleep with my Christmas snowflakes lighting my bedroom so beautifully. I'm going to enjoy the chaos that is Christmas Eve with my precious nephews, niece and my sweet sisters! I'm going to be thankful for what I have. I'm going to pray for others. The people that I know and people that I don't. There are children hurting and there are grown-ups hurting. I'm going to remember them all.

What about you? What's defines Christmas to you?

Till next time. Live. Love. Laugh. And do it with all your heart!

Working, Shopping, Wrapping & Baking

2010-12-17T16:15:00.002-05:00

Do you ever wonder how in the world you get it all done? Today I've worked. I shopped. I wrapped. And now I'm baking.

And the funny thing about this is that I DON'T LIKE TO COOK! It's taken me a little while to publicly admit that I just don't like cooking. It's not natural. It's not womanly. It's not maternal.

I'm making Pioneer Woman's Christmas Rum Cake. I had not quite half a cup of rum. I needed more. So I just poured the rum that I did have in an ice cold glass of Diet Coke. Wow. It was so good. Even after the Diet Coke and rum, guess what? I still don't like to cook.

I'm also making a big pasta salad to take to our South Georgia Christmas tomorrow. We're gathering at my cousin Rick and his wife, Jackie's house. They live in Alpharetta, which is about an hour away. Even before I started to drink the rum, I had mishap after mishap in the kitchen. For example:

1. Spilled an entire, FULL CUP OF CHOPPED NUTS. (Yes, Bandit was quite happy.) Maybe that was what caused her to poop in the house. (Yes, I was SO NOT HAPPY!)

2. Burned my fingers on the pan with the boiling water and pasta.

3. Dropped half the noodles down the drain after burning my fingers on the pan with the boiling water and pasta.

4. Thought I bought olives with no pits. Bit into one. Guess what? Picked up the wrong jar.

5. Removed the pits from exactly 12 olives. Didn't take me long to decide that a machine needs to do that job. This pasta salad will have 12 olives only.

Those things have happened and I have not yet mixed up my cake yet. Jeff had to stop on his way home from work and get me some more rum. I may have to have another Diet Coke to make it through the rest of this cooking project.

Hope y'all are getting all of your Christmas chores done, and that you're enjoying every minute of it. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Till next time.

Lifesaver Storybook

2010-12-16T20:43:00.004-05:00

Around here tomorrow is the last day of school before the Christmas holidays begin. I've been reminiscing tonight about what that last day was like when I was a little girl.

We always had big class parties. We had a room mom who would bring refreshments for us. I don't remember making very many Christmas ornaments or crafts, but there is one craft in particular that I made that my mom and dad still have. I don't even remember making it really. It was a baby food jar, filled with water -- I guess it was water, but it's still crystal
clear -- and it had plastic holly inside. I always loved it when she brought out that jar.

I also remember these.

My friends and I would exchange gifts. I'm sure you know how that goes. Some girls would start telling you in November that they were going to give you a gift, so naturally, you would make sure to get them something. Sometimes they gave you something; sometimes not. But that didn't matter. My mom always bought several of those Lifesaver books for me to give my friends. And usually a friend gave me a Lifesaver book, too.

Sometimes we would leave our house after school and head to south Georgia to celebrate Christmas with my grandparents and my uncles in Twin City. It was a three-hour drive and I can remember sitting in the backseat of the car with my sisters looking at the wonderful little gifts we had gotten at school that day. The thing I remember the most is those Lifesaver books. And the occasional LipSmacker.

Santa brings my boys a Lifesaver book each and every year. I don't know if they like them or not, but nevertheless, they get one. Sometimes I curse Santa for bringing them because the silver wrappers are everywhere, but Santa knows what he's doing. He knows that one day my boys may remember, with the same fond memory as I, the Lifesaver Sweet Storybook.

Till next time. Be a blessing to someone this holiday season. You don't have to look far to find someone who needs one. Maybe you can share a Lifesaver Storybook.

Tybee Lost a Great One

2010-10-31T18:18:00.002-04:00

If you've been reading my blog a while, you know we always vacation on Tybee Island and have been for many years. It's my favorite place on earth.

We're lucky enough to make the trip several times a year. One of them being in February when we go down to celebrate Ms. Sylvia's birthday and Jeff's too. This year Ms. Sylvia turned 101 and Jeff turned 48.

Ms. Sylvia passed away peacefully yesterday. Her wishes were to be cremated and her ashes spread out over the water.

We were lucky to have hand the acquaintance of such a special and unique person. She lived life to its fullest and was an inspiration to me. Even though the numbers say you're old, and sometimes you might not feel the best, you need to get out there and enjoy your life, whether it's shaking a maraca or anything else that you love to do. Ms. Sylvia did and she really enriched the lives of the visitors of Doc's Bar.

She was the epitome of Living, Loving and Laughing.

Rest in peace, sweet Ms. Sylvia. We'll miss seeing you in your own little corner of Doc's.

Halloween Carol

2010-10-29T12:12:00.014-04:00

I have been cleaning out my closet and listening to some Halloween music. It made me think about all the different Halloween songs there are. This one comes to my mind as probably the most popular.
Although really, what is scary about that image? Um. Nothing. Definitely not my favorite, although, I do remember the fun surrounding the movie and song.

Maybe I'm more of a I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me kind of girl.

No, thankfully, paranoia is one thing I don't have. So that one's not gonna get it either. Not my favorite.

How about Witchy Woman? That title could be about me. And I do like the song and the lyrics, but no, it's not my favorite Halloween carol.

One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple Eater. There is nothing to like about that song. Definitely not my favorite, and definitely my least favorite.

Do children even like that song?

To Lurch was fun. It was a new one that I had never heard before. I liked it, especially the voice of Lurch. Wasn't he so funny on the Adams Family?

Lurch would be such an awesome costume and you never see one. I think he's even better than Frankenstein. Lurch could be real, but Frankenstein, err uh, no. Great song, but not my favorite.

So that may lead you wonder what my favorite Halloween carol is. Or maybe you couldn't care less. Either way, here it is. It's the best Halloween song EVER!

How could you not love that fun song? Everyone was there. The zombies, the WolfMan, Dracula, Igor, The Coffin Bangers, and a vocal group "The Crypt-Kicker Five. Hands down, best Halloween song ever.

What about you? Do you have a favorite Halloween song? Let me know about it. Maybe it's one I've never heard and might be my new favorite. Nah, Monster Mash Forever!!!!

Till next time, Happy Halloween to all you readers of A Girl Named Kelly Kelly!

Outside My Window

2010-10-28T15:28:00.003-04:00

Happy Fall, y'all! I made some pictures of the views outside my window a couple of days ago and tried for the longest time to post them. Blogger was having one of its fits and wouldn't let me. I decided I'd share them today because they're just too darned pretty not to remember.

The dogwood. Can you believe the color of those leaves? As I've said so many times about other colors in nature, you just don't find those colors in the box. Those come directly from God's hand.
Don't want to forget what my scarecrow looked like this year. Thank heaven Halloween is this weekend, although I could leave her up longer I guess. Her pom pom has fallen out and she looks like she'd like a break from the weather.

Speaking of the weather. This fall has had the weirdest weather I can remember. It seems like it's never going to get cool. Yesterday according to my car it was 87 degrees outside. That's too hot for fall. When it's over, it's over. Summer 2010 is over, so it's time she move on and let Autumn 2010 move in.

I don't know what kind of tree this beauty is, but it's one of my favorites. I can see it out of my bathroom window and I always look forward to its color every year.

And with the warm temps, even some of my summer flowers are hanging on to their beauty. This hibiscus out by the pool braved the scorching summer and continues to hang on, still bringing on new blooms.

I made this wreath out of some of my hydrangeas. I think dried hydrangeas are so pretty. And they are so durable too. The flowers on the wreath have not dropped their petals and still look so pretty to me.

This is outside the door coming into my house. And I mean it, too!

With two boys and a hubby who just won't take his shoes off before coming inside, I have to be witchy sometimes.

Hope you've got lots of fall beauty outside your window, too!

Till next time...

Mountain Girl or Beach Babe

2010-10-20T12:31:00.002-04:00

Which one are you? Do you like the mountains or the beach better? I don't wanna hear that you like the beach in summer, the mountains in fall! That answer is way too easy.

Jeff and I are here in the mountains and it seriously feels springtime outside. Last night we had pizza and we ordered enough for the entire town of Blue Ridge, Georgia to eat. Blue Jeans Pizza is very, very generous with their pizza. And oh, BTW, did I mention that it was awesome too? Leftovers are gonna be lunch today and maybe tonight we'll try another place for dinner.

I ate like a pig yesterday. Hands down. Suz had left some of her World's Best Cupcakes -- don't y'all wish I'd post the
recipe -- at my house after the wienie roast. I brought them along and yesterday, I think I ate four.

Speaking of recipes, because I love all of you so much, I'm posting my Mom's Pumpkin Bread recipe. And honestly, I can't wait to get home to make it myself!

MY MOM'S GLAZED PUMPKIN BREAD
Makes two loaves

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 (15 ounce) canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon of each of these spices:
Ginger
Cinnamon
Allspice
Clove
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking SODA
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking POWDER

Mix the wet ingredients, then slowly add the dry. Pour into loaf pans and bake it 350 degree oven for one hour. Let the bread cool to warm, then drizzle with this wonderful glaze:

1 cup milk mixed with 1 cup sugar. Thicken to desired consistency, then slowly drizzle over the warm bread.

Do you have a pumpkin recipe to share? I'd LOVE to hear about them. I want to make some different things over the holidays.

Till next time...

The Wienee Roast

2010-10-18T09:41:00.005-04:00

Last Tuesday was my 45th birthday. Around here, we celebrate birthdays for at least a week. In some cases, maybe even a little longer.

Sunday night supper was at my house and we had my annual birthday wienie roast. My birthday wienie roast has a long history. Mama used to have one for me every year as my birthday party. We'd invite my grandparents, all my aunts and uncles and cousins. I remember them like yesterday. Mama always did us girls big birthday parties. She made them special, that's for sure.

Now that I'm all grown up, Mama just comes as a guest. Someone else does all the work. This is the someone else who did all the work.

My sweet, sweet hubby worked so hard to make everything perfect. And it was.

You know you're loved when you have three birthday cakes. You also realize that there was a little lack of communication because you have three birthday cakes. But really, can you ever have too many?

Suz made me the world's best cupcakes. My Mama made pumpkin bread with the sweetest glaze. And Jeff bought me a pretty birthday cake, complete with a 4 and a 5!

These are the world's best cupcakes that Suz made. She found these cute ghost tins at Target and they worked perfectly because the icing for the cupcake is white and the cupcake is the most wonderful chocolate! I will get the recipe for y'all because they are definitely the world's best.

I wanted to post a few random pictures of the night. As I was posting these, I realized that hardly anyone was smiling. What's up with that? It looked like everyone was having fun. Guess everyone just left their smiles at home.

Except me. I was opening my gifts, so naturally I had a big smile on my face. We've been doing some redecorating and most of my gifts were for my house. My family was so sweet and gave me WAY too much! But I loved all of it and before the night was over, I had found places for everything.

Here's me and the wonderful woman who gave me life. Love her so much.

And my dear daddy, who also had a hand in giving me life. Thanks mom and pop! I really love my life!!!!

Here's my boy Ross. He has such a great sense of humor and rarely has his picture made without making some sort of face. With that beard, he looks so intelligent in this picture, don't you think? Sweet thing. Oh, and did I mention that this handsome thing gave his mama Coco Chanel body cream for her birthday? Yes, he did! He went to the store and bought it himself. As I found out later, he got to enjoy a little eye candy himself while he was there, as the girl working the counter was, as he put it, hot.

I always make goodie bags for birthday parties, even my own. After 10 months without any bubble gum, he put five big gumballs in his mouth.

Also put some funny teeth in the bags. Here's Ethan with his teeth.

Reid being serious. He hurt his hand playing football Saturday. If you look closely, you can see his left hand is swollen and bruised. He's on his way to the orthopedist right now to see if it's broken. Joseph and Kelsey looking like Joseph's truck broke down on the way to my house. I guess they're looking like that because it really did happen. Poor thing has had the hardest time with his truck.
Alayna was in charge of the hot chocolate. We didn't drink nearly as much this year because it wasn't as cold as last year. But she stirred and stirred and stirred. Then she drank so much she got a tummy ache!

When you're around a campfire and you don't like smoke, you must have safety goggles. So here's Eli with his hot dog roasting and goggles accounted for.

The campfire. It was perfect weather for a campfire. No wind, so therefore not much smoke.

And here I am blowing out my 45 candles and making a wish. What could I possibly wish for when I have everything I need. And on this night, I had most all of it in one place.

Till next time when I'll share with you about my birthday trip to the North Georgia mountains, have a lovely Tuesday!

Some Things Change; Some Don't

2010-10-14T10:39:00.006-04:00

Last week I was lucky enough to go to the Henry County Fair with one of my favorite nephews for his birthday.

Ethan turned 11 and instead of going out for his birthday supper somewhere like Outback or Longhorn, he wanted to go to the fair.

Ethan and Nick October 6, 2010

I don't know how long it's been since any of you have been to a county fair. My sweet friend, Dena, in Iowa goes every year. I haven't been in many, many years. And after reading all about the fun that Dena and her family have at their fairs, I wanted to go check my local one out.

After going to the fair, I realized that some things change and some things definitely don't. That was especially true for the fair!

When we were kids, every October the fair came to McDonough. We'd always beg mom to take us and most of the time she did. Back in those days, the fairgrounds were dirt. Now, the fair is held on nice -- although busted up in places -- pavement.

Ethan and Nick on the slide

They still have some of the same rides. Like the slide. I think that fair rides are mostly for young folks. I mean, if I come flying down that slide on a tow sack like the boys did, as soon as my bootie hits that last bump, I'm heading to my local medical center. But not kids. They ride and ride and ride.

Ahhhhh, the funnel cake. Who knows what it is or how to make them. And more importantly, who even cares. Crystal said she saw a funnel cake maker at some store that you could take home and make your own. For me, that would be a very bad idea. I would probably eat them every single meal. That greasy, sweet, powdery sugar goodness would clog my arteries and probably send me to an early grave. But wow, would it be a heck of a way to go.

Crystal bought the boys $20 armbands, which allowed them to ride as many rides as many times as they wanted to. It allowed them to play the games exactly zero times. What was the thing they wanted to do first? Play the games.

The games were pretty much the same. Fill your balloon up with water first, win a prize. Shoot a basketball so filled with air it's most likely gonna bounce off the rim, win a prize. Pick a duck out of the water, you know, all the same ones.

But the thing that was different was the prizes. Sure you could always win a Teddy Bear, BUT not one with a Department of Corrections jumpsuit on. Is this supposed to be endearing? I guess if you had a loved one locked up, you could snuggle up with your DOC Teddy Bear and feel closer to that person.

Another all-time favorite of mine. The sticky, gooey, delicious caramel apple. But with these teeth of mine, if I had even one bite every tooth in my mouth would likely be crunched up with the apple. Sadly, I had to pass on that one.

Crystal and James have been working out really hard. Don't they look great?

Maybe fairs are in cahoots with cardiologists because some of the things they have to eat there are crazy. Deep fried candy bars! That's scary!

Gone are the days of thinking ahead and getting your cash before you go to the fair. Now, if you don't have cash or if you spend all you brought and you just can't resist that deep friend candy bar, just walk over to the ATM.

I love Ferris wheels. I love Nicholas Sparks, who also loves Ferris wheels. I think they are so pretty with the lights against the night sky. Haven't ridden one in years.

I have to be honest here. I love corndogs. Love them. So of course, no trip to the fair would have been complete without one. Nowadays in America, we have supersized everything. Including the corn dog.

Also keeping it real, I tried something called chicken on a stick.

And honestly, it was the best chicken tender I've ever eaten. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can fry food like the fair people can.

We took a look at the animals. Unfortunately, it was a Wednesday when we went and the only ones left were the cows. They had been shown the day before and the day we went was the day of the sale.

I've been around cows plenty of times. My PaPa Kimball raised them and we saw them lots of times. They used to mess up our fishing in PaPa's pond by taking a swim in it. But PaPa's cows were just cows. They weren't brushed and petted and massaged.

The ones at the fair were so pretty. Their hair was nicely combed and they didn't have any slime hanging out of their mouths or flies flying around their eyes like the ones I had seen in South Georgia at PaPa's farm.

I pet one and fell in love. He was so soft and warm. I decided then and there that I wouldn't be eating any more beef. Alas, though, it was not to be. I have craved nothing but a steak and roast beef since that moment.

So for the best fried food around, people watching at its absolute best, may I suggest your county or state fair. It was the most fun I had had in a while. To be there with my sweet nephew celebrating his 11th birthday was just the powdered sugar on the funnel cake.

Till next time...

The Birthday Fairy

2010-10-12T19:40:00.003-04:00

The birthday fairy stopped by and gave me another birthday. This one is the 45th one she's given me. Wow, 45. How blessed I've been in my 45 years of living.

Every October 12th, I feel so melancholy. I know some people feel nothing but joy on their birthday, but I'm not that type person. I start feeling all nostalgic and sentimental and then before you know it, I'm downright sad.

I don't mind getting older. I mean, I'd be lying if I said it doesn't bother me even one little bit because it does. I have wrinkles around my eyes. Wrinkles around my mouth. My back hurts. My legs and feet hurt. Sometimes my mind doesn't feel as sharp as it once did. But for the most part, my body has been better to me than I've been to it.

It's not the wrinkles or the aches that I don't like about getting older. It's that all of the people around me are getting older, too. My grandparents did. My parents are. My sisters are. My niece and nephews are. My aunts and uncles, who were -- and will always be -- in my mind's eye, young and lively! It seems like they should be 45, not me! Jeff's getting older, my kids are getting older. We're all getting older and it makes me blue. Can't time just slow down a little bit, please.

Sometimes just for kicks and giggles I stand in front of the mirror and pull my face this way and that, gently tugging on the wrinkles. And sometimes, just for a minute, I see a way younger Girl Named Kelly Kelly. All the face cream in the world just can't stop what age and gravity does to you.

Today I'm celebrating another trip around the sun, and I'm thankful the birthday fairy stopped by once again. I'll look forward to seeing her next year.

Till next time...

Just a Gliding

2010-09-08T21:28:00.009-04:00

Tonight Nan and I took a new class at the gym. It's called Gliding.

To give you an idea what it was like... imagine standing on a Frisbee on an ice skating rink. It was pretty tricky. I felt like I was going to be forced into doing the only split I've ever done in my entire life. I'm definitely going to give it another try because I think it's a great concept and it's supposed to be a great workout for your thighs and bum. Lord knows, I need all the help I can get with mine.

I had lunch today with a friend that I have not seen or spoken to in over 14 years. I worked with her when I worked for an eye doctor in Snellville. I left there to begin my court reporting career. She's still there and will be celebrating 25 years there in February. She was like a big sister to me, partly because she's 10 years older than me, but mostly because she was just that kind of friend. In fact, she was a bridesmaid in my wedding.

Somehow, we lost touch. I never called her and she never called me. I thought of her often and wondered if she still worked in the same office. Monday, while I wasn't laboring, I thought of her and decided to track her down. After looking at about 100 girls with her same name, I realized she wasn't on Facebook. So I decided to Google the doctor we worked for and see if he perhaps had a web page. Lucky for me he did. And even luckier for me, she still works there and her e-mail address was on the site.

I e-mailed her that minute and she replied to me first thing Tuesday morning. We scheduled lunch and went to have Chinese. That was always our favorite lunch. I can't tell you how good it was to see her. So much had changed in her life since I had last talked with her. She got divorced, became a grandmother and lost her parents. It was if we just picked up where we left off in our friendship. I'm so excited to have reconnected to such a special friend. This time I'm not going to lose touch with her. She's a keeper.

Eli had his first ever cavity filled this morning. Suz sent me this picture of him. Look at that preciousness sitting so still and straight while getting his little cavity filled. It's so sweet that I can hardly stand it!

And tonight, she sent me this picture. I think it might be Eli's first ever love note.

All I can say about that is that Becca is one lucky little girl!

Hope everyone had a great day! I sure did.

Till next time.

Laborless Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-07T13:16:00.003-04:00

We took it easy over the Labor Day Weekend. I really can't say that I took a lick at a snake. It was wonderful.

Friday night, Jeff and I went to our new favorite Mexican cantina.

We got there about 8:45 and it was still crowded, with lots of people still coming. It's a small place and the bar only seats about eight. If you have to wait, you have to wait outside. It was a lovely night and we waited on the patio for about 45 minutes. The people watching was great, so the time passed quickly. The food, as always, was the best. Since it was such a nice night, we took the top down on the convertible. The lights through downtown were so pretty. It was a great night!

Saturday morning, I got up bright and early and went to spin class at the gym. I've gotten totally addicted to that class. The feeling of pouring sweat and working so hard feels wonderful. I got home and showered and got ready to watch the bulldogs whoop up on the Ragin' Cajuns from Louisiana.

Jeff is coaching football again this year. He's coaching 11-year-old boys. His second game of the season was on Saturday night.

So because, I'm such a good wife, and because it wasn't 9 million degrees outside, I went to his game. It wasn't much of a game, as they won 60-0. Crazy.

Ronnie, Nan and some other friends were all at Three Dollar Cafe to watch the rest of the college football games, so we headed there after Jeff's game.

Went to a wonderful Sunday morning church service with my mom, my aunts and some other family members. Sunday night, Nan had several folks over for a little cookout. She made some roasted vegetables that were out of this world delish. That girl can cook!

Suz and I are going to a cocktail party for one of our coworkers this Friday night. I've got a few things to choose from to wear, but I need a new top to wear with one of the things. So surprisingly, Jeff agreed to go with me to do a little shopping yesterday. I bought exactly nothing. It wasn't because he was with me either. He found a nice little sofa and rested his yes a bit while I was browsing around Macy's. There just isn't much to choose from right now.

After leaving the mall, we went here.

And it was a wonderful visit!

It was the best Laborless weekend I've had in a while. I hope yours was too!

Till next time.

First Day of the Bers

2010-09-01T08:20:00.005-04:00

Today is the first day of September. September is the first of the ber months. Yay!

Of course, we still have plenty more hot and humid days ahead, but July and August are behind us and that makes me and this lovely pumpkin lady happy!

It means that soon we'll be putting out mums and pansies. I've already been planning where I'm going to put mine. And last night I even started getting the area ready.

I'm thinking about my scarecrow. I've even got his spot picked out. Now all I'll have to do is get him made. I'll go to Goodwill and get some cheap clothes. This year Jeff's going to build me a frame for my scarecrow. Every other year, I have to spend a few minutes each day standing the poor soul back up. Speaking of scarecrows, this is a picture of two amazing ones that Jason's cousin made for a hoe-down shower. Aren't they adorable?

The first day of the bers means that my birthday is in six weeks. I'll be 45. Wow, that's old. Some days I feel it. Some days I feel younger than ever.

I love the sweet smell of apple cinnamon in the fall. I can't wait to start burning a few of those scented candles. I don't burn them any other time, except in the bers. I just can't enjoy apple cinnamon in July. Doesn't work for me.

Even though I love summertime and I'll always be a summertime kinda gal, I believe that fall is my favorite season. May and June are great in Georgia. July and August are torture. We get four months of the bers. And that's a good thing.

College football starts tomorrow night.

Yet another great thing about the bers. College football Saturdays make me deliriously happy.

The only bad thing about the bers is that after they're gone, the dreary arys follow.

What does the first day of the bers mean to you? What are you looking forward to?

Till next time, have a great first day of September.

The Ones That Didn't Make It

2010-08-27T09:19:00.010-04:00

Till now. I take a lot of pictures for my blog. Most of them, though, never actually make it. It's not because they're not good pictures, but usually it's because I just don't blog after I've made them.

While going through a couple of flashcards, mostly in my phone, I came across some pretty good ones and I thought it'd be fun to put them on here. Of course, they're not in any order at all. That would have taken forever.

Ross & Cam arm wrestling August '10.

Suz and her chocolate birthday cake. August '10

Cam's 18th birthday cake -- err, uh, fruit bowl. August '10.

Cam & PeePaw. Cam's 18th b'day & PeePaw's 89th August '10.

Ross riding the big tractor. July '10.

Postgame pigout at Pizza Hut. April '10.

Eli's championship tournament trophy. October '09.

Ronnie & Nan. Halloween '09.

Me as I Love Lucy. Halloween '09.

Jeff goofing off at the Halloween store. October '09.

How I look and feel most days. Halloween store. October '09.

Kitchen table at the cabin we stayed in for my birthday. Blue Ridge. October '09.

Little boy reading us a story while Suz, Alayna and I were eating Chinese food. Alayna, this one's for you. September '09.

Electric Chair. Had deposition at the State Bar of Georgia building. '09.

Bird watchin' in Decatur between depositions. September '09.

Bandit ready for the Dawgs to play. Fall '09.

Sunset on the way to eat dinner. '09.

Me being a tiger in the kitchen. August '09.

August birthdays at Ed & Jeans. August '09.

What happens when you let your son use your tin foil and he lets it roll down the driveway, then tries to get it back on the roll and in the box. August '10.

Saw this butterfly on the way to my car from deposition in Jackson, Georgia. August '10.

View from an office building in downtown. July '10.

Just a cloud. '09.

Getting my hair done. '09.

Anniversary roses. July '09.

Ethan receiving an award in 3rd grade. '08.

Me going to the gym. April '10.

Butterfly on my porch. April '10.

Bird's nest at Tybee. June '10.

Blister after walking about 7 miles in the blazing heat at Tybee. June '07.

I took this picture because of the room on the top floor. Upside down horseshoe and a black rose decorate the door. Tybee. June '10.

Everything's better in Metter. On the way to Tybee. June '10.

Hydrangea arrangement I made. August '10.

Workers at the Peachtree Plaza. They're replacing glass blown out by the tornado that went through downtown last year.

Snapped this one from a parking garage on the way to my depo. August '10.

Homemade ice cream. Summer '10.

Jeff and me. Christmas '09.

Watching the snow from my bedroom window. February '10.

Eli the tiger. August '10.

Flowers from Parks family after my hysterectomy. October '08.

So what about you? Do you have lots of pictures that you take for your blog and they never quite get their five minutes of fame?

TGoodnessIF. Have a wonderful weekend!

Till next time. Live, love, laugh.

Happy Birthday, Suz

2010-08-20T07:24:00.005-04:00

There can be no situation in life in which the conversation of my dear sister will not administer some comfort to me.
~Mary Worley Montagu~

Today my little sister turns 37. It really doesn't seem possible to me. I mean, it seems like only yesterday that Crystal and I were on the merry-go-round at my Aunt Barbo's house when she came out to tell us that we had a new sister, Suzanne Layne.

Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.
~Charles M. Schulz ~

She was not a very good baby, but I don't remember that. I was almost eight years old when she was born, and to me, she was a perfect little doll. I held her and fed her and I think in a way, maybe mommied her a little, too.

Never let an angry sister brush your hair.
~ Author: unknown ~

She loved frilly dresses and clinking shoes. She wanted to be a gymnast, a cheerleader, and a softball player.

It's a fine thing when sisters love each other.
~Lorna Landvik ~

I used to do Crystal's makeup before school every morning. Then she ended up doing Suz's makeup before school every morning.

The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble.
~Clara Ortega~

Pity the one who upset her. Be it a friend or a boyfriend. Crystal and I were definitely protective of our baby sis. We defended her with the ferociousness of a tiger many a time. In fact, we have some hilarious memories defending her against some of her fellow catty high school cheerleaders. Remember the time we cleaned out my refrigerator and put the leftover food in someone's mailbox? Of course, this was only after they had done something to her mailbox.

What's the good of news if you haven't a sister to share it?
~Author unknown~

She can tell in the first half second of hearing my voice if there is something wrong with me. And I do the same with her. When something good or bad happens to me, I want to talk to my sister.

Hell hath no fury like sisters in a bad mood.
~A Girl Named Kelly Kelly~

We fuss. We argue. We cut each other short. We put each other off. We take out our frustrations with the world around us on each other. The best part about all of that, though, is that we understand that that's what we do. And it's okay. No apologies necessary. We're each the one person that we can do those kinds of things to and it's perfectly understood. This includes Crystal. We understand each other. Three sisters.

So I didn't plan for this post to be about sisters, but about my sister's birthday. The sister I love so much and I don't know what I'd do without her. I look forward to growing old with my sister. Watching her kids grow up. Her seeing mine. Having wedding showers and baby showers for each other's kids. Sharing the woes of marital bliss, the gripes about work, and any and everything in between.

As I used to sing to you when you were a baby, I love my Suza!

Happy birthday, my dear sis! I love you more than you'll ever know. Well, that's not exactly true because I know you do know 'cause you love me that much too! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with cool temps, hot coffee, good hair, the perfect outfit, comfortable shoes, the creamiest chocolate, happy kids, and lots of lovin' from your hubby!

A sister is a forever friend.
~Jenny DeVries~

Suzanne Layne

November 2009

Happy 18th B'day, Cam

2010-08-19T08:55:00.000-04:00

On this day, at this hour, I was giving birth to our second son, Alex Cameron Kelly. Before I went for my C-Section, the doctor told Jeff and me that he wasn't going to be a very big baby. Look at this picture and tell me what you think. Was he right or wrong?

He was a giant of a baby, weighing in at 9 pounds, measuring 21 3/4 inches long! And honey, let me tell you. It was 9 pounds of pure sweetness. What wouldn't I give to go back to that day just for a few minutes.

Now, he's a senior in high school. Slowly mapping out his future.

He makes me proud. He's thoughtful. He's sweet to his cousins. He loves his family. He's determined. He's hard-headed. He makes me work out harder than I ever thought I could. He makes me laugh every day. He also can frustrate me more than any other person on earth.

He's my second born son, Alex Cameron Kelly. And I love him with all my heart!

Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush

2010-08-09T21:45:00.006-04:00

While taking my shower tonight, that song just kept playing over in my mind. I have no idea why. And I have no idea what a mulberry is. I don't think they grow around here, though. Do any of you know what a mulberry is? Can you eat them? Where do they grow?

Today was the first day of school for Suz's kids. Eli started first grade. Alayna started middle school. Reid started seventh grade. Seems like every year when her kids start school, we try to meet for lunch and a little shopping.

She is in charge of making the invitations for a couples shower that she's helping host in a few weeks, so we went to JoAnn's. What an awesome store. They have anything you could ever want in the way of crafts, fabric, jewelry making, framing, anything. We had so much fun in that store.

While there, we reminisced about the good ol' days. The days when our mom used to make our dresses. She used to drag us to the fabric store. They weren't good ol' days at the time. We'd spend an hour or two there looking at patterns and fabric.

We'd look through these pattern books and pick out the dress we liked. Truly, I wasn't even sure they still made these pattern books, so I was delighted to see that they did.

Back then, though, there were stores that just sold fabric and sewing notions. It would be considered by today's standards a drag of a store. I guess that's why they have to sell other things in the store too.

At JoAnn's, they offer sewing lessons and I think we may take them. We would both love to sew. I mean, I don't think I could sew anything my boys would wear, but maybe I could make an apron or a pillow or something.

Yesterday afternoon, we celebrated Ross's birthday with the family. He has finally turned the corner with the wisdom teeth thing. He's feeling much, much better. He still looks a little pale to me, but I think he's definitely on the mend.

I made chicken and dumplings, which I'll just say were delicious. Except the dumplings disappeared. I guess I stirred them too much and they just dissolved in the broth. My family was very kind, though, and complimented me anyway. Good thing I opened up two cans of biscuits to go along with them. Otherwise, it would've just been chicken soup.

Thankfully, I didn't mess up the red velvet cupcakes. Nope, sure didn't. They were out of this world yummy. I think a cupcake tops a cake any day. (No pun intended there.) You get way more frosting on a cupcake, and who doesn't love frosting? He couldn't eat one because he still can't swallow very well, but I've got him one in the fridge for later.

I knew I had done a good job raising my son when, after the party was over, he thanked me. I got so choked up. It's nice to be appreciated.

The kids swam and the grownups swam too. It was another blazing hot day. Joseph brought over his new truck. He turned 16 on the 4th and he and his dad have been working on his truck. It's a Bronco and he's very proud of it and I'm proud for him. I'm sure Crystal will enjoy having another driver in the house. That is until the insurance bill comes.

Guess that's it for this trip 'round the mulberry bush. Till next time...

Things I'm Lovin' On

2010-08-07T10:50:00.006-04:00

I decided to blog today about some of the things I'm loving on these days. I'm a super picky person, so when I'm lovin' on something, it's definitely a blogworthy moment.

As always with my lists, my loves are in no particular order.

I bought this new book this week. It's not out in paperback yet, so I had to pay a bit more for it than I would've liked. But on a positive note, I do enjoy holding a hardback book. I haven't gotten very far into it yet, but so far, I'm loving it. I text messaged Suz one day during a job and asked her to find me a book she thought I'd like. She found this one. Good job, sista. If you'd like to borrow it, let me know. Such a shame for a nice hardback book to just sit on a shelf.

I'm lovin' on my public library. I checked this book out a good while back and I've rechecked it so many times that I'm out of checkouts with it. I now have to return it and check it out again.

But sadly, I tell you that I'm not checking it out again. Because I'm not loving it. It's 810 pages and I've made it to page 114 and I've been working on it for several weeks, if not a couple of months. I think it's a book I'd really like if I could get through it. Have any of you read it?

Always, always, always loving my flip flops. However, after trying many different brands and some more expensive than others, my true flip flop love is my Yellow Box. They fit the best and are the most comfortable.

My gym has had Aveeno samples of shampoo. My hair is very dry and tends to be a little like a rat's nest at times. I am seriously loving this shampoo. My hair is softer and I can definitely tell a difference with the friz factor.

I got this white hospital-type thermal blanket from a friend who owns a spa. Loving on it right now. It's the perfect weight for summer. And who doesn't love a nice, white blanket that comforts like those in the hospital do. They sell them at Target.

In addition to the shampoo, the gym has had samples of this Aveeno lotion.

Lotion is one of the things that I'm always searching out and trying to find the perfect one. My skin is super dry. This one is very close to perfect. It softens and moisturizes your skin, but you don't feel sticky or greasy. Loving this.

And I'm ALWAYS in search of the perfect mascara. I change it out about every couple of months, so I really don't want to spend too much on a tube. When I replace the one I keep in my makeup bag that stays at home, I put it in my purse in case I need a freshen up during the day. I loved this mascara so much that I went ahead and bought two tubes. One for home and one for the purse.

Good, good stuff. I use waterproof because I've found that I never know when a tear might fall and I don't want it to be running black down my face. Comes off easily with a good makeup remover, which BTW Lancome makes THE ABSOLUTE BEST HANDS DOWN. This mascara is an item my makeup advisor, BFF, and sister, Suz, recommended. Good job again, sis.

Always loving on Clorox. This spray bottle is so handy to have in the kitchen. I like to shoot a couple of sprays in my sink just for the heck of it. I also like to squirt my dish rags with it, too, to freshen them up. And I always squirt some in my dishwasher before I run it.

Ahhh. 620 thread-count sheets, white, of course. Bought these a couple of weeks ago and will never buy any less than this thread count again. They are the bomb. Feels like you're sleeping on silk, but yet so cool and crisp. There are few things I love more than sleeping on fresh, clean sheets. And these feel so good, I'm considering washing them every day.

Dryer sheets. I normally buy the cheapest kind there is. I liked the fact that I could throw two or three in the dryer at a time. The other day I splurged and bought these.
Hooked. You only need one sheet and I can tell the biggest difference in the way our clothes feel coming out of the dryer. They are seriously softer. It's amazing!

Sports Authority had these tank tops for $5. They had all colors, but I only bought a gray one and a white one.

They have been washed and dried twice so far, and have held their shape so good. They are the perfect length and I've worn them to the gym and out to dinner because they are so easy to dress up a little. I wish I had bought one in every color.

That's about all I've got for now. Now I've got to move onto doing something I absolutely don't love. Cooking. I'm making Ross chicken and dumplings for his birthday lunch tomorrow. Hopefully, he'll be able to eat them. He says he's feeling better, but I'm not seeing a huge improvement. I guess he knows how he feels. He's definitely not back to normal yet.

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend. Maybe it's cooler in your neck of the woods than it is in mine. And as always, till next time, LLL. :-)

Sick of the Sick Bed

2010-08-06T12:57:00.005-04:00

Here I am. I'm in my nurse's outfit, arms crossed, ready for Ross to feel better.

It has been a long week. My sofa has been turned into a sick bed. My kitchen counter has housed unusual things for the sick.

There's been this.

Which he gargles with. Spits in the kitchen sink and uses my dish towel to wipe his mouth.

And this is sitting there, too. Not a bottle this old, but I do have an affection for all things old looking, so I decided to use this picture.

Also a rinse that goes into the kitchen sink. My house has had a distinct Listerine odor for days now.

Two of these.

One of these. Most people call them heating pads. Here at our house we call ours a warming pad. It's really ready for the trashcan because Ross told me yesterday that it will go from burning hot to cold. Even in its better day it never got very warm.

He hasn't been able to eat any solid foods for days now. So he's been drinking Ensure, beef bouillon, and Campbell's Cup of Creamy Chicken soup. I went yesterday and bought $20 worth of Popsicles (yes, I bought a box of nearly every flavor) of which he has eaten exactly none.

He has been a very sick boy. He can't talk and can't turn his neck very well. His throat is extremely sore. The doctor gave him antibiotics and pain medicine. I think he is beginning to feel better, but it's very slow progress.

I've been a good mom/nurse. Especially when he spits in my kitchen sink about every five minutes. Don't worry, the Clorox spray is also next to the sink. He spits. I squirt. We've gotten it down to a science.

My sofa has sheets on it. My coffee table is moved over so that he can see the TV from his sick bed. I've done everything I could do to make him comfortable. But I am ready for him to be back to his old self. We are sick of the sick bed.

He can't talk, so to communicate with me he writes things down. He wrote that one of his buddies is having a going away party tonight. He's going in the Navy. He wrote that he's planning to go. So... maybe now that the weekend is here, he'll start feeling better for real. Sometimes Fridays have more healing power than any medicine. I am going to make him take it easy, though. He can go out tonight, but tomorrow it's back to the sick bed for more rest.

Till next time. Rinse. Rest. Repeat.

Ohhhhhhhhhh, it's too hot...

2010-08-04T16:32:00.006-04:00

Better run for shelter. Better run for shade. Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm sick of this summer. Or really I should say, I'm sick of being hot. It has been too hot too many days in a row.

Springtime comes, the temps warm up. You start feeling all revived and refreshed and ready for all the flowers and taking care of your yard and your house.

Early August comes and you begin to feel that if your flowers die, well, it was just their time to go. If your sod looks like someone set it on fire, well, I've always heard it's a good idea to burn off old growth to get new growth to come on. Your house has got spider webs in all kinds of places and your garage always has an odor from the heat, well, you just take a chill pill and move on inside where you won't have to see or think about it.

In May I just want to go to the beach. Just cannot wait to go to the beach. Early August, it's too hot for me to think of being on the beach. I just think it would be torture at this point. All that sand and all that sweat. Gross. Add to that the temperature of the sand is probably 9 million degrees.

In April, I start wanting to be tan. I've always felt like my fat looked better tan. So I always like to be a little tan before shorts season arrives.

When it's August, I don't really give a flip if I'm tanned or not. It's too hot to lay out. Oh, well, guess my fat will have to look pale till next April.

In March, I start thinking, oh, pool temperature, hurry up and get warm enough to get in. Finally mid-May it's '70s, then '80s, ahhhhh.
By August, my pool temperature is no cooler than my body temperature and not much cooler than the heat index in my backyard. It's just not refreshing. I feel like I need my wash cloth and ody soap. Or I could try and fill it up with a whole bottle of my love, my man in pink, Mr. Bubbles.

I love to drive my car with the top down. I just love it. I've put towels on the seat to keep from burning my legs, but if I take the top down on the car, I sweat like a hog. So I don't let it down and I run the air full blast.It's too hot to do just about any of the stuff I like to do in the summertime.

Heck, watching what I eat, I can't even eat ice cream like I want to. Yes, as hard as it is for me to say, it's time for Ms. Summer to move on her way. Bring on the cool lusciousness of Mr. Fall.

Till next time...

WISDOM TOOTH UPDATE:

Took Ross back to the oral surgeon today. He just wasn't feeling good at all. Had not slept in days. Sore throat, pressure in his ears, couldn't open his mouth, etc. As it turns out, he has a rare complication called a needle tract infection. When he was being injected some of the bacteria in his mouth got injected with the needle. He has an infection in his soft palette. He is miserable. Poor thing. He never complains and I had no idea how bad he felt. I'm now ruling over him with an iron fist and he's going to do exactly what I say, which is rest and take care of himself. Hopefully, he'll be better by the weekend. The doctor said if he wasn't, he might have to go back in and there and release the infection.

Happy 22nd Birthday, Ross

2010-08-03T08:27:00.004-04:00

Twenty-two years ago this morning at 8:27 a.m., I became a mom. It was one of the happiest days of my life. There couldn't be a better feeling in all the world than holding your very own baby.

So here, in no particular order, are some things I've learned in the 22 years since I became a mom.

1. I can love way more than I ever thought I could.
2. I would give my life for my kids.
3. I would fight Hercules to protect my kids.
4. No matter how old they are, they are still my little boys.
5. When they're hurting, I hurt.
6. When they're happy, I'm happy.
7. They are very expensive.
8. Childhood is lots cheaper than the teenage years.
9. I love to make memories for them.
10. It's very hard to watch them drive away in a vehicle.
11. Boys are very messy.
12. They are also very funny.
13. Having sons makes me feel safe.
14. It also makes me feel tired.
15. But most of all, they make me happy. Every. Single. Day.

Happy birthday, my dear sweet son. I wish you many, many more. The man you've become has made me proud!

Till next time...

UPDATE ON THE WISDOM TOOTH EXTRACTION: Yesterday was a rough day. He went back to work and did okay. When he got home, though, and attempted to work out, he couldn't do it and had to come home. He was feeling pretty lousy. I'm hoping that today will be a better day and that he'll be able to resume a normal diet and get back to his normal routine. He's pretty sick of feeling bad.

Cam's Last First Day of School

2010-08-02T10:48:00.003-04:00

Or I guess to be more optimistic, I should call it his Senior Year First Day.

This is a big year for him. He's excited and I'm excited too. Taking the ACT, choosing a college, senior pranks, senior skip days, football games, and the list of fun things just goes on and on. He said he doesn't plan on missing a day of it.

I hope he'll be patient with me, because I plan on being there every step of the way taking pictures and documenting as many moments as I can. I'll probably have to hide out somewhere to get the pictures.

The years are rolling by. And they are rolling quickly. It seems only yesterday that Jeff and I walked him into his kindergarten classroom where he told his teacher that he "bringded his lunch."

And this morning, I told him goodbye, to have a great day, and to drive safely. To keep his eyes on the road every second. And then I say a prayer as he drives away, praying that he'll do everything I just told him and that he'll be protected throughout the day.

There will undoubtedly be many other firsts and many other last firsts. This one just symbolizes so much to me. All his hard work. All my hard work. This is his time to celebrate all of that work.

In raising two sons, I have realized that God makes no mistakes, that just as the Bible says, there is a time and a season for everything under the sun. Teenage years are hard, even with teenagers as good as Cam and Ross. But teenagers come with an attitude. And that attitude, thank God, is what helps us let our teenagers go out into the world on their own. Otherwise, it just might be impossible to let them go.

Oh, the road we've traveled together to get to this, his last first day of school. And, Cam, if you should happen to read this, as I know you sometimes do, I love you with all of my heart. I hope you have the very best senior year ever! You've worked hard and you deserve it!!!

Till next time, my friends, I leave you with wishes of a day filled with life, love and laughter.

Is There Anything Sweeter

2010-07-29T17:15:00.003-04:00

Than a baby boy? Even if he is almost 22 years old! This is my baby boy this afternoon. Sleeping like a little baby. He had his wisdom teeth extracted and he did very well. He is just like his mom, though. He's not a very good patient. And he's not a patient patient either. He's ready to be up and going. He doesn't want to be down for long. He's making plans for the weekend already.

Look who is keeping him company. Bandit. She loves to sit in your lap, especially when you have a blanket.

And even more especially when you have my Snoopy blanket in your lap. Yes, you heard me right. I've let Ross use my Snoopy blanket while he's recuperating. It works miracles, so I'm letting him borrow it.

Okay, gals. That's it for this day's post. Gotta get ready to go to the gym! When I sit in the sauna, it feels like I'm sitting on my porch. It's unbearably hot.

Miscellaneous Monday

2010-07-26T19:28:00.006-04:00

Isn't the snow beautiful? So cold and light.

But today it wasn't snowing. Instead the thermometer in my car showed the temp outside at 102 degrees. Hot and heavy.

This is some serious heat that we're having in Georgia. I'm sure it's been this hot before, maybe even last summer, but thank goodness I've forgotten about it. I took Bandit for a very short walk this afternoon. She was panting and I had sweat running down my back. We came back inside.

I had to work this morning downtown. I had to walk a couple of blocks, but it was about 9 a.m., so it wasn't too bad. I was on the 42nd floor of this building and the view was amazing, although it's starting to look a little smoggy with this stifling heat and pollution mixed together.

We've had about 1,457 more cucumbers from the garden. And even though I love cucumbers, you can only eat so many. So I'm making another batch of pickles. I feel like Aunt Bea on The Andy Griffith Show. She was a pickle making fool and apparently I am too. They really are good, though, if I do say so myself.

They're soaking in pickling lime and getting their crunch on. I'm going to have to stay up till about midnight to get through the process so that tomorrow I can put them in jars. I will not be going in the pickle making business. Too much work!

Last night everyone came over for homemade ice cream. I made peach and vanilla. The peach was very good. The vanilla tasted like milk, salt and vanilla flavoring dumped in a glass. It was horrible. I was embarrassed it was so bad.

The boys had some of their friends over too. I hope they didn't eat the vanilla. Swimming was the thing to do. The pool water isn't even refreshing right now. I ran water in it all afternoon yesterday trying to cool it off for the swimmers. All it did was run up my water bill. I brought out the Sky Ball and Wiffle bat, so they got out of the pool and played ball.

Of course, every bug in Henry County heard we were going to be outside, so they crashed the party. I love this picture of Meaghan and Eli. I think Eli was scratching. I mean, the mosquitoes were pigging out.

This is another favorite. Ross and my dad. Love those two!

Oakland Cemetery was great. I'm going to do a separate post with some of my pics. It's such a beautiful place. If you've never been, I definitely recommend it. It's just beautiful.

Ross is having his wisdom teeth removed Thursday morning, so another request to add to your prayer list, please. He'll be put under general anesthesia to have it done. I figure it'll probably be my last time to really baby my 21-almost-22-year-old. And honey, I'm gonna baby him good.

Gotta go. While my pickles are soaking, I've gotta soak my foot. I've got an ingrown toenail that I had taken out Saturday and it's throbbing.

Till next time...

A Work In Progress

2010-07-24T10:59:00.003-04:00

Y'all please excuse the appearance of my blog right now. It's under construction. I've spent a few hours this morning trying to make it look prettier and I've got to get going and do other things.

Tonight I'm going to a Photography Workshop at the Historic Oakland Cemetery. It's where Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind is buried, among many others. I'm excited about going and learning how to make better pictures, especially at night.

So right now my blog will just have to look kinda shabby. Maybe tomorrow I'll have some wonderful pictures to share with y'all.

My migraine has subsided enough for me to get out and do some things. I stayed in the bed almost the entire day yesterday, which is something I never do and I don't enjoy it at all. But I'm thankful I didn't have to work and I didn't have anything pressing that I had to get done. I'd like to go outside by the pool and enjoy the sun, but it's just too dang hot. Even if you're by the pool. Right now the pool feels like if you 'had a bar of soap, you could take yourself a nice bath. In other words, it's not very refreshing.

I'm heading out the door in search of a camera bag to hold all my gadgets.

Till the next time. Have a happy Saturday! Stay cool. Girls, it's nearly 100 degrees here in the A-T-L.

Ugh

2010-07-23T09:33:00.002-04:00

I asked Jeff to make my picture before he left for work this morning. I thought I'd share it with y'all.

I know you're all wondering where I got the lovely purple sequin blouse, but I've had it so long I honestly can't remember where I got it. And yeah, I know, doesn't my hair grow out quickly? How do you like the color? It's a nice change.

But really, though, I feel like poor Barbie today. I've got a big, fat migraine headache. I don't get them too often, but when I do they are so very, very painful. I'm beginning to notice a new aura that comes before the headache. Yesterday I was so nauseous. Honestly, all week I've felt just a little out of it. I'd feel dizzy when I was working out and I normally don't. Just little things all week and I think they were leading up to this massive migraine. Don't worry, it's just a migraine. I'd know it anywhere. It's just one of the granddaddies instead of one of the babies.

I'm so hoping to feel better in time for lunch today. My aunties and my mom are having lunch with my great aunt for her birthday. I haven't seen a lot of them in several weeks and I miss them. I need to take medicine and lie down for a bit, cross my fingers and hope it passes soon. So that's what I'm gonna do.

Till next time, my sweeties, LLL.

Senior Picture Day

2010-07-22T09:53:00.004-04:00

Cam's senior picture day went off without a hitch. Except for the fact that they were running an hour and a half behind. We're having some casual pictures made in the fall when it's cooler and the leaves are changing. He wants them to be made outside. The pictures that were taken yesterday were the formal pictures. You know, the one picture that you always remember. The one that goes in your senior yearbook. The one that you show your kids and grandkids. I wanted it to be just right. Imagine that.

As y'all may know, Cam's lost 65 pounds. I know. Crazy, isn't it? Seems his stubborn personality is also a very determined one. I have no doubt that he'll be able to do anything in life that he sets his mind to. That is a very exciting thought for me. I hope he'll decide to do something wonderful.

Of course, he was always gorgeous to me, but look how he looks now. He wears a size small shirt and a 30 waist in shorts and pants. Unreal. He works out every day and watches what he eats. Right now he's following a workout diet and eating a certain amount of carbs, proteins, etc. I am so, so proud of him.

But back to the senior picture day. We got there and were waiting along with a lot of other kids and a few parents. His best friend, Drew, and his mom were also there waiting. Drew's appointment was about 30 minutes before Cam's. When it came time for Cam to have his made, they put a size 44 jacket on him. It swallowed him. Had I not been there and been insistent, they would've made his picture wearing a jacket that looked like it'd fit Frankenstein. My insistence on finding a jacket that fit seemed to embarrass Cam, but in the end they found the right size and he looked so handsome and grown. I did tear up.

After the pictures, we went school shopping. Y'all probably know what that means. Mom opens her wallet and empties it out. He has bought a lot of clothes over the summer while he's been working and paid for them himself. I took him to the Polo store and let him get several things. As most of you would do, I'm sure, I would spend my last dime on my kids. Then we went to Belk and he got a couple more things and I managed to get my shopping fix that I missed the day I went to Buford by buying myself one or two or three things.

We also had lunch. At QuikTrip. I had a taquito and he had a bag of beef jerky and a bottle of water. Nice.

I enjoyed the day with my boy and I'm so thankful that after almost 18 years of hard, hard work I can say Jeff and I have raised another fine fella.

Till next time.

Stevie B's and Super Bad

2010-07-21T09:04:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I got kind of crazy and decided I needed a Buford fix. I wanted to go to some of the stores that are at the Mall of Georgia. I had nothing in particular in mind, but for me, a little retail therapy is always the doctor's order.

Alayna was at a friend's house, so Suz just had her boys. We thought we'd go to Stevie B's for a pizza pig out. Which we did. I had pizza of every kind. I must say, though, I didn't try the macaroni and cheese pizza, but Eli did and thought it was very good.

Anyway, we THOUGHT that we'd have lunch and then the boys would want to go back home and we could resume our therapy at the mall. But alas, it was not to be. Eli had set in his mind that he needed a new toy from the Cars movie. He had seen it at Target the night before and he was looking for ways to earn the money to buy it. You'd think he was one of my kids because of the way he gets fixated on something. He just wasn't going to stop until he went to the Target. He had already earned one dollar by cleaning Suz's bathroom mirror with a Wet One. I think it streaked the mirror, but she paid him anyway. What a good mama. Then along came me and I just "loaned" him the rest of the money that he needed to buy it. We went to two Targets, a Walmart and Goodwill before we determined that retail therapy with a six-year-old and a twelve-year-old boy isn't as therapeutic as it should be. So we went home.

It wasn't long before it was time for the boys' football practice. I haven't seen football practice in a few years, so I was definitely excited. These are Eli's cleats.

Super Bad! And honey, let me tell you. He is Super Bad. I think he's going to be a superstar! He absolutely loves it and has an endless supply of energy. After practice, he wanted to run around the track. Can you see the blue dot on his cleat? Well, that's slushee. Someone was getting rich by selling a cup full of slushee for $3.

Reid also had practice at the same field, so I got to watch both of them practice. I enjoyed it very much. I wish they lived closer because I'd go more often. I used to love to watch Cam's football practice. I hardly ever missed one.

So it was a great day. I love those boys and I think they love me too. They always beg me to stay and I always hate to leave.

Today is a big day for me. Today I take Cam to have his formal senior portraits made. I have butterflies and a big lump in my throat just to type that. I CANNOT believe that he is about to be in his last year of high school. Where have the years gone? I'll take my Kleenex because I know it will be emotional for me.

Till next time.

Nature's Bounty

2010-07-19T16:51:00.002-04:00

Jeff's garden was amazing. We have had cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. One afternoon alone he picked 70 tomatoes.

Seventy tomatoes turned into 28 pints of salsa. And 14 cucumbers turned into 12 pints of pickles.

I have always admired women of older days who canned and froze their veggies so their families could enjoy them all through the year. Both my grandmothers and my mother were three of those kind of women. I remember my mama being up to her elbows cutting corn off the cob to freeze. That creamy goodness making the biggest mess.

My mind's eye sees MaMa Howell rocking in her chair on the front porch shelling beans. Sometimes she and some of my aunts and my mom would get together on a hot summer afternoon and shell beans or peas or something else from the garden. We cousins would get to play and have bologna sandwiches for lunch.

When MaMa Kimball was living, there was rarely a meal that I had at her house that didn't include some sort of field pea. She must've froze a million bags.

These women are my heroes. Especially now that I'm grown up and see how much work they put into taking care of their families, which included me. They'd pull weeds around the veggies. Then they'd have to pick them. And you couldn't pick them in shorts and a tank top. Oh, no, the bugs would eat you alive. They'd have to put on long sleeves and pants. Have you ever picked a row of butterbeans half a mile long in July or August wearing pants and long sleeves? I sure haven't.

But weeding and picking the vegetables almost seems easy compared to how much work it is to put them away. Shelling, shucking, peeling. As a little girl, I remember shelling butterbeans until the skin behind my thumb would be sore. Desperately trying to get every silk off the ears corn. My mama wouldn't allow you to leave too many on there.

Nowadays, corn comes frozen in a log. You can get a bag of butterbeans for a couple of dollars. It's pretty good, for sure. Is it as good as what grew in my daddy's garden and what my mama worked her fingers to the bone for us to eat? Heck no.

So feeling nostalgic, I guess, or crazy, more than likely, I decided to put away some of the things that Jeff grew. He pretty much had a salsa and pickle garden. Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. My nails are stained orange from the tomatoes. I won't be biting my nails for a good long while because every time my finger goes to my lips, my mouth catches on fire from the peppers. My hands smell like they've been caressed with Eau de Onion hand lotion.

But I can now include myself in the same category with my mama and my grandmothers. My heroes. And that makes A Girl Named Kelly Kelly very proud.

Till next time...

Greetings

2010-06-21T10:12:00.002-04:00

From Tybee. Man, is it H-O-T! It was so hot yesterday on the beach that I could hardly stand it. Factor in the humidity, the sticky salt water and the sand and you have a perfect recipe for misery for A Girl Named Kelly Kelly.

I love the beach and it never bothers me for it to be hot, but when it's so humid I can hardly stand it. And there was absolutely no breeze. It's gorgeous weather and I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm just saying. It was hot.

We've had one very good meal and one not so good meal. We tried out a new Mexican place and it was terrible. Jeff and I could run a restaurant better than those folks. We predict when we come back in December, they'll be gone.

Got a list of some things I want to do while we're here.

1. Rent a bike and take a ride around the island.
2. Take a long walk at night to listen to the bugs.
3. Visit Bonaventure Cemetery.
4. Walk to the pier and back.
5. Go to the movies and see Toy Story 3.
6. Try at least two more new restaurants.

So I've done no less than 10 loads of laundry already. It's okay, though, because it helps me feel organized and tidy. I just can't help myself. I don't relax well.

Okay. Well, gonna scoot. I think Jeff would like some computer time before we head out to the sandy shore.

Till next time...

Oh, and BTW, yesterday I blew my healthier eating by eating a Zero bar AND two good handfuls of Dark Chocolate (which I bought by mistake) M&M's.

The House that Built Me

2010-06-18T08:25:00.006-04:00

First things first. Happy birthday to my most precious neice. In fact, my only neice. Today she's 11 years old. A lovely young lady, with lots of spunk, plenty of kindness and loaded with beauty, inside and out. Love you, Alayna, a/k/a Nayna. I hope you have the birthday that you deserve!

Second things second. I'm participating in a party that Leigh at Bloggeritaville is hosting today. It's called The House that Built Me. I don't have any pictures, because, frankly, I'm very tired today and I have a headache and I got cat dander -- which I'm highly allergic to -- in my eye last night and it's still irritated and pouring water like a faucet. I'm just this side of miserable.

But I do want to share with my friends about the house that built A Girl Named Kelly Kelly. In all of my 44 years, I've lived in only four houses. Maybe one apartment for a short time after I was born, but I don't remember that, so I don't count it.

Four houses in my whole life. Can you tell I don't like change? The house that built me, though, was the house we moved in when I was about four or five. My dad built most of it with his own two hands. He never had a house payment. Never. Ever. He'd save and work on it a little at a time until it was finished. I think you can understand why he's my hero.

Built on Austin Road in Stockbridge, Georgia, it's a three bedroom, two bath house. Very typical of the houses built in the early '70s. All brick. Carpet, linoleum and tile cover the floors. Every piece of material that was used to build that house came from the finest materials available at the time. My dad is a believer in quality.

We had a basement, which for many years was unfinished. For my sisters and me, it was a skating rink. We'd skate for hours on the smooth concrete floor. Metal poles helped support the upstairs. We'd use those poles to practice kissing. I'm not kidding. I learned to kiss on a metal pole. And no, I did not become a pole dancer.

I shared a bedroom with my sister Crystal for years. Suz was the baby and had her own room. Then later when Suz was older, she and Crystal shared a room and I had my own room. I was a neat freak even then. I loved to clean my room. Loved it. It was never messy.

Our house had no air-conditioner until I was about 13. We had an attic fan. I loved to play with my Barbie dolls. I remember playing in my room with my Barbie dollhouse, watching Father Knows Best on my tiny little black-and-white TV, pouring sweat.

Playing and playing until my mom would call us for supper. I loved my room. Later when I was in high school, my dad finally put a phone in my room. Once, when I was talking on it way toooo long, he came in and ripped it out of the wall. Well, being my father's daughter, stubborn and determined, I figured out that if you put the red wire and the black wire and maybe a yellow one, too, together, you can get a connection. So I spent countless hours in my closet talking on the phone. Just a little static here or there from the wires coming loose. My parents were none the wiser. Oh, and BTW, that cute little girl playing with the dollhouse isn't me. My hair was much blonder and all my dresses were way cuter than hers.

Have you ever slept in a house with an attic fan in Georgia? This is how it goes. You go to sleep dry. You wake up feeling like you have been covered with dew. The fan pulls in so much humidity. But it was perfect. Absolutely perfect. I promise you that I can still hear the sound of that attic fan.

Our house had a dining room with a big wallpaper mural. Those were very popular back in the day. This one depicted a beautiful farm house with a stream. Crystal and I used to pretend that we lived in that house. We also used that big mural and pretended like we were teachers. It was our chalkboard. Of course, we had no chalk.

Like every family, I guess, the kitchen was the heart of the home. My mother cooked every weeknight. And we all sat down together at the table and ate. Ah. The kitchen table. Is there anything that screams home more than the kitchen table? As a matter of fact, I sat with my parents at their kitchen table just last night. I went for a visit and my dad insisted that I eat with them. He didn't have to twist my arm too hard because my mom had made a pile of homemade veggies.

The driveway was rough concrete. Not nice and smooth like the basement. It wasn't good for skating. It would vibrate on your feet and cause them to tickle unmercifully. But it was perfect for riding your Big Wheel. Which we rode and rode and rode.

The House that Built Me had a front porch and a back deck. The deck seemed 10 stories off the ground when I was a girl. The porch was where my dad sat every night and pondered life. He has told Ross before that he made most of his money late, late at night. Just pondering things to do and making plans to support us.

There were a couple of trees in the front yard that Crystal and I would climb. A swingset that I would swing Suz in. A swimming pool in the backyard that hours and hours of pure bliss were spent in.

The house that built me is a house that my daddy built. A house that my mama made a home. And it's a house that I will love and remember my whole life.

How 'bout you? Tell me about the house that built you. Join Leigh at Bloggeritaville and share it with the party.

Till next time when I'll write from my heaven on earth, Tybee. Live. Love. Laugh.

She Tickled the Ivory

2010-06-15T07:06:00.002-04:00

Since September, Alayna has been taking piano lessons. She has a keyboard at home that she practices her music. Sunday night she had her very first piano recital. And she indeed tickled the ivory, and when she did, the most beautiful music played.

There were two other girls performing, so it was a short recital. Sometimes that's a good thing, but these girls were playing sweet, old hymns. It was beautiful.

These two always make such a pretty picture.

And here's the lovely pianist with her certificate and the bouquet of flowers I brought her. Don't ya just love her sequined bag that she carries her music in?

I was so glad that my mom went along. She really enjoyed herself. She hasn't been getting out much lately because she's having some problems with her foot. But after the recital, we went to watch my favorite six-year-old play baseball. She sat in the shade of an umbrella and did her fair share of cheering Eli on. They won the game. They're playing in the district tournament and it's two losses and they're done. They lost last night, and I'm hoping they'll get their mo back and win tonight. I'd love for that little slugger to win a district championship!

After sweltering in the scorching heat, we went back to Suz & Jason's house to relax for a bit. The heat here is exhausting right now. It completely drains you. Eli chose Pizza Hut for supper, so that's where we went. The large pizza, any topping for $10 is a great deal, and the pizza wasn't half bad either.

Got a busy day today. I'm going to my gyno for a checkup and have lots of work to catch up on. With this heat and humidity, I'm doing my outside chores after the sun goes down some. What does that mean? It means mosquito bites. And lots of them. Maybe they got their fill of me last night and will leave me alone tonight.

Alayna's birthday is Friday, so I'll be heading up there for that. I need a helicopter, don't you agree? And on Saturday we head out to our beloved Tybee.

Oh, yeah, on Friday Leigh over at Bloggeritaville is hosting the neatest party, and I sure hope I can join. It's a House that Built Me Party. Go check out these posts and you'll want to join in too, I'm sure.

Till next time... STAY COOL!

Not a Saturday in the Park

2010-06-14T10:24:00.012-04:00

But it was hotter than the 4th of July. Way hotter.

Remember a few months ago, I blogged about these water oaks we had in the front yard. Well, we finally got the stumps removed. Jeff covered the holes and then the yard looked like this.

Jeff ordered two pallets of Bermuda sod and Ross drove to the Farmer's Market early Saturday morning and picked them up.

In 1995, Jeff and I together put out seven pallets of sod. We remember it very, very well. I don't think I've ever been as tired. Laying sod is very hard work. But that was seven pallets. This was only two.
But Jeff was also 15 years younger then. Bless that hardworking man's heart. He worked himself to exhaustion Saturday laying those two pallets of sod.

Oh, he had help.

Ross helped him out quite a bit, and I think Jeff would agree that he couldn't have done it without his help.

And when Cam got home from working at his hunting club, he also helped.

Smokey observed as if she knew there was something happening to her new favorite place to wallow. She also was sure to give it a bit of personal fertilization.

Even with the extra help, my poor hubby was whipped. It was just too much to accomplish in one day. In our nearly 23 years of wedded bliss, I've never seen him so tired. We had dinner reservations with Ronnie, Nan and a few other friends. We couldn't even make dinner. He'd get up to get ready and I'd walk back through the room and he'd be back on the bed again. I really think he had heat exhaustion. I don't know what the heat index was on Saturday, but I do know that it was HOT.

After working for several hours and just giving completely out, this is what was left from the two pallets of sod.

And this is how the yard looks now.

Not quite ready for yard of the month, but it's well on the way. Because of the way our yard slopes, getting grass to grow has been a work in progress for 15 years.

It looks a lot better and after vacation, we want to fill in the island with mulch or straw. The grass will spread and hopefully, by next summer Jeff can practice his putting on that beautiful grass.

He did recover by yesterday. It was scary for a little while. I was worried he had had a heat stroke or something. And as a matter of fact, he felt well enough to finish putting out the last little bit of the sod yesterday.

If you've ever laid sod, then you know it's hard work and you don't forget it. I don't think Jeff will be putting out any more for a while. Maybe ever.

While you're probably thinking that I was out by the pool, chillaxing with a cold drink in my hand, shouting instructions, you couldn't be further from the truth. I knew my limitations and honestly, putting out sod is a man's work. I did do their laundry afterwards though. I only had to run the clothes through the washer three times to get them even remotely clean. Jeff soaked through two shirts and two pair of shorts. It was some nasty laundry.

Back to my chillaxing. Here's a glimpse of what I did.

Pulled weeds. (No picture.)

Removed dead leaves and blooms off my flowers and cleaned the flower pots on the front porch.

Washed the rocking chairs and porch railing with bleach.

Made 458 (exaggeration, but that's what it felt like) trips up and down the basement steps.

Put my 4th of July wreath on the door, which required two of the 458 trips up and down the steps.

Cleaned out and filled up the hummingbird feeder.

Repotted some flowers that, even after repotting, look like they may still die.

Brushed enough fur off of Smokey to cover another cat.

Which then caused me to have to sweep the porch, which caused me to step in a pile of bird poop. And if you've never been privy to the smell of bird poop, consider yourself lucky. Trust me, it's one of the worst smells I've ever smelled.

I made a trip to Wal-Mart to get a new flag.

I don't like a faded flag. I feel that if I'm gonna fly one, it should always look its best; bright, proud and strong.

So yes, friends, a Saturday in the park it was not. But it was a whole bunch of stuff that needed doing and we did it. Even if it did almost kill my dear husband.

Till next time...

A Little Trip

2010-06-11T08:40:00.002-04:00

Alayna had been asking me since school has been out to come up and spend the night with her and her mom. She's wanting to get highlights in her hair. Her hair is pretty and dark, like Suz's. Suz didn't really want her to lighten it up, but Alayna knows she tugs on my heart strings and really has me quite wrapped, as do my nephews as well.

She also thinks that if I tell her mom I think she should let her have her hair lightened, bam, she'll let her. Maybe it's because I'm eight years older than Suz and used to give her her bottle. I don't know, but anyway, Alayna thinks Suz will change her mind if I approve. So part of the purpose of my visit was to convince Suz to let Alayna lighten her hair.

We bought the hair lightener last night. Ha! Alayna is smart, don't you think?

Old town Buford is really a great place with lots of small, hole in the wall restaurants. Suz and a friend had been to this place called Rico's and she went on and on about how good the food was.

It's very, very small. It's actually in an old automotive garage. Jason said his dad had some tires or something done to his car there back in the day.

Well, let me just tell ya. The food was amazing. I had a fried green tomato salad. Suz had a fried green tomato and grilled portabello mushroom sandwich. Alayna had shrimp. Their dishes came with homemade sweet potato chips.

I love fried green tomatoes, but who'd have thought to serve them alongside a salad? It was very good. Maybe the best part of the whole meal was the dessert, which I didn't even get a picture of. I think it's because as soon as the plate and bowl hit the table, we devoured them. We ordered a slice of orange cake and banana pudding made with those adorable Pepperidge Farm chessmen. Oh, my heavens. The cake was wonderful. We tried to figure out what the icing was made of. We think it was cream cheese, whipped cream and powdered sugar. The banana pudding equally yummy.

Here we are after pigging out. Looking all full and sassy.

We rented Shutter Island since I never saw it while it was at the theater. We made popcorn and dumped Milk Duds and Raisinets in the bowl. Just like at the movies. I stayed up until 1 o'clock watching that movie, which I thought was good, by the way.

Perhaps the best part of my trip was my bed partner. Sweet Eli. I love to snuggle with that sweet boy, but he's always so busy playing that it's hard to get him pinned down. But with him sleeping, I could snuggle all I wanted. It was unfortunate to me that he is equally busy when he's sleeping, as I literally slept the entire night in about a one-inch part of the bed. Oh, well, I got me some good kisses. I can sleep later I guess.

Jeff and I have picked up a cold and we both feel awful today. I can go the whole winter without a single cold, but every summer I get one and it's always bad.

Well, gotta go. I've got to help Eli look for his little ball that he throws up against the wall about 10,000 times a day.

Till next time.

Swim & Eat

2010-06-07T16:46:00.007-04:00

And celebrate birthdays. Just in the last week, we've celebrated three birthdays. Britani and Bradley's and my mom's. June is crazy full of birthdays. We get a little break in July. Then August hits and it gets crazy again. But a summer birthday is a good excuse to have a pool party, right?

What is it about boys that makes them like to wrestle in the pool? No need for expensive pool toys with boys in the pool. Look at sweet Alex's face in this picture. She looks like she'd love to get in on it with those boys.

And a birthday is a dang good excuse to have cake and ice cream. Or a cake that is made with cake AND ice cream all in one. That's what we had at Britani and Bradley's 17th b'day party.

Suz made The World's Best Coconut Cake for my mom's party at my house Sunday night. It was the kind of cake that after your first piece, you have a second claiming the first piece was so small. The second leads to a third. Have you ever had cake like that? And honestly, is there anything prettier than a snow white coconut cake?

Except maybe the smile on my 64-year-old mom, my kids' Mimi's face. This picture shows my pretty Auntie Brenda in the background. Not sure what tale Eli was telling Mimi, but from the looks on their faces, it was pretty amazing. It was a great party and will be a new tradition at my house.

And then there were the kids. There were 11 of them here. I still count Ross and his friends as kids. Hey, if you're 23 years younger than me, you're still a kid.

The big kids throw the little kids. Eli's the only one small enough for them to throw more than a time or two and honey, he'll wear them out. I love this picture because you can see the excitement on Eli's face before he hits the water. I love it, too, because it shows my dad and my Auntie Theresa having a chat. Now, there's a bond for ya.

We're a family of Georgia Bulldogs. We have a scattering of Tech Yellow Jackets in the mix, but for the most part, we're Georgia Dawgs. And when you're a Georgia fan you CAN'T STAND THE FLORIDA GATORS! Except Ethan. He's a gator fan. The irony of this picture is that the alligator's tail had a hole in it. But it had enough air to hold up a gator lover.

I realize I never posted any pictures of our Panama City trip with Ronnie and Nan. I posted a couple on Facebook, but I didn't post any here.

These are a few of my favorites. This is Ronnie and Nan at Pineapple Willy's the first day we got there.

Jeff and me on the balcony at sunset. Only God could creat the colors in the sunset. There are no crayons in the box to match those colors.

This is the pool at The Shores of Panama where we stayed. It was seriously the prettiest pool I've ever seen. And at night with the lights, it was even more beautiful.

We had our best meal of the trip at Captain Anderson's.

If you've been to Panama City before, you've probably been there. They have amazing seafood. When we were little girls and would take our beach vacation to Panama City, my dad would take us there. We'd go early to watch the fishermen unload their catches of the day. I have many good memories of my girlhood vacations in Panama City.

The weather and the water were just beautiful the entire time we were there. A couple of days the water was as calm as a lake.

And one day the waves were crashing in and we had so much fun playing on the shore, just like little kids. I thought I'd have to get my Mickey Mouse pressure washer to out to get the sand out of my bathing suit bottoms! If only we had had a movie of that. I'm pretty sure we'd win Funny Home Videos. Two 44-year-old women getting bounced around like a beach ball in the water. It was hilarious.

Since we had no camera that day, I'll just share this picture with ya.

We saw dozens of stingrays. They were swimming in schools. Not bothering anyone, just swimming along.

And we could see dolphins playing just out of reach of the swimmers. There was no seaweed in the water and the sand was truly like sugar. It was Panama City Beach at its finest.

Now I'm worried about this coming along and messing up everything. Not only am I worried for all of the sea life who make the Gulf of Mexico their home, but also for all of the people who depend on tourists for their livelihood. From the images and news about the oil spill, we need a miracle.

Without a miracle, some little girl somewhere might not get to make her beach trip to Panama City with her parents and sisters. She won't get to float in that clear aqua water. Or build sandcastles in that blindingly white sand. Or have dinner at Captain Anderson's or Angelo's.

Yes, indeed, a miracle is just what we need.

Till next time...

Melancholy

2010-05-25T08:02:00.002-04:00

Today's post has no pictures. I'm not feeling very colorful today. Except for blue. I'm feeling a little blue. My mind and heart are flooded -- seriously flooded -- with memories. The flooding causes my eyes to overflow with tears.

I am blessed way more than I deserve. But yet I feel blue. Everyone around me is so busy getting ready for the last day of school. There have been field days, awards ceremonies, end-of-the-year parties and the like. And I am doing none of these things that used to fill my schedule this time of year.

I was the room mom for Ross and Cam every single year of their elementary school days. When they were in elementary together, I was room mom for two classes. And I did it without batting an eye. Jeff always helped me. We were a good team. Getting ready for parties, field days, so many things.

On the last day of school, I would have prepared for two parties. I always spent more than I should have and did way more than was necessary. I would get to the school and there would never be any place to park. Moms just like me filling up all the empty spaces. I would carry as much as I could from the car to the school, always having to make multiple trips. And in Georgia in May, it is h-o-t. I'd get in the classroom pouring sweat and breathless. I'd set up for one party, then head to the other classroom to set up for it. Back and forth I'd go, not wanting to miss a minute of either one. Thankfully, the boys were in elementary school together a few years. I would come home at the end of the day pooped.

There is definitely a feeling in the air at the end of the school year. Out with the old and in with the new. Celebrating all the things accomplished in the past 180 school days. Looking forward to summertime, no homework, no set time to get in bed or to get out of it.

For me now, the last week of school involves signing a paper for Cam to check out after his exams. That's it. That's all. No parties. No games. No cheap goodies stuffed in goodie bags. No piles of snacks and drinks all over my dining room table waiting to go to the school.

I like the freedom that comes with having older kids, but I sure miss the old days. I don't know if I have very many readers with children in elementary school. If I do, I tell you this. Enjoy. It's busy. It's crazy. You're probably exhausted. But savor each and every second. This summer I'll be having my baby's senior pictures made. And I can truly say that I don't know where the time has gone.

Till next time...

All Over the Place

2010-05-19T09:25:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was a day of frustration. Tuesday night I got a notification on my phone that there was a software update available. I knew it was coming and I had heard it would be advantageous to update. Wrong.

I spent a couple of hours updating it, restoring all my contact info and other stuff after it got misplaced in the update. Cell phones are so nerve wracking for me. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with mine. Anyway, I'm not a night person at all and after having my brain on such high alert for so long Tuesday night, I had one of the worst cases of insomnia I've ever had.

Then I had to get up and be downtown at 10 o'clock for a job. I've seen the Equitable Building downtown probably my whole life. But I COULD NOT GET THERE YESTERDAY. It was elusive for me. I had my GPS and I printed directions off of Google. But that big building seemed to have disappeared. To top everything off, my phone, apparently still reeling from the effects of the upgrade, kept freezing, so I could call no one and no one could call me. When I finally got parked and into that building I was so relieved. The view from The Equitable Building is beautiful. And I wanted to make a picture because from the room I was in you could see The Capitol's gold dome and Turner Field. It was really pretty. But guess what? The camera on my phone froze. Yet another result of the upgrade.

On my way home, I stopped by Verizon because I was sure I must've done something wrong. They kept my phone for 45 minutes and when I came back they said it's just gonna take a few days for them to get all the "bugs" out of the upgrade. I may thrown mine out the window before then.

Sunday night we had supper at my house. Everyone was here. The kids swam for the first time this year. Look at these handsome cousins and friends. Love those boys so much.

And here they are doing what they do. Every one of them had scratches and red places on them from wrestling.

Last night was Cam's FFA Banquet. This was his last year in FFA because he's not taking any more AG Science classes. I was SOOOO proud of him because he had quite a few speaking roles. If you knew Cam when he was a little boy, and even still, he's pretty shy. But honey, he did so well. I think he would make an excellent public speaker. Didn't seem at all nervous.

He gave the invocation before we were served the best meal I've had in a while.

Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, mac cheese and rolls. And some kind of really sweet, really good chocolate dessert. And I ate it all.

I guess the teacher or one of the students made a scrapbook of their year in FFA. Each officer had a page in it with a few pictures and a little bit about theirselves.

Ross was such a good big brother last night. He even went to the banquet to see Cam speak.

The loves of my life. Aren't they cute?

So. Tomorrow morning I'm off to Florida. I'm excited and need a vacation badly. This will be my view Friday morning when I have my coffee.

Does this look like paradise or what?

So much to do today, so little desire to do it. Hopefully, this mini vacay will give me some much-needed rejuvenation.

Till next time...

Mindless Television

2010-05-13T15:04:00.004-04:00

Lots of nights before I go to sleep, I'll get in bed and just start flipping the channels on the remote. Not really looking for anything special to watch and not wanting to watch anything too heavy. Lately, I don't watch the news before I go to sleep. Mainly because if I do, I won't be able to go sleep. The news makes me anxious. Hmm. I wonder why.

So while I was watching what I affectionately refer to as "mindless television", I thought I'd share some of the shows that I came across.

This is one that I never watched when the series was originally on.
Emergency

So I started watching a little bit of it and I thought it was hilarious. It was so very different from the medical/hospital scenario shows of today. All the nurses wore white. They all wore their white nurses' hats. Personally, I love that look. When I was growing up and wanted to be a nurse, I couldn't wait to wear one of those hats. Do you remember the nurse kits that had the hard plastic case? They always had a little nurse hat in it.

Anyway, one of the story lines of the show was about this little boy who was taken to the hospital with asthma. And I'm not making light of asthma at all. I have a lot of family that suffers terribly with it. I just found it amusing that asthma made the story line in those days on a hit TV show. Nowadays, to make a story line on a popular medical drama, such as House, you have to be bleeding out of your eyeballs or something like that. I guess that's just further proof of how the times have changed. Enough of the poor acting. Flip the station.

And then there was this one.

Can you even imagine a show like the A-Team being popular today? I only watched it for a few minutes and in that few minutes, I must've seen three car stunts. Very realistic. Not. Flip again.

The next flip brought me to the History Channel. We love the History Channel. Do y 'all ever watch Pawn Stars on that station? What about American Pickers? Very, very good mindless television.

Last night, though, they were playing a documentary entitled Sex in the Civil War. Seriously. I really want to know why we need to know about sex in the Civil War. And worst of all, why would we WANT to know about sex in the Civil War. And even more so, WHO WOULD WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SEX IN THE CIVIL WAR? The narrator said that there are over 50,000 books written on the Civil War and only ONE about sex in the Civil War. Duh. I wonder why!!!! Flip again.

Next up came the Style Network. Now, why in the world would they play a show called Tacky House on the Style Network? Someone enlighten me, please

I did manage to learn something through my channel surfing. I've often heard the term Blue Dog Democrat.

I'm ashamed to say that I never had a clue what it was. I think I was watching Neal Cavuto interviewing someone on some economic issue. Underneath the person's face, they had his name and underneath their name it said Blue Dog Democrat. I thought it must be something kinda important, so I looked it up. Whatever. Flip again.

Food Network. Ahh. I love Food Network. Just not at night and especially when I'm on a diet. Bobby Flay was having a throwdown with someone and they were making cakes. Heavens to Betsy, what was I doing watching that?

By this time the mindless television is dulling my brain into a drowsy state. But I think I can stay awake for one more flip. What do I come to? A show called Worst Case Scenarios. Now that makes a great show for someone to watch before they go to sleep. Imagine the horrible thoughts you'd go to sleep with. Flip again.

This time flip it off.

There is a reason it's called Mindless Television. Do y'all ever watch it? What's your favorite mindless TV show or station?

Till next time. LLL.

Mr. Bubble and Me

2010-05-11T22:35:00.003-04:00

I have a new man in my life. He's always so bubbly and wears my favorite color, pink. He makes my bathtime so enjoyable. His bubbly personality doesn't vanish after a few minutes. And he loves to be in hot water.

Sounds like a great guy, huh? Well, let me introduce you.

Loving to take bubble baths, I have tried lots and lots and lots of bubble products. I have bought some luxury ones and some that are .99 for a gallon at Wal-Mart. NONE I have tried works as well as Mr. Bubble. Who'd have thought?

I'm a sucker for packaging and an even bigger sucker for packaging in pink. The pink bottle drew my eye to Mr. Bubble. I thought that since it's been around for years and it's kind and gentle to children, why not little ol' me.

What an awesome surprise it was. You don't have to pour half the bottle to get more than enough bubbles in your bath. If you enjoy a nice bubble bath, give it a try. Word of warning, though, you'll want to lotion up well when you're done. I guess little kids' skin doesn't get as dry as a shriveled-up 44-year-old-woman's does.

The weather here has been kinda -- well, let's just say gray. I know it's a lot worse it other parts of the country. Tornadoes here. Frost on the ground there. Makes me happy I'm living in Georgia. It's supposed to be sunny and in the '80s tomorrow. That'll be nice for sure.

Ethan is the only one that has been swimming in our pool this year. He got in earlier than anyone ever has. It was sometime early April when he took a quick dip. We need several sunny, warm days in a row to get it nice and warm for me. I'm patiently waiting.

We're beaching it next Thursday. We're taking a trip to Panama City Beach with Ronnie and Nan for a nice, long weekend. Remember last year when we went the monsoon rains came. I sure hope we'll get sun this time around. But y'all know I'm the Trip Jinx.

Well, guess that's it for my Tuesday. I hear someone calling. Oh, hold on, Mr. Bubbles, I'll be right there.

Till next time.