From the Heart

Win a Cruise or $1000.00!

2008-08-28T21:30:00.004-04:00

Wow! I know I have been absent for a while. Summer has been busy and I have been soaking up some sun.
But I had to pop in to post about this fantastic give away over at metropolitanmama.net
Please be sure to say I sent you if this is where you hear about it. It is one of the entry rules and plus it makes me feel important. :0)
Good luck but please take me if you win!

WFMW-Saving/Recycling FREE Water

2008-03-26T13:14:00.004-04:00

We live in a split level home with the den/family room, laundry room, guest suite, utility room, and an extra bathroom downstairs. There are no windows.
No matter what season or temperature, the lower level always feels "chilled". It is not damp but it feels clammy.
We started running a low level dehumidifier on a 6 hour on/off cycle. It is a 50 pint model and the tank fills about every other day. It shuts off when the reservoir is full.
I use this "free" water for household chores and watering plants. It is just moisture drawn from the air and it is wasteful to pour it out. My home feels more comfortable and I get gallons of "free" water every other day!
While we do not live in an area as severely affected by water shortage as some parts of the country, it is still an effective way to control our household environment and conserve water in one fell swoop.
Be sure to go see lots more nifty tips at Shannon's!

"Day late, dollar short....."

2008-03-25T19:53:00.001-04:00

I live in a bubble - apparently.

I seem to find out about stuff up here the day after or later.

I passed up a chance to be an extra in the film in Huntington, W Va, "We Are Marshall", starring my fav, Matthew MacCaunaghey, because it was sleeting. Yeah, I kicked myself.

Also, (don't poke fun) Billy Ray Cyrus dropped by his hometown to give a concert. I missed getting tickets...by one day.

Naomi Judd was the hostess for her mom's Christmas Tour of Homes here this year. I forgot which night it was.

Last night, George Clooney and Renee' Zellweger were in Maysville, KY, about 20 miles from here and where I buy furniture, for the premiere of his new movie, "Leatherheads". He and his aunt, Rosemary Clooney are from there.
I found out today.

But I DO know that Pres. Bill Clinton will be in Chesapeake, W VA, tomorrow, about 10-12 miles from here. He would remember me, especially if I wear my Razorback shirt.

Am I going?
Eh, why break my stellar record? :-\

Ah, Skybus!

2008-03-24T18:58:00.001-04:00

I love you....I hate you.

The good news is we enjoyed our $20.00 airfares to San Francisco last month. You were cramped and rude but efficient.

So, we have you planned for our trip to New York and Canada next month. I am ready. I kept in mind the best and worst you have to offer and I have my suitcase and carry on set aside so I can be a good customer. I add to them and take away so I can stay within your guidelines and still have enough essentials to be warm and comfortable.

And then you cancel the route to New York...along with our $10.00 fares.

Ah Skybus, I loathe you!

The only redeeming factor is that we can actually drive to New York (468 miles) in almost the same time it would take us to drive to Columbus, Ohio, wait, and then fly and rent a car.

We are STILL going to see Niagara Falls and Toronto - except I will be able to take as many clothes as I want, I will be able to eat and drink on the trip, and I won't have to hide from the rude flight attendants if I decide to snack on some crackers.

Skybus.....you get what you pay for.

(Oh yeah. I also get to take Blue Pillow this time.
Blue Pillow is my little soft, squishy pillow that I have slept with for years and the trip to Calif. was one of the few times it had to stay home. It WILL go to New York!)

P.S. I WILL get the last post from SF up soon. I have to or else I am going to be looking at the Niagara recap as well!

The Jelly Bean Prayer

2008-03-23T11:08:00.003-04:00

RED IS FOR THE BLOOD HE GAVE.

GREEN IS FOR THE GRASS HE MADE.

YELLOW IS FOR THE SUN SO BRIGHT.

ORANGE IS FOR THE EDGE OF NIGHT.

BLACK IS FOR THE SINS WE MADE.

WHITE IS FOR THE GRACE HE GAVE.

PURPLE IS FOR HIS HOUR OF SORROW.

PINK IS FOR OUR NEW TOMORROW.

A BAG FULL OF JELLY BEANS
COLORFUL AND SWEET,

IS A PRAYER, IS A PROMISE,
IS A SPECIAL TREAT

MAY THE JOY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION
FILL YOUR HEART AND BLESS YOUR LIFE.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Happy, Blessed Easter to All!

San Francisco - Fourth And Final Day, Part One

2008-03-17T10:03:00.005-04:00

If you have been following along our little trip, I apologize for the delay.
Life, work, dental appointments....all have a way of disrupting blogging intentions. ;0)
(Remember, you can click on pictures to enlarge - but please, NO borrowing!)

Aww, our last day was kind of sad.
We had such a good trip, enjoyed our time together so much, and saw so many interesting sights...I really hated to leave.
But we still had things to do and places to see so we started our morning as all others - up bright and early, breakfast downstairs, a recap of the day's agenda, and a brisk morning walk down to Fisherman's Wharf.
I loved the brisk, cool, salt-tinged air!

We had decided to go to Alcatraz Island first so we would plenty of time to explore. We headed to the dock to catch the ferry boat.

We slipped in right at the gate closing!
Whew!
We almost missed the boat! ;0)

We took a lot of pictures from around and inside the prison.

We used the audio MP3 tours and it was very interesting to hear the history of the prison, its inmates, and colorful tales.

I found it rather depressing and intimidating but fascinating at the same time.
The recurrent theme was that NO ONE had ever escaped from Alcatraz alive.
However, when listening to the story of the three inmates who escaped by digging out with spoons and leaving papier mache' heads on their cots as decoys, I noticed a sign posted in one of the cells. It states that items contained within were used as props in the "Most Wanted" television series and that the "three men were still considered to be fugitives".
So!

They DID escape, or at least made it off the island.
It's hard to believe anyone could survive that choppy, freezing cold water and swim over a mile to land.
But who knows for sure?

The Feller and I had a long conversation about the possibilities and "what ifs".
It was a very intriguing place to visit and strangely beautiful. I found myself needing to take deep cleansing breaths as we pulled away, back to "freedom".
(Being confined is a huge phobia of mine.) ;0)

Okay, pretty flowers to make me think of something less scary! ;0)

It was a bit early in the year for the gardens but Alcatraz is said to have beautiful flower gardens. Maybe next time....

Then,it was back on the boat and ferried back to SF.

We had both worked up an appetite and it was now or never to get my crab!
We headed to the Wharf and selected a vendor and ordered a yummy Dunganess crab.
He promptly dropped in a huge vat of boiling water
(for about 45 seconds max!),
then he swiftly cracked the crab so I could pick the sweet flesh out more easily.
Oh, I could barely wait to dig in!

Could I have looked any more goofy?!

Ummmmmm!

He got the chowder in the sour dough bread bowl again.
Next time, we have decided he should just get a big bowl
of soup with bread on the side.
There is not enough chowder in the bowl....but it sure is tasty!
We found a little patio with public seating and ate our lunch there.
We had eaten there before and knew to expect visitors.
And yes, I always save a crumb for those pesky gulls and pigeons!

After our little appetizers, we decided to walk about the Wharf some more. We only had a few more hours and we still had things to see and do.
We decided to take our Boudin Bakery tour but they were having a private event so we settled on some pictures and I bought a French loaf of sour dough bread for the trip home.

Back later with the wrap up our day.

San Francisco - Day Three, Part Two

2008-03-09T22:49:00.032-04:00

It has taken me a while to continue as I have been working and blogger has been difficult. It will only let me upload one picture at a time. That takes forever!

After we left the Legion of Honor, we hopped a bus back to Fisherman's Wharf. We got off around Pier 33 and decided to ride a trolley car.
We found a stop and decided which one to get on. I kept telling the Feller I wanted "an old, original one". :0)

The one we hopped on was old, but not what I meant. And it was funny...it only took us up the street a block or two. We finally made it downtown on Market Street and got off in the Financial District where we had started the first day.

We found the trolley car turn-around and Feller was amused by the way they have to physically turn the cars around and point them back down the hill. We had found the "old" cars and I was excited to get to ride one. This was "San Francisco" and I was tickled.

Here I am, Miss Eager Beaver, at the front of the line. Couldn't wait to hop on!

Our driver was so funny and entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised how open and engaging and friendly our encounters were in California. The folks reminded me a lot of southern people. It made for such a fun trip.

I was leaning out on the running boards to get a better shot of the hills.

Wheeee! And it was about here that I sang the old Rice-A-Roni jingle....just a little....as I had promised him I would. ;-)

It was time for some more walking. We headed back toward Lombard Street. After stopping into a corner coffee shop for one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had, I was ready to tackle the steep climb up America's crookedest street! (Oh, my aching feet!)

(Just a cute flower cart that caught my eye. It reminded me of the lovely old florist carts in France.)

Look at the SLOPE of this street!

That is Coit Tower in the background.

After taking a few pictures and watching the traffic navigate that really steep hill, we had to walk back DOWN that hill. Wow.

We walked back down toward Little Italy. The irony of this teeny tiny apartment next to a nice hotel, above a cleaners, with LAUNDRY hanging out....just made me laugh.

We hopped a bus, rode down to Fisherman's Wharf and decided to partake of an early dinner once more. We both like Nonna Rose so much, it was easy to make that choice.
I looked forward to sitting down as my feet and legs were REALLY beginning to hurt and make me miserable. Maybe I will learn not to overdo it some day...but not likely.

Ummmm, clam chowder, sour dough bread, bruschetta, (pronounced [brusˈket:a]) - tasty appetizers.

(Just a note: My daughter is hostess for an Italian restaurant in the Virginia Highlands. She made brushcetta for me last summer and taught me how to make it. I have to say, hers is better than Nonna Rose's!)

Yummy shrimp salad again.

The Feller got this dish:
Sautéed Shrimp & Scallop and Salmon, Roasted Garlic, Tomato, Mushrooms with Rice

Yummmmm!

And I got this:
Sautéed Shrimp & Scallop, Roasted Garlic, Tomato, Mushrooms with Rice

Ah, another end to another fun day. Tired as I was, we had a wonderful time and were ready to rest and retire.
It was another full day - the Legion of Honor Museum, Pier 33, Market Street, trolley car ride, walking UP and DOWN Lombard Street, dinner. The Feller took it easy on me this day and I appreciated him taking care of me. *Thanks, Love!*

We snapped a few pictures on our dusk dark stroll back to the hotel. San Francisco is a beautiful, friendly city with SO much to see and do. I felt sad that we only had one day left. There was still so much I wanted to see and do!
Here are just a few "neighborhood" shots:

Look who we saw again? The Feller's pals! ;0)

See ya' later, Boys!

You see that sign in the store window behind the sea lion? Maybe I should have checked that out!

Our last day is coming soon.....

San Francisco - Day Three, Part One

2008-03-07T07:46:00.027-05:00

I am back again to try to wrap up this trip post. It is for my record as much as for sharing so please bear with me. ;0)

After the exhausting day that day two turned out to be, I wasn't sure I would be up for a lot of walking. My poor feet and legs were really paying the price for all the walking the day before but I am one determined vacationer. I don't believe in wasting a minute of it so I put on my happy face, popped a couple ibuprofen, applied bandaids, and told myself the burning pain along my shins and the huge water blisters on the INSIDE of both pinky toes would be better once I got on my feet and got going. (It ALMOST worked.)

Here we go...first stop was breakfast downstairs (free food always tastes better, huh?)

This is my "happy face" as we wait for the elevator. Do I look like I was in exhausting pain from the waist down? Hehehe. (I was.)

We decided our first stop would be the Legion of Honor museum. We hopped a bus but it was the wrong one. We had the funniest bus driver. She did not miss a thing her passengers said or did and after realizing where we were headed, she asked why we had not taken the bus in front of her, the Limited? It makes limited stops (hence the name) and would have taken us almost all the way to the museum. J. told her he wasn't sure if it was the right one. I asked him if we should get off and take the next one. I was facing him, talking under my breath and she HEARD me...she told me she would get us there by the time we could catch a different bus. LOL, she was sharp, I tell you, and oh so funny!
I just wanted to SIT. The least amount of walking, the better. (What was I thinking? Wait till you see WHERE we walked that day!)

Here is the hill over looking the city where the museum is located. It is beautiful there, very quiet and an oasis in a bustling, energetic city.

We wandered around outside for a bit before we entered. I loved these old trees.

Look at this view!

This was a disturbing display outside. Holocaust depictions always make my heart hurt....as they should.

This is the entry arch at the front of the museum. It reminds me of the Arch de Triomphe and the small glass pyramid in the plaza looks like the Louvre, of course. I think it made both J. and me nostalgic for Paris. *sigh*

Rodin's Thinker looks like the one we saw in his museum garden in Paris. We were confused...are there TWO? After looking it up, I realize there are at least twenty casts of it in assorted museums. However, we will always claim the one at Musee' Rodin to be "The One". ;0)

After entering the museum and stopping by coat check, we went into the china and porcelain display room. There, we met a delightful volunteer who invited us into the storage room where the museum stores pieces awaiting display. He was quite informative and is also the curator for another museum. He gave us an in-depth history of soft paste and hard paste porcelains with the Asian influence and English reproductions. He knew SO much! It was a nice learning experience and I loved seeing the exquisite pieces.

This one was a bit disconcerting. Who would really want a rat (or dormouse) on their dining table? (Not me!) This one was from the 1700s, done in hard paste porcelain.

The fruit and vegetable pieces were so pretty and looked like something I would buy for my table today....but these were from the 17th and 18th century!

We moved on to the other halls and saw Rodin's Kiss. Again, we saw this one in marble in his museum in Paris. I think it is prettier in marble as opposed to bronze.

Our favorites will always be Monet's. I also love Renoir and Van Gogh among others. This museum had nice displays but we were a bit disappointed at the Monet exhibit. We wanted a bit more. :0)

We made a hurried walk through the rest of the displays.

This Salvador Dali was interesting....

....as was this Picasso.

This is not an overly large museum so we were quite efficient. (and we've had LOTS of museum experience ;0) ) We had lots more to do that day.

Check back for the end to another full day of sight seeing in lovely San Francisco.

San Francisco - Day Two

2008-03-05T21:47:00.021-05:00

We had crashed really early the night before so were up bright and early for breakfast downstairs, compliments of the hotel.
This was the view from our room...

We then struck out for a brisk walk to the wharf. Along the way, we snapped a few pictures of this little corner park with great old gnarly trees. I love old gnarly trees...there are several pics of them on this trip. :0)

We made our way to the waterfront and saw several of these pretty flower gardens. These were a treat to me since we are still in the grips of barren winter weather here.

More sightseeing and views of the cityscape, harbor and bay:

We wandered over to Pier 39 and watched the silly sea lions. We were told the males migrated into the harbor after the 1989 earthquake and just sort of homesteaded it. They are free to leave but it seems they prefer lolling about the boys' club, arguing, eating, sleeping and scratching various body parts. Typical males. ;0)

I LOVE those crabs! (even the foofed up ones!)

Cable car...a fake one. The real deal came later.

We wandered by Boudin Bakery. Man, oh man! They vent the ovens to the sidewalk so the air is filled with the aroma of fresh baked sour dough bread! TORTURE!
We did go back the last day for a tour of the bakery but it was closed for a private event. Oh well, I did buy a French loaf to bring home and it was a tasty snack on the airplane flight home. ;0)

Next, we went to the Aquarium of the Bay. It is a neat aquarium with different levels and one of the levels is a tunnel you walk through which is a pathway through a giant aquarium. Very neat to walk underneath the large native water life. We saw sharks, starfish, assorted fishes, stingrays, and some stuff I had never seen before. Very cool!

I always think stingrays look like they are smiling. They make me happy.

I got to touch one in the "touch pools". Soooo soft!

I also got to touch a shark. He didn't even move. (I also need to look at this picture every time I think about eating more chowder or sour dough bread!) Yikes!!

After the aquarium, we moved onto a Bay Cruise. It was briskly cold and I was thankful I had brought my coat. But the views were awesome and we enjoyed our voyage from the top level of the boat. We got to see Alcatraz, Angel Island, the Bay Bridge, and the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a nice, relaxing trip with colorful narratives provided.

Are you tired yet? 'Cause we aren't done yet. Oh no! The best is yet to come! (We cram a LOT into a day!)
After the cruise, we scooted back to the hotel for a quick freshen up and headed back out to catch the Muni across town. We were going to the Golden Gate Bridge!
But, before we started out, I had to stop and get some snuzzle love from "Refrigerator". He was such a sweet old horse, even if he bit my hand a little, looking for a snack. The Feller waited on me since he knows how much I look for a pet snuggle anywhere we go. I couldn't touch the velvet snouts of the sea lions so that big ol' horse filled in.

After a long bus ride, we got to the GGB. What a beautiful structure! I equate its popularity with the Eiffel Tower. And now I can say I have been on both.
We started out and planned to walk across it. About halfway, I wasn't so sure I would make it. I did not want to disappoint the Feller but he offered to turn back. I just couldn't stand it and kept saying, "Just a bit farther". Well, we walked all the way across! It is about 4,200 feet long. And then we walked back across. I rubbed blisters on both little toes and my legs and feet were screaming...but I made it!
Mercy me, I made it! It was beginning to get dusk dark when we completed our journey and the bus was a welcome sight! I knew I would get to sit down for a while.

Here are a few pictures made from our trek across and back:

When we left the GGB, we rode down to Chinatown. More walking! And I was starving by then. However, along the way, we passed several lovely antique stores. I just couldn't resist taking a few pics of some of the treasures on display. Magnificent!
I would have loved to browse and shop, but *sigh*, I was exhausted and hungry!

Just a note...all of those horses are carved from jade and it was one piece! I have no idea the cost, but it was amazing!

One last shot...we ate at P & G, a really nice Chinese restaurant. I didn't get any pictures of the meal.
I can barely remember eating it.

And yeah, we went straight back to the hotel and crashed.

Day Three is next. I had actually survived Day Two.

San Francisco - Day One

2008-03-05T07:02:00.026-05:00

Whew! It is amazing how long it takes to recover from a trip. I have been trying for the past week to post a bit about our trip to San Francisco. Well, here it is, at least part one.

We had a WONDERFUL time! It was short - only 3 1/2 days total fun time (we arrived Monday and left Friday), but we sure packed a lot in. It was a much needed winter break and the time spent with the Feller was so good and we enjoyed our time together so much. We still have a few more months of him working out of state. It makes our time together now so much more precious. (Thanks for a wonderful trip, Sweetie!)

Here is what we left - Columbus, Ohio: (Click pictures to enlarge)

Once the clouds cleared, I saw the Rockies. Yes, they brought tears to my eyes. I am always moved by the beauty and majesty of our lovely world and stand amazed at what God created. How can you see this and not feel wonder at such power and strength?

Can anyone tell me what this might be - there in the middle of the picture? This was near or just before the Great Basin. As you can see, the terrain was mountainous. But look closely...there is a perfect square outlined, even with a mountain rise in it. We couldn't figure out what it was or how it was created. The gentleman sitting in front of me had entertained me the whole flight with his Garman GPS unit, telling me where we were, how fast we were flying, how high we were, etc. Even he was stumped at this odd vision.

San Francisco is beautiful! And oh my word, we had PERFECT WEATHER! Not a single rain drop the whole week, rather mild temperatures, hardly a cloud to be seen, and gentle winds. PERFECT! We could not have ordered better conditions!

We had a room just a block or so from Fisherman's Wharf and took a hike there as soon as we left the airport and had traversed the BART train, the MUNI bus, and a bit of walking (a lot of walking, actually. We didn't quite have our public transport map figured out) :)

This is my cheesy self just after arriving in California for the very first time. The wind on the train station platform was making me have some cute hair, huh?

We made a fast trip down to the wharf as soon as we checked in and unpacked.

Look at this Dungeness crab! Oh my...I love crab and my mouth watered at the sight of these in open air kiosks. I actually didn't even get one until our last day there.

We grabbed a Boudin sour dough bread bowl with clam chowder and sat under the Fisherman's Wharf sign and shared it. So good after a long day of traveling! I could eat that chowder every day of the week! (But my hips would suffer for it!)

This fellow enjoyed a bit of Boudin bread too. We watched him for a while. He had a dilemma...his bread was too large and tough to eat easily and too many of his buddies wanted in on his picnic. He just raced around with it in his mouth, trying to keep all the other gulls and pigeons from stealing it. Not sure how he finally managed but I could hear the "Finding Nemo" seagulls in my head chanting, "Mine! Mine! Mine!". :-) {Naturally it caused me to go into a silly mimic session of them, much to the delight of Feller.} ;-) ;-)

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering along the waterfront, poking into interesting corners, taking pictures, enjoying the sites, and planning our tentative agenda. Both of us were rather tired from getting up at 4 a.m., driving and flying all day, a bit of continental jet lag, and then settling in so we decided to grab an early dinner. Alioto's was having half price dinners in honor of their anniversary so our choice was made...Alioto's "Nonna Rose" was our pick.
"The History of Nonna Rose:
1933 turned out to be a hard year for Rose Alioto. After losing her young husband Nunzio, she was left with a family to provide for and a modest wholesale fish business to run. She became the first woman to own a business on Fisherman's Wharf. With Nonna Rose (as she later became known) at the helm, their unpretentious fish stall saw many changes over the years. Now, the Alioto's boast one of the country's most well know successful destination dining establishments.
Grandson's Joe and Nunzio Alioto, initiated this newest undertaking with their Nonna's highest standards and loving memory in mind. This continues their finest family traditions with 16 family members operating and maintaining the highest standards that would make their Nonna Rose proud. Enjoy the finest seafood and service that this region has to offer with years of tradition brought to your table."

Yum, yum, and more yum!!

My delicious shrimp salad:

A nice glass of white zin - loved the little fish on the glass:

All bibbed and ready to dig in!

A WHOLE steamed Maine lobster with drawn butter! *mouth waters*

The Feller's scrumptious bowl of Nonna's Famous Crab Cioppino,(their specialty and the inventor of this world famous dish) shellfish stew, with crabs, clams, mussels and shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce - the best I have ever tasted.
He added my rice to it after he ate the shellfish and it made for a nice thick soup sort of dish...perfect after a long, tiring day.

Dusk and the end of a great first day. This is a view walking back to our hotel, to rest and prepare for a vigorous next day!

Thanks for coming along for our first day.

More to follow!

A few Easter Goodies and So Long for Now

2008-02-23T17:29:00.005-05:00

I am going to leave my heart in San Francisco....at least for a little while. The Feller and I are heading out pre-dawn Monday morning and flying to the Bay area for the week. The house/pet sitter is all lined up, bags packed, plans made, and I.Am.Ready!

What a long, lonely, cold winter this has been for me! To have these few days with my Sweetie will be so wonderful! We are going to walk the hills of the city, ride the famed Cable Cars (I promised him I was going to sing the Rice-A-Roni song and he can't wait) *snort*, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, dine on Dunganess crabs at Fisherman's Wharf, explore Chinatown and have Dim Sum, wander and buy chocolates at Ghirardelli Village, shop for silver jewelry at the Silver village, be amazed at the Legion of Honor Museum (can't wait!), poke around Alcatraz, and take a ferry ride across the Bay. We have a lot planned for a week visit and it will be wonderful!

Before I go, I wanted to share some scanned antique postcards from the early 1900s to celebrate the upcoming Easter season. Please feel free to right click and save for your own use. I MAY list these on ebay, not sure. (Click to enlarge, save to your computer)

I have so many vintage cards and I have a hard time letting them go. (And yes, I will continue to post "new" vintage treasures on ebay even though the new policies make it harder to be a successful seller. I do not approach work and commitments half heartedly so I am going to keep plugging away, at least for now.)

So, until I get back, have a wonderful week. I will post some travel pics as soon as I can. I am hoping to take lots and lots of pictures if we have decent weather. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

~Happy Valentine's Day!~

2008-02-14T09:18:00.004-05:00

Hope you have a wonderful, sweet day, filled with love and happiness.

Woo Hoo! Chik Fil A!!

2008-02-10T18:37:00.000-05:00

Here's the deal:

At the beginning of January, I saw an online ad about signing up for a free coupon and calendar from Chik Fil A.
I wandered over there, filled out a request for myself. It was one per address so I had one sent to my daughter as well. (She attends college out of state.) She likes their chicken biscuits and I figured a few free coupons would be a nice treat for her on the way to classes. Every little bit helps.
With this promotion, they would also send you a gift card. It is like any cash card that you can reload at various places.
So, I filled out the online form, waited a while, got my calendar with a few coupons and coupons on each month. (Cute wall calendar too).
I stuck the gift card in my wallet and forgot about it. The trick to the cards is that some of them were going to be loaded with $100.00.

My daughter just called to tell me she had received her calendar as well and guess what?
Her card has $100.00 on it! Well, woo hoo - free food! Something all college kids like...

I had never checked mine but decided to call the number on the back. I expected nada, zip, ZERO.

You guessed it.....mine has a $100.00 on it too! What's the chance?

I told my girl I should have bought a Lotto ticket that day as well.

WFMW - Incentives & Freebies

2008-02-06T14:00:00.000-05:00

My "Works For Me Wednesday" tip includes certain personal
requirements/suggestions for online shopping.
Some are shopping specific, some are in regard to incentive programs,
which link back to shopping.
And if I have confused you, welcome to my world! ;0)

1. It HAS to be a better deal than a brick and mortar store. I always buy on sale so full price online won't do it for me.

2. It has to offer added incentives such as free shipping, future savings, rebates, or other goodies. EX: I got a new pink Motorola Razr phone for $50.00. It came with a $50.00 rebate. Phone = FREE!

3. I try to go through my "My Points" group since I earn points for using MP offers. (if you want more info, shoot me an email)

4. "My Points" adds up fast and I redeem my points for restaurant cards, gift cards, etc. So, purchases actually "pay" me in the long run. I included "My Point" gift cards in my family's Christmas cards this year. All it cost me was a few minutes a day, clicking open my emails. I have been a member for years and years and have been rewarded with 100's of dollars of rewards. Very reliable and satisfying. It's like FREE MONEY!

5. Ebay - I have been a member since 1999 and am a Power Seller. I encourage ebay since it is my livelihood and also because you can find some great bargains. Like anything else, you have to do your homework, be careful, and shop smart. There are LOTS of honest, hard working sellers who want you to get the best deal at the best price. And you can shop in your pajamas....24/7.

6. Well known sites - Amazon, Best Buy, Office Depot, Circuit City, Omaha Steaks, Nu Egg,Frys, etc.
I generally have great luck with them every time I use them. Again, look for discount codes and rebates and free shipping!

7. I avoid online clothes shopping as a rule. I am picky. I like to try my stuff on, see what my backside looks like, how the fabric feels, etc. I only buy clothing online when I see something I cannot find any where else and it's something I HAVE to have. That rarely happens. :0)

8. Freecycle - Search for a group near you and become a member.
I belong to two local groups. I am able to get rid of stuff I don't want or need and I have gotten some GREAT freebies!
I got a like-new Lexmark printer/scanner/fax machine IN THE BOX, for the cost of going to pick it up.
As with all online services, do your homework and be careful.
But hey, FREE STUFF is GOOD STUFF!!
And Mother Earth thanks you.

Be sure to visit all the other great tips over at Shannon's.

~Date Cards - A Free Gift For You!~

2008-02-06T12:41:00.000-05:00

I just got my March issue of Country Living.

There was an ad for Dressbarn and they had included these sweet tear-out cards that you can use for making a date with your best friends. Oh, I love that idea!

Now, if I only had a best friend here to give one too. :0(

Anyway, I tore them out, made a scan and wanted to share them with you in case you do not get the magazine. With Valentine's Day approaching, these would be so sweet to tuck inside a gift or card for your Best Pal.

(Click to enlarge)

Right click the image, save to your computer, and then print out the cards for use. You can use their colors or save it in greyscale and use your own colored papers. Fun, huh?

Enjoy and treasure your time with your best gal pal!

Just my little gift to you. :0)

Super Tuesday Eve And Huckleberry Win

2008-02-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

I was wandering through the archives of my photo files today and found these. (poor quality, they were taken under the shade of a red tent)

I just thought it was neat on the eve of Super Tuesday.

This was right before and just after I had emceed the tomato eating contest that is held each year at the Pink Tomato Festival. I emceed it for about 10 years and they were there every year for the last few before I moved away from Arkansas.
Huck always won. Every year. I know he and Win participated in at least 4-5 of them. I should have shorted Win's last bag of tomatoes so he could win - at least once. :0(

I sure miss Win. You'd never meet a nicer man.

This is the late Win Rockefeller, me, and ol' Huck himself - pre-diet (you can see that my arm did not reach all the way around him) Gov. Mike Huckabee - we were listening to Win tell a joke.

Obviously, it was a really funny joke! ;)

This is some pre-contest smack talk going on.

This is me encouraging them to eat faster!! (that is my girl behind me - in the black sleeved tee shirt)

This is me announcing the winner (I know, really terrible pic of me)....Huck won, of course. Mrs. Huck (Janet) actually came in second. (Poor Win.) I gave Mrs. Huck one of those tomato cans decorating the table. I made all of them.

Fun memories. Makes me homesick. :0(

G-I-A-N-T-S!!!

2008-02-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

WOOT! WOOT!

Way to go, Giants!!
Defense Wins Championships!!

And The Winner Is!

2008-02-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

I used a random number selector and
the lucky winner of my ebay store $15.00 prize is....

SUMMER!

From
summersnook

I appreciate all who participated and I hope you will visit me again.

Summer will be contacted and will have the opportunity to select
FIXED PRICE ITEMS
(live auction items excluded)
from my store,
Nancy's Cottage Treasures,
up to $15.00.

Congratulations!!

BLOGGY GIVEAWAY CARNIVAL!

2008-02-03T13:47:00.000-05:00

**CONTEST OVER!**
Comments have been closed and I will announce and contact the winner later this evening. THANKS to all who stopped by and left a comment. It is the most comments I have ever had! WOOT! I hope you enjoyed window shopping in my little store, Nancy's Cottage Treasures, and will visit again. As always, let me know if you are looking for something...I probably have it! Be sure to come see the NEW treasures I am posting tonight! Thanks again and good luck to you all!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wow, I DO love Shannon's Bloggy Carnivals! I always find some of the neatest new blogs to add to my bloglines! While I am not a prolific blogger, I AM an avid fan of so many of you.

So, I wanted to play again and tried to think of something unique and different that the winner could personalize and choose to their own taste.

With that in mind, I decided to give one lucky winner, to be drawn randomly, a credit of $15.00 to be used on any fixed price item in my ebay store, Nancy's Cottage Treasures, vintage cottage treasures and goodies.

All you have to do is take a peek, tell me what item you like the most in your comment with a valid email address. One comment per person only, please.
I will contact the winner at the close of comments on or around February 2.
Once you win, I will let you look around my store and then contact me with the item(s) you want and I will close that item(s) and send it you. Basically, you get to "shop". Cool, huh?

*This does not apply to live auction items - store items only. Thanks!

*US addresses only. Sorry, but international shipping is just too high unless you want to cover the international shipping. Thanks!

Thanks for visiting and please visit again. I promise to try to offer more than I have been in the past. ;0)

Now go look, post a comment, and be sure to visit all the other generous bloggers!

Um, Disney?

2008-02-01T19:17:00.001-05:00

These are NOT your best effort for costumes, I think.

The eyeballs......OH, the eyeballs!

Gratuitous Fur Kid Post

2008-01-31T11:39:00.000-05:00

"Oh hai. i givz you belly wave."

Koko sez, "Ready to exercise?"

"Streeeetch and rrrrrrreach!"

"'Nuff yoga. Time to snooze."

Bloggie Giveaway Reminder

2008-01-31T10:40:00.000-05:00

**Just a friendly reminder regarding my bloggie giveaway**

I will ONLY award items to the winner from the fixed price, STORE listings, NOT my current LIVE auctions.

I can end store listings at any time but I will not end auctions that someone may be waiting to bid on.

Thanks so much! I am loving all of my visitors and hope some of you will add me to your favorites and visit my little cottage store again soon.

I update listings ever Sunday and simply have TONS of inventory to get worked through. I just don't have enough time. (Well, I probably do but I also enjoy just having ME time...so I don't get as much listed as I should. I admit it. :0)

If you have a wish or need or want to add to a collection, drop me a line. Let me know what your interests are and I probably have an item that matches. Seriously. I have 20+ totes FULL of stuff! And lots more in my house I could be talked out of. ;0)

Thanks for stopping by. I hope it won't be your only visit.

*~*SNEAK PEEK!*~*

Here are a few wonderful cottage treasures I recently bought at an Estate Sale. They will be listed this week, as long as I stay well and am able to work. (I have been fighting an infection but hoping to feel better soon.)
Included are gorgeous old drapes, afghans, vintage pictures (BIRDS!), powder box, barkcloth pillow, tole painted tissue holder, vanity hairspray can, bed reading lamp, yummy woolen throw with case and box, and much, much more not shown! You HAVE to come see it all! I will be listing some GREAT old needlework kits as well. You don't want to miss the show!

iPod Shuffle

2008-01-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

I "borrowed" this meme from Shalee. :0)

Wow, stuff like this is freaky....but fun! I added a few little comments in ( ) after the answers the "Sansa Genie" gave me. According to Shalee's pal, it is a little like "Mad Lib meets the Magic Eight-Ball" or a Ouija Board. :0)

Here are the instructions:

1. Put your music MP3 player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question.
4. NO CHEATING! The fun is seeing how close it gets "your fortune" or whatever.

Q: What does next year have in store for you?
A: I'm on a High - Duncan Sheik (good? yeahhhhh.)

Q: What does your love life look like next year?
A: I Need You Tonight - Backstreet Boys (Mmm'kay ;0) )

Q: What do you say when life gets hard?
A: Heartache Tonight - Eagles (yuppers...been there)

Q: Song that reminds you of good times?
A: Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads (maybe more than once?)

Q: What do you think when you get up in the morning?
A: A Bad Goodbye - Clint Black/Wynonna (hum? not looking good there)

Q: What song will you dance to at your wedding?
A: A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action - Elvis (All righty then!)

Q: Song that reminds you of your first kiss?
A: A Thousand Years - Sting (*sighhhh*)

Q: Your favorite saying?
A: After the Love Has Gone... - Earth Wind & Fire (...you get back on that horse!)

Q: Favorite place?
A: After The Rain Has Fallen - Sting (nice)

Q: Most Missed Memory?
A: Ain't No Sunshine When You're Gone - Al Green (kinda' sad *sniff*)

Q: What song describes your best friend?
A: Air Supply - Journey (yeah, good friends are like oxygen to the soul)

Q: What song describes your ex?
A: Where Were You? - Alan Jackson (I can answer THAT one!!)

Q: Where would you go on a first date?
A: You Oughtta Know - Alanis Morrissette (Cocky, eh?)

Q: Drug of choice?
A: All Shook Up - Elvis (Yeah, shaken, not stirred)

Q: What song describes yourself?
A: American Beauty - Theme (well, awwww, thanks!

Q: What is the thing you like doing most?
A: All That She Wants - Ace of Base (BINGO!)

Q: The song that best describes the president?
A: Any Way You Want It - Journey (yeah, who cares what America wants?!)

Q: Where will you be in 10 years?
A: Aqueous Transmission/Morning View - Incubus (Like, cool, man!)

Q: Your love life right now?
A: Are You Happy Now - Michelle Branch (Affirmative)

Q: What is your state of mind like at the moment?
A: No Matter What You Are - Badfinger (...there you are. Deal with it.)

Q: How will you die?
A: Bad Moon Rising - Creedence (Rut Roh! No space flights for me!)

Fun, huh?
It's your turn now.
Leave a comment if you play so I can come share the fun. :0)

A little of this, a little of that....

2008-01-26T14:28:00.000-05:00

Well, hello again, all one of you. ;-)
I just cannot seem to catch the blogging habit. I READ blogs every day. I love them, I look forward to them but just always feel awkward trying to post on my own. Why is that?
*sigh*
Anyway, here goes. I am just going to ramble a bit and see what comes out.

1. Work - I continue to run my ebay business, selling collectible cottage treasures, vintage goodies, and a smattering of antiques. I find it a great way to add pennies to my purse, give me a reason to get out of the house, help my family out, and contribute to the household. It is not the type of job where I have to ask for, or work, for time off, I do not have a set schedule, and I only have myself to blame if I don't do well. It is nice to have the leisure to work for myself.
I spent a LOT of years pounding concrete and saving lives. It wore me out, gave me migraines, and made me old in many ways. But, I was a good nurse, I was a smart nurse, and I was a hard working nurse. While I cherish my RN degree and feel immense pride at having earned it by the age of 20, I could not do it again. I was a driven, competitive student while working full time at night as a nurses' aide, commuting 20 miles both ways to a full course load of college classes every day, driving 100 miles round trip for clinicals 2-3 times a week, and I still graduated from college with honors one week before my 21st birthday. I was the first person in my family to earn a college education and degree. I had my license on my first try at Boards and worked steadily over the years in a variety of settings including Emergency Room Supervisor, OR nurse, oncology nurse, trauma nurse, Infection Control Practitioner, Weight Control Clinic Office Manager, School Nurse, factory nurse, and several non-nursing jobs thrown in for interest including manager and buyer for a Hallmark Gift Store, owner of my own custom frame shop business, office manager for our heating and air business, and assorted putzy things thrown in for good measure. I also managed to be a full time parent to my wonderful daughter and was very active in her life and activities. I never missed a school event, church activity, dance class, pageant, talent show, or social engagement. I don't know how I did it. Honestly. I also acted in Community Theater, performed in charity variety shows, volunteered in our local festival every year, and was a typical Junior Leaguer. I also sang in the church choir, was social director for Sunday School, and was in charge of the church kitchen. I cannot remember when I slept. I also sewed all of my daughters' clothes, pageant wear, talent costumes, church choir robes, and crafted like a crazy woman. My home was featured on the Holiday Tour of Homes and I volunteered at school. Seriously, where did I get the hours and energy?! I have tons of scrapbooks and photo albums documenting all I was involved in. They make me tired just looking at them.

2. My life NOW - It is full, it is busy, it relaxed, it is secure, and I am blessed. And I am happy that frenetic, do-it-all period of my life is behind me.
After a bumpy start, the Feller and I have settled into a nice (boring) routine and we have new-found love and happiness with each other. We have almost 10 years together and it just gets better and better. I admit, when I first moved up here 4 years ago, I was a sad and lonely and hurting person.
I was suffering from extreme isolation (still do somewhat), rejection, empty nest syndrome, grief over losing my Momma, missing my sister and all of my sweet, loyal, caring friends I left behind. No one really understood - and they still don't - but I was as empty and miserable as they come. I thought I had one friend then - but even that turned out to be a lie. That hurt a lot. Still does - every day.
However, in the meantime, I have learned to cope, adjust, adapt, and almost forgive. I am still working on the "forgiveness" part. I have forgiven myself and the Feller but there remain others in my life who are harder proving to forgive. I am working on it though.
But, I am enjoying my life now, pretty much. I still love going junking and treasure hunting and it gives me reason to get out. I have made some pals along the way and I enjoy seeing them when I get out. Their warmth and friendliness means the world to me. Some are just regular customers like me, some are professional dealers, some are market vendors, some are just hobbyists who get out for the sake of getting out. We do have fun though. We chat and compare goodies and go our separate ways. No competition or greed. That is nice. Man, that part is nice!!! No junk is more important than a person and some folks lose sight of that.
I also look forward to finding wonderful vintage treasures to share with all my sweet customers. (nancyscottagetreasures) After all this time, I shop with names in my head and know what certain people would want me to buy. It makes it fun and I am happy to be so trusted. *Thank you, Girls!*

3. My Family - My sister is my BEST friend, my world, my FAMILY. She has been ill and I worry about her SO much! When you are running out of family, siblings start meaning a lot more. I only have her, no other sisters and no brothers. We are each other's last "blood" family, aside from our children, and two uncles who both live in Texas. I was able to spend a long time with my sister and her family during and after the holidays and was on hand to be her nurse when she had surgery 2 days after Christmas. She is still trying to recover and I feel so burdened for her. She is a long time lupus patient and she does not bounce back very quickly. She added me to her family cellular plan and we talk on our cell phones daily. It has been so wonderful to reconnect with her and stay in tune with day to day stuff. *I love and miss you, Sissy!*
My daughter - What a lovely young woman she has become. She should graduate from Emory in May. (PLEASE!) She has struggled with her grades which has been hard for me as she was always a straight A, driven student. I think the course challenges and lure of ATL city life distracted her and it makes me sad and stressed. But, I am trying to believe her when she assures me she has it under control. Between that and her choice of her boy friend, I get a headache. And a heart ache. But she is not a child. I can only pray for the right choices to be made and pray extra hard that *boy* does not become a more permanent part of our family since I will never like or respect or trust him. She could do SO much better. My skin crawls when I just hear his name. *sniff* I want so much to like my daughter's feller. Why does it have to be one who has been nasty and mean and ugly? Oh well. *pray*pray*pray*

4.My Fun - Travel! Yay! After deciding not to buy another house out of state last year, we can breathe a little easier and not feel so much stress to manage two homes. So, the Feller is going to come back here. He just has a few months left on his contract and we are already gearing up to enjoy it. We have two trips pending right now. We are going to San Francisco next month, my first time to California, and we already have our tickets to go to Toronto and Niagara in April. Then we will go to Atlanta in May for graduation. After that, probably go back to the beach and maybe back to Europe. We will see. I want to go to Italy - for real. We have been nursing that dream for too long now and we have no excuse except laziness.
We also plan to spend time, LOTS of time, on the local lakes with one of our 5 boats. I am so excited! (He is not allowed to buy another boat!!)
We have been wanting to get back to traveling for some time now and finally, we just said, "Let's do it!" So, we are. I will work around it...another reason I ebay and work from home. I can take off when I want to. I have been getting all my travel stuff in order. The rules and limitations are so strict now, I am trying to get my one bag done that will serve as my go-to bag each time we decide to hop a plane. I am fickle so it is taking me a while.
We are also wanting to work on our house a bit. We want to add another large, 4 car garage for all of our boats, cars and stuff. I have several ideas for the house as well and just need him to get back home so we can work on it. I am not interested in a big re-do of decorating. I am not one to change and waste money on different looks all the time. I just want to fine tune what we have, what we love, and give it all a fresher look. We are not defined by our home but I do want it to reflect who we are and less about what we have. We both like comfort and quality, not "stuff" for the sake of stuff. We bought the land adjoining ours to limit having anyone build next to us so we have plenty of room to stretch out a little.

5. Random Stuff - I want to move. BADLY! I do not want to live here anymore since we really have no ties here. We have no family, no close friends, no work obligations. I want to be closer to my family and friends. I miss them SO much and not being close enough to attend weddings, funerals, showers, celebrations, etc., is sad for me. I need to be around the people I love and who love me back. When I was home for the holidays, not a day went by that someone didn't talk to me, joke with me, care about me, and just let me know I matter as a person. Oh, how it touched my heart! I LOVE my friends! I have yet to find any true, loyal friends here and after over 4 years of trying, it is not going to happen. Other than loving our house (which we do, a lot), we have no good reason to continue to live in this place. We do have one set of friends who are kind and faithful and true but we have such different life styles. We are older and they are young, with small babies. It is hard to get together. Other than them, we have yet to make any real friends. We each left tons of good pals to live here. That is not right. So, that is heavy on my heart. I really hope we can make some plans in that direction this year. For over a year, I have been living here alone and let me tell you, I hate it more now than I ever thought I could. Other than getting out and seeing my casual thrifting pals, I have no other social contacts. I have tried, HARD!, but folks are not that easy to get to know when you are viewed as an outsider. This is a weird, weird place. I am tired of dealing with it.

That is pretty much my strange little life in the condensed form.
I know I am not well known in the popular mommy-blog-o-sphere (one would have to regularly blog for that to happen!) but I know so many of you well. I read you, I admire you, I like you, I make the occasional comment, and I want to thank you for making my days brighter and warmer. Many times I read your blogs and pretend you are my BFF and that I have not spent the last three days just puttering between floors of this house, playing hide and seek with my cat, and talking to myself. I swear, I am a loon but I am a safe, happy loon. ;-)

Until next time, whenever that might be.

Rockin' giveaway!

2008-01-18T13:42:00.001-05:00

Wow, hop on over to Design Moms and check out the awesome giveaway from them and Best Buy!
Who wouldn't LOVE an Insignia Bluetooth MP3 Player?!
I have a small player but no video, and limited storage. THIS ONE would be SO sweet!

Hurry, go check them out, create your link, leave a comment - but remember, I plan to win it. 'K? :0)

(p.s. I know, I KNOW, I NEVER update my blog! I can't seem to get in the habit but I am going to work on it. So, if you are one of the maybe TWO people who have ever read this, please leave a comment. Otherwise, I am just talking to myself and goodness knows, I do enough of THAT in real life! Kthanx!)

We have a winner!

2007-11-05T03:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all who stopped by. I did not have nearly the traffic lots of people had but that's okay, more chances for those of you who commented.

I wish I had a book for all of you but I don't....so I put your names in a virtual hat and had a virtual drawing (a'la Randomizer help), and

TA DA!

Congratulations to
"Princess Ladybug"!

Hope you will enjoy your book and will visit again soon! I will be in touch to get mailing info.

Again, thanks to you all who took the time to visit. I appreciate it and know my poor blog is rather neglected. Hopefully, I can get in gear when my work slows down a bit.

Since I work at home, for myself, I have no one to blame, right?
Check out my store if you want to see what consumes me and you just might find a treasure you love! ;)

Thanks again! It was fun!

Fall Y'all, Bloggy Giveaway!

2007-11-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

~The Spirit of Christmas~

Oh what fun!
One lucky winner will receive the 1993 Edition Leisure Arts "The Spirit of Christmas" book, FILLED with holiday decorating ideas, patterns, and instructions plus loads of yummy recipes! I have several of these and use them every year!

Be sure to leave a comment here with a valid email contact address.
I will draw one winner by random number generator.
You have until 10 PM CST Sunday, November 4 to enter. I will then draw a winner and post the details here!

Be sure to head on over to see all the generous, fun give-aways!

I will ship anywhere, media mail.

Good luck!

Have fun!

Win a Starbucks Hawaiian Gift Card

2007-10-29T19:10:00.000-04:00

Win a $10 Starbucks gift card from Liza's Eyeview. It is a vintage Hawaiian gift card so how cool is that?!

WFMW - Brand Loyalty

2007-09-05T18:47:00.000-04:00

Well, I am a pretty frugal shopper and always buy generic when possible but I DO have a few non-negotiables.

Mascara- It HAS to be the pink and green tube of Maybelline's Great Lash. I have used it for years and never buy anything else.

Lotion - ONLY Bath and Body Works body cream in the tube, $10.00, any fragrance. I have been so lucky to actually find several tubes, unopened, unused, at yard sales for $2.00 and under. Oh yes, they came home with me! Love that stuff!!

TP - Charmin...I just can't tolerate the cheap rough stuff. My feller finally conceded that point after a few shopping trip tiffs.

Toothpaste - Crest. Just Crest...gel, paste, extra oomph, or not...as long as it is Crest.

Coffee Creamer - Nestle's Liquid Coffee Mate in the carton. I then pour smaller amounts into a clean plastic bottle saved from a previous purchase. It just ain't coffee without it. At the holidays, I buy the flavored varieties.

Breakfast Bars - Special K strawberry. My daughter got me hooked on those little 90 calorie bites of goodness!

Veggies - The large bags of Bird's Eye Oriental Stir Fry frozen vegetables. I eat a big plate of them every single night, just steamed with lemon juice and spritzed with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". Almost ZERO calories and filling and YUMMY! (I save the stir fry sauce packets for making feller's Chinese food)

Margarine - See above. "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray. Tastes awesome and has NO calories! I can't believe it!

Bread - Sara Lee's Delightful Wheat. Only a teeny 90 calories for TWO slices...with my spray butter, I have a breakfast toast treat! Or I eat them at lunch for a low cal sandwich.

Those are a few of my favorites. I have been watching my calories all of this year after deciding I was too fluffy after the holidays. I am happy to report I have lost nearly 20 pounds! So yeah, the food stuff is high on my fav list! :-)

When In Rome....

2007-08-28T15:38:00.000-04:00

Funny, I would have picked Paris but this is pretty accurate.....again!

What city are you?

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart
Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome
Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand
And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

More FREE Stuff, Like CASH!

2007-08-03T06:25:00.000-04:00

Deadline is August 20. If you win, buy me a Coke, ok? ;-)

Over at Ashwin’s blog, you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!

WFMW - Give them Wings and Roots

2007-08-01T12:19:00.000-04:00

My WFMW parenting tip comes from a seasoned, empty nester, single mom of one. While I may not be the most "with it" or up to date mom, I like to think I did all right.
I raised my daughter almost by myself. Even when her dad was around, he "wasn't". She is now a scholarshipped senior English major at Emory University in Atlanta with a great job, a great internship, and a greater job offer on the board!

I had a few firm guidelines that helped me survive and thrive:

1. Love God and teach your child to as well.

2. Never miss a chance to prove the power of prayer.

3. Love your child enough to let them hate you....at times.

4. Exert more pressure than peers do. It is hard but you have to fight harder for a toe hold.

5. Do not try to be your kids best friend. THAT is what peers are for.

6. Befriend their friends. A kid at home is one you can keep an eye on.

7. Don't be afraid to make and enforce home rules.

8. Be consistent and fair.

9. Remember that grounding a kid is really more punishment for YOU. You have to stick close by to make sure they stay grounded!

10. Teach by example, whether it is working hard toward a goal, laughing hard at a joke, falling hard to your knees in prayer, or just keeping silent with yourself.

11. Laugh at yourself FIRST so your kids learn that it is okay and is easier than being laughed AT.

12. Don't give them ALL they WANT, do give them what they NEED, and the extras will be appreciated MORE.

13. Say you are sorry. If you make a mistake, teach them humility by apologizing.

14. Set goals as individuals and as a family, no matter if you are a family of two.

15. Celebrate successes, learn from failures, cling to values and morals, and forgive mistakes.

16. Teach them that "doing your best" is better than "being the best".

17. Expect bumps and rocky roads at times. It makes the smooth rides more precious.

18. Laugh - have fun. Laugh even when you are crying. It is hard to be and feel miserable with the corners of your mouth turned up.

19. Practice compassion. Giving of time and talents costs nothing.

20. Stay in touch! When your little ones fly the coop, you will treasure the daily notes, calls, or messages that keep you connected. If it is already a "habit", it won't become a burden or intrusion.

21. Enjoy them!! Now, today, every day! I cannot say that one enough. Enjoy your children. They fly away too soon on wings you help them grow. Make sure they have deep roots today.

I look at that child of mine and see cells of my cells, heart of my heart and I feel awe and amazement. I am SO blessed!

~God never loved me in a sweeter way than when He brought thee to me and said, "Behold, your daughter."~

Visit Shannon for more great tips!

I'm having a sale!

2007-07-31T11:03:00.000-04:00

I am having a "SUMMER SALE" so if you are into vintage cottage treasures, hop on over for a peek. I have SO much great stuff I need to list, I am trying to create a little breathing room. My loss is your gain! Thanks for looking!

Summer Clearance Sale!

Nancy's Cottage Treasures

WOWSER! Free TV!!

2007-07-27T19:50:00.000-04:00

Wow! It has been a festival of prizes in blogland lately and take a gander at this latest one over at "5 Minutes for Mom".

They are giving away an Insignia® 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV!!! This incredible prize is valued at $799.99 and is courtesy of Best Buy.

The ultra slim, lightweight Insignia® 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV (Model: NS-LCD37) features 1366×768 Resolution, with 16:9 widescreen ratio for cinema-quality viewing. You will be enjoying picture perfect quality from every angle and not missing any details with its built in high definition capabilities.

The TV measures 5″ deep and will look fantastic either in an entertainment center or mounted on a wall (with optional mounting kit, not included.)

Along with a ton of other features - you can read all about them over at Best Buy - this model is equipped with a V-Chip for parent control and is Energy Star compliant.

And - for extra fun - your new TV can double as a PC monitor so that you can download and watch HD movies.

All you have to do is visit them and leave a comment and a link back to them and Best Buy.

How much easier could it be? :-)

What Kind of Soul are You?

2007-07-27T13:42:00.000-04:00

Hum? How do they do this? How do these fun little sites take odd, small pieces of info about you and come up with surprisingly accurate conclusions? Maybe I am just WANTING to see myself here....? Who knows...they are fun and once more, this one pretty well nailed my neuroses..... :-)
Go play.....

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world
So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time
You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all...
But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult

You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you.
Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses.
Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others.
Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life.

Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

And the Winner Is....................

2007-07-27T00:40:00.000-04:00

*Drum Roll Please*

...........#3, PEACH, from "Without Fear".

Congratulations and many thanks to all the wonderful entrants. This was so much fun, I hope we can do it again soon.

Just for the record, I used this:

I tried to get my cat to draw a name but he was not much help.

Please come back and visit soon. I certainly enjoyed all the company this week.
Many thanks to our lovely host, Shannon.

Thursday Thirteen - Stuff and Nonsense

2007-07-26T18:16:00.000-04:00

I have been seeing these all over blog land and since my brain cannot think of anything original to write about, here ya' go:

Thursday Thirteen - 13 Random Useless Tidbits About Me:

1. Storms. Yes, we need the rain. No, we do NOT need them in the form of thunderstorms.

2. Storms. Every day....for the past week and a half.

3. I almost got struck by lightning this time last week.

4. It lit up my porch, stood my hair straight up, rang my ears, left me feeling like I was chewing on aluminum foil, knocked me back on my butt into the foyer, and wiped me out for two days. I was not even outside...I was standing in the front doorway, under the porch.

5. Storms....keep me from walking.

6. Walking...which I don't feel like doing anyway since the storms also make my fibromyalgia kick my butt....and my back...and my shoulders....and lots of other places. :-(

7.My yard looks happy thanks to the rain...so green and happy and alive.

8. My yard will need mowing again in a few days....thanks to the rain.

9. I miss my daughter and my Feller.

10. Feller will be home the second week of August. YAY!

11. It will only be for a few days. Boo.

12. We've almost made it a year on his contract out of state. Yay!

13. We have another year to go. boo.

Tag! You're It! (A little meme about me, me)

2007-07-25T14:54:00.000-04:00

Four jobs I've held:

1. Registered Nurse - ER, OR, surgical, school nurse, etc.
2. Manager of a medical weight control clinic
3. Manager of a Hallmark Gift Boutique
4. Farming - tomatoes, with my Mom

Four movies I can watch over and over again:

1. Steel Magnolias
2. The Green Mile
3. Fried Green Tomatoes
4. Finding Nemo (this was my daughter's gift to me when I was getting ready to leave her at college, ten hours away. I still cry when I watch it.)

Four places I've lived:

1. Orange, Texas
2. Little Rock, Arkansas
3. Wyoming/Utah/General Area
4. NE Kentucky

Four TV shows I watch:

1. Survivor
2. Hell's Kitchen
3. Big Brother
4. Any old Westerns I can find

Four places I've been on vacation:

1. Cozumel, Mexico
2. Paris, France - twice
3. New York City
4. Boston

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Any good Chinese buffet
2. Shrimp, crab, seafood anything
3. Vegetables...any of them, lots of them
4. Chocolate "anything"

Four websites I visit:

1. Sports forums in Arkansas (I was/am, a rabid football fan and still keep up with the h.s. team in my hometown and of course, the Hogs and the Gators)
2. Fav blogs/bloglines - in links
3. Ebay - mine
4. USA Today, or CNN, Yahoo or MSN news...wherever the best coverage is that day.

Four people I'm tagging: All of you. Any of you who haven't done this yet should just jump right in! Leave me a comment and I will come read yours too! :-)

Doggy Days Giveaway! Simple Abundance!

2007-07-24T10:53:00.000-04:00

**THANK YOU TO ALL WHO VISITED AND ENTERED MY BOOK GIVE-AWAY. I AM HONORED YOU STOPPED BY. I WISH ALL COULD WIN BUT ONLY ONE CAN SO BE SURE TO CHECK BACK FRIDAY TO SEE WHO THE LUCKY RECIPIENT IS. I WILL USE A RANDOM NUMBER PICKER TO CHOOSE THE WINNER. I AM CLOSING THE COMMENTS JUST A LITTLE EARLY SINCE I AM A BIT UNDER THE WEATHER AND NEED TO REST. I FEEL ALL WHO WERE GOING TO ENTER HAVE BY NOW. AGAIN, THANKS TO ALL AND PLEASE STOP BACK BY AGAIN. THE WELCOME MAT IS ALWAYS OUT! LEAVE A HOLLER AND LET ME KNOW YOU WERE HERE! ~BLESSINGS TO ALL~ NANCY**

YAY! It's here!
Just enter a comment for a chance to win!

I am giving away Sarah Ban Breathnach's book, "Simple Abundance of Comfort and Joy"!
This is not a new book but it has never been used...so I guess it is a "new old" book. :-)

I have one just like it so I wanted to share this one with my bloggy friends.

You must provide a valid e-mail address, but you do not have to have a blog. International participants are welcome. Shipment will be via media mail. I'll close comments at 12:01 a.m. this coming Friday morning, July 27, and I'll draw a random winner from the list. I'll announce the winner sometime on Friday.

Have fun and good luck!
Be sure to hop over to Shannon's for more chances at freebies!

It's not easy being green....

2007-07-22T11:36:00.000-04:00

Yay! Gotta' love it when someone gets you spot on!
I am KERMIT!
Of course, I am not a frog nor am I a guy....but everything else is pretty accurate.

Which one are you?

You Are Kermit

Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know.
You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems.
Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green.
Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

The Muppet Personality Test

Monk & Neagle!

2007-07-20T18:17:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo! Thanks, Boomama!
Thanks Brian, Trent, and Michael!

I am getting my *FREE* pre-release of their CD, "The Twenty First Time", due to their generosity and boomama's heads up! I am so excited!

Go here for their link and check them out.

Thanky, thanky!!

Bloggy Giveaway!

2007-07-18T09:23:00.000-04:00

Shannon over at "Rocks in my Dryer" had a fabulous idea,
"I was thinking to myself, wouldn't it be fun if our little corner of the blogosphere held a ton of giveaways for our readers at the SAME TIME? And we could kind of turn it into a carnival, of sorts? We could all go "live" with our giveaway on the same day, and we could all do our drawings on the same day, and, well, all the loveliness would be enough to make the internet smell like flowers!"

Well, WOW! What could be "funner"?!
I am going to rummage through all of my cottage treasures and find a pretty or two to give away. I have tons of stuff on hand since I sell vintage cottage treasures on ebay. What to pick??! That is the hardest part! Oh, this will be like Christmas in July....yes, it will!
Be sure to check back for details and to get your name in the hat. I realize I don't have much traffic so you will have a better chance! ;-)

To check it out and get more details and "stuff", click here:-)

WFMW-Summer Beach/Lake Bag

2007-07-18T07:07:00.001-04:00

While it may already be the middle of July, there are still lots of fun summer days ahead. It pays to be ready for any last minute opportunity for a little fun in the sun.
Having just returned from a beach vacation, I had all of my summer necessities to deal with. I have a nice large beach bag and into it goes over sized towels, goggles, extra sun glasses, lotions, potions, and balms....a spritzer bottle, a straw mat, sun visor, bathing suits, cover ups, cola can holders, etc.
As I was unpacking and sorting all of this for storage, it dawned on me that if I put it all away in assorted closets, drawers, and shelves, I would just have to scurry around and recollect it for the next outing to the lake or pool. So, I cleaned everything, refolded, checked levels in lotion bottles, organized smaller items into zip loc bags, and stored everything neatly back into the bag and placed the whole thing on the floor of the linen closet. It is packed, ready to go and easy to grab and toss into the car or boat. Now there is no excuse for not enjoying a spontaneous day of fun in the sun and I have one less thing to worry about. Of course, if you are a mom with little ones, you could have another bag ready to go with summer beach toys...a pail, a shovel, a frisbee, etc.
Add a special cooler for picnics and you are ready to soak up summer until the first school bell rings!
For more great tips, head over to Shannon's! Have a wonderful rest of the summer!!

Hot Mama Revolution!

2007-07-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

If you want to get on board, go check this one out! And then thank Sarah at Ordinary Days...
So many of us tend to put ourselves last and we shouldn't. Only WE can love ourselves enough to be the best "us" possible.
If you have been thinking about making small improvements or changing some bad habits, today is the day to start. What have you got to lose? A few pounds? Some gray hairs? A few wrinkles? Some of your frump factor?

I say we deserve it!

Go for it! We are all cheering for each other~

I am finally back! This is a copy of my ebay newsletter...

2007-07-16T11:24:00.000-04:00

WOW! The middle of July already?! The summer is zipping right along. I hope you have had or will have a lovely vacation break. I recently returned from a fantabulous beach vacation (muchly needed!!)and can still smell the salt air, hear the lap of the waves....and feel the sand! Sand has a way of following you home, perhaps to remind you of the lovely time you had. :-)

What can I say? I am simply OVERFLOWING with cottage treasures here! I have been buying like mad and at the same time, have been enjoying summertime. As a result, my home now looks like your favorite flea market and I HAVE GOT to get in gear! So...be expecting oodles and tons of goodies! Please help me find my floor and couch and bed and cabinets again, okay? I am not kidding you....I can barely walk through my own house and I NEED to share it with you all.

I currently have lots of afghans listed. I love crochet but can't do it so I tend to buy every yummy 'ghan I find. Grab yourself one now and be ready for the first crisp days of autumn that will be here before you know it.

I will be listing lots of aprons, linens, hankies, and assorted vintage decor....don't miss out! Most auctions start and end on Sundays but due to my over whelming shopping this summer, I am going to start some weekly postings as well to clear out some space. I am drowning in pretties here!

With that said, I am getting back to work. After all, it is Monday and I have to go shop Thursday through Sunday. That means I have to crank Monday through Wednesday! :~)

Until later, go look, go shop, let me know what you are looking for, and have a truly blessed day!

All the best, Nancy

p.s. I am, without a doubt, the world's worst blogger! I cannot go a day without reading all of my favorite blogs but I rarely make a new post. Why is that? Am I just lazy or don't feel worthy? I want to blog...but I don't.
I am going to try to do better. If ANYONE is reading this, please grunt or wave so I will know I have not been lost in the barren wasteland of slacker bloggers. And yes, this post is a cheater...I merely pasted my recent ebay newsletter...but it IS a start / re-start, no?
{{hugs!}}

Win an Ipod and more!

2007-05-01T22:28:00.000-04:00

Five Minutes for Mom is hosting yet another cool contest!

Perfect for Mothers Day!

For Heather

2007-04-17T21:55:00.000-04:00

BooMama is hosting a day of love for Heather on April 18^th. Heather was diagnosed with a brain tumor last week, she is scheduled to see a neurologist at the end of April at the Mayo Clinic, the number one neurosurgery hospital in the country. The goal is to help Heather and her family with as much of the expenses as possible.

Please go to the links (or button on my sidebar) to read all about this brave young mom's struggle.
In light of the awful week we have experienced as a nation,
let's spread some sweet love to another fellow human.

Thank you and blessings.

It's All About a Cute Purse!

2007-04-16T21:44:00.000-04:00

I found out about this sweet, generous give-away from Shalee....

Go visit this wonderful gal at quietromance and put your name in the hat. It is spring and this generous gal is giving away a lovely Coach purse in pretty spring colors! We all love purses, right? I know I do!

I hope to be back later....until then, good luck and be sure to drop by again!

This SUCKS! (Really...and you WANT one!)

2007-03-30T18:28:00.000-04:00

Go visit Five Minutes for Mom and check out the cool contest they are sponsoring for the Cadillac of vaccum cleaners. Of course, I fully intend to win but go ahead and try. :0)

Dyson Slim.....Oh My! I.want.this!

Lessons Learned

2007-03-29T11:01:00.000-04:00

Copied this from a random email and it just echoed some of my own thoughts.....

"I have learned that the best time to know yourself is when you're faced with a great trial...when you choose to stand tall, keep going and take your trial as just a situation and nothing more.

I have learned that the most painful thing that can happen to you is to be betrayed (or rejected) by someone you trusted most... yet the sweetest feeling is to know that you can accept it, can forgive it and can live through it. Even more so...to keep hoping and start working at your next steps as if nothing painful really happened. (this one is the hardest for me...being hurt or rebuffed is a sting that takes a while to fade)

I have learned that no one else is capable or responsible of making me happy. I have to help myself by planning how to achieve my dreams and work at it one day at a time and not lose my vision.

I have learned that NO may just be the right answer. The world will not crumble if I say NO to someone's wish that will take the time that I do not have or resources that I can not give. Learning the power to say, "No" or, "Not today," or "Sorry, I can't, I am busy," gives me the chance to focus on what really matters to me and avoid people who are unnecessarily dependent on me."

Hope you all are having a glorious spring day and that all of your lessons will be easy ones.

This is my sweet fuzzy cat, Koko, enjoying cat t.v. - that cat knows how to appreciate a nice view. :0)

Just for the Ladies

2007-03-26T19:53:00.001-04:00

Restroom Humor or "OMG, THAT Happened to ME!"

When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of
women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your
turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.

Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the
woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait
has been so long you are about to wet your pants!
The dispenser for the modern "seat covers" (invented by someone's
Mom( no doubt) is handy, but empty.

You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but
there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck,
(Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down
your pants, and assume " The Stance."

In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake.
You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe
the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance."
To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you
discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser.

In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if
you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no
toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.

You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday -
the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your
neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the
same time).

That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible.
It's still smaller than your thumbnail .
Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The
door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your
chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of
the toilet.

"Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your
precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor,
lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the
TOILET SEAT.

It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too
late.

Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and
life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper
- not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know
that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're
certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because,
frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could
get."

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so
confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire
hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that
covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The
flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the
empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too. At
this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet
toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper
you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the
sinks.

You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic
sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and
walk past the line of women still waiting. You are no longer able to
smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out
a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when
you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the
woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this."

As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used,
and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long,
and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"

This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public
RESTrooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men
what really does take us so long. It also answers their other
commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs.
It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you
Kleenex under the door!

This HAD to be written by a woman! No one else could describe it so
accurately!

Easter Candy

2007-03-26T18:20:00.001-04:00

I know you are sweet, so what kind of candy are you?
I am happy to say that I am one of my favorites.
Of course, I am not eating any of this right now. (I remain on the 1000 calorie a day diet and am happy to report - FINALLY! A seven pound weight loss! Woot, woot! Go me!)

I DID allow myself one teeny package of Peeps the other day. I just could NOT resist their little sweet yellow goodness! My sister and I used to eagerly await the arrival of the Easter Peeps every year and then proceed to consume a package or two each...right on the spot, generally in the car..........'cause it was only a couple of years ago, NOT when we were kids. ;0) (which could explain the necessity of said diet now!)
But, my "all-time-always-forever-favorite-est" Easter candy is the Cadbury Creme Egg....and now I are one!

You Are a Cadbury Creme Egg

You're the type that stole little brother's easter basket so that you could have MORE CANDY!

What Easter Candy Are You?

~~Happy Spring!~~

2007-03-20T23:54:00.000-04:00

Happy First Day of Spring!

Yeah, I am a bit excited.....hopefully last Saturday's snow was the last of the season.

I am ready for some warmth and sunshine...so in honor of the day and in celebration of the shedding of 14 pounds of coats, sweaters, and thermals, I give you this offering:

Yup, it is balanced on its round bottom.
I do this every year.
I'm weird like that.

~Presenting Her Most Royal Pain Highness~

2007-01-27T00:21:00.000-05:00

Borrowed this bit of fun from boomama.

I had several choices...nothing like an all-you-can-eat-buffet of Royal Titles......

I can SO envision the cupped hand, tight fingered wave and talking through my nose .......

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Her Most Serene Highness Lady Nancourt the Mirthful of Bampton Underhoop
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Kinda' got a kick out of being the Head of Lesser Cheese, ya' know? And purple.....

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Countess Nancourt the Purple of Lesser Cheese Winston
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

I think sardonic and leering in the same title is rather fitting......

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Empress Nancourt the Sardonic of Goosnargh Leering
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

But, somehow, this one just fits the best........

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Lady Madame Nancy the Scattered of Oxbridge by Camford
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Switcheroo......

2007-01-26T13:31:00.000-05:00

I finally took the plunge......

I switched to new blogger.

I do not like change so have been putting it off.

However, after reading good things about it, being aggravated at how slow my other version was, I decided to give it a whirl.

This is my first try...........I'll let you know how it goes.
(I AM digging the color options....I DO like to dress up!)

Now, back to regularly scheduled programming.

~~Looky What I Won!~~

2007-01-26T09:43:00.000-05:00

Well, my comment was selected as one of the winner's on Lindsey's site, "Surburban Turmoil"! Thank you!

Yay! I am so surprised and flattered!
This is my "winning entry": (it sounds so GRAPHIC taken out of context!):-)

"I was sitting on the pot in my third trimester with this big old uterus resting on my upper thighs. I saw a bit of lint or something on the floor and reached down to pick it up.
*POP* ScReAM!!!!
I broke my zyphoid process....for freakin'real. It is that little wiggly, dangly portion at the end of your sternum, at the bottom of your rib cage...the part of the body that can be broken during CPR if not careful. However, NO ONE warned me you can break your own if you have a really large uterus and you pound it into the top of your equally large late-pregnancy fat thighs while taking a constipated dump!
I felt like I had been stabbed and could not straighten up. So, I sat there on the pot, barely able to reach around to give a courtesy flush before screaming for the hubs to come rescue me.
I told my doc about it who totally blew me off with "you can't break those like that!" (Duh, I am a nurse and I KNOW you can...and I DID!)
Fast forward to delivery and skipping the whole horror that was my labor. When the kid with the watermelon sized head was finally out, the doc looks over my blue paper draped knees and sees my zyphoid process pointing all wonky toward my right leg. He said, "Hum, I guess maybe you DID break it after all."
Then he reached up and POPPED that sucker back into place! If I could have gotten my fat legs off those stirrups, he would have gotten a round house kick to the head he would never have forgotten!
Annnnnd, I had to suffer the embarassment of the snickers and whispers from almost the enire hospital staff (I was an ER/OR nurse there at the time) when they HAD to come see my self-inflicted, almost-episiotomy.
It happened like this:
I roll my fat blob self out of a water bed (??!!) on the morning of delivery with the tremendous urge to pee YET AGAIN..only to discover it was my water breaking...so I take a shower to get all April fresh or whatever...step out to dry myself off, swipe "down there" as best I could...what with a 400 pound baby inside me and a broken zyphoid process and all. I feel a searing pain...and draw back a bloody towel and figure I had just given birth but can't find the baby.
Nah, it seems I had given an extra vigorous drying to "sensitive tissues" with a towel that an errant sewing needle had nested into during the wash....and I ripped that sucker right thru the you-know-what!
Yeah, that one was good for a few Nurse Lounge laughs.
But I got revenge on all of them cause I had diarrhea with every labor pain and they had to take care of that. So there."

Told you....hope you weren't eating when you read that.

The Accidental Contest

2007-01-25T15:11:00.000-05:00

I love to read blogs...most are mommy blogs and while I AM a mommy, I am not a NEW mommy or a young mommy......however, I can recall with vivid detail what transpired in the process of making me an old mommy.

It was a small recounting of pregnancy stories or "The Hall of Horrors aka The Delivery Room" comment thingie that found me in the midst of my very FIRST blogging contest and I am just "honored to have been nominated". No, really....truly....I mean it!
I tend to be a wanderer...I wander from one blog to another, leave a comment or two...don't get involved in swaps or stuff because I am afraid of letting someone down when I get too busy to be a good playmate.
So, this has just tickled the heck out of me.

Go HERE to read the good stuff and vote if it suits you. There are some ding-dang doozies there!
(And I am number 13, you know? Just in case you wondered or whatever.....)

Thanks to Lindsey, the coolest mom ever......the one who makes me snort into my cornflakes on a regular basis.

~The Purina Diet~

2007-01-24T17:47:00.001-05:00

In honor of all broken New Year's Resolutions to lose weight (mine included), I give you a copy of a diet. I don't know who wrote it.
If you did, thanks for the laugh and please don't sue me. I will give you credit and salute you.....

*caution-do not read this with liquid in your mouth*

"The Purina Diet

I was in Wal-Mart buying a large bag of Purina for my dogs and was in line to check out. A woman behind me asked if I had a dog........ Duh!

I was feeling a bit crabby so on impulse, I told her no, I was starting "The
Purina Diet" again, although I probably shouldn't because I'd ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care unit with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IV's in both arms.

Her eyes about bugged out of her head. I went on and on with the bogus diet story and she was totally buying it. I told her that it was an easy, inexpensive diet and that the way it works is to load your pockets or purse with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The package said the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again.

I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled with my story, particularly a tall guy behind her.

Horrified, she asked if something in the dog food had poisoned me and was that why I ended up in the hospital.

I said no....I'd been sitting in the street licking my butt when a car hit me.

I thought the tall guy was going to have to be carried out the door."

WFMW Fabric Softener Economy

2007-01-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

I love the way my laundry feels and smells when I add laundry softener. What I don't like is a heavy aroma or decreased towel absorbency and most of all, the gunk that can accumulate in the automatic dispenser after a while.
So, I save an empty bottle. I buy the large sized bottles, like Sauvitel, or a carton of refill.
When my big bottle is empty and I buy another bottle, I pour half of the new bottle into the old one. I then fill both of them up with water. Not only do I get twice as much for the same price, I notice very little difference in the effectiveness - with the exception of a less strong fragrance and greater towel absorbency.
I have to buy product only half as often, I clean the dispenser a LOT less, and my laundry still has a pleasant fragrance and softness.

Try it for one bottle. If you don't think you are getting as much "bang" as you like, you can always go back to undiluted. However, if you can't discern a great difference, like me, you can save a few pennies here and there. :-)

Works for me!

Don't forget to go to Shannon's to check out the other Works-For-Me Wednesday tips!

~~Happiness Is............~~

2007-01-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

....finding a sweet SURPRISE gift on your front porch from your college daughter. What better way to brighten a cold, dreary, winter day?!

My lovely, sweet child sent me a wall calendar with pictures of vintage nurses (since I am a nurse), a desk calendar for my bull sign, Taurus, and a new CD of music she selected and burned for me.

It just warmed my heart and day. :-)

I love you, Sweet Baby!

DoNUT or DoNOT?? You Do? You Don't?

2007-01-19T21:27:00.000-05:00

If I can't eat them, I can sure THINK about them! :-)

Be honest now...........your mouth is watering as much as mine! Right? Right??!!
(Stop licking the screen! Now!)

What Donut Are You?

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you.
But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft.
You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily.
You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out.

What Donut Are You?

Yup..........it has me pegged........right down to the donut hole!

~Thursday Thirteen~

2007-01-18T12:29:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things about ME!

I have been seeing these for a while.....
Here is mine....in all it's wondrous glory.......or whatever.

1. This is a Virginal Thursday Thirteen, as in, "My First Time!". Please be gentle....

2. Happy Birthday today to My Feller! *muhwahh!* Wish we could be together but ya' know I have your present *right here* when you come home next month. *wink-wink*

3. A week ago was also my Baby Girl's 22nd birthday and I was a bad-mommy and did not recognize it here. So, here ya' go, Sweet Baby....~*~HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHICKIE!~*~ I love you to pieces!

4. I am astrologically challenged by having the two closest people in the world to me being Capricorns. Tell me, have you ever met anyone as moody as a Cappy goat can be?! *jeez*

5. House hunting via the internet sucks.

6. House hunting via the internet for the second time in three years sucks bigger.

7. House hunting via the internet when you already KNOW which house you wants sucks the biggest of all.

8. Obviously, I have a "sucks" fetish......

9. It has finally turned winter time here.......and now it can leave, thank you.

10. I need to lose weight.

11. The only way I am going to shed this 20 pounds is to cut a fat leg off or sumthin'.

12. That would suck......

13. OMG, I actually made it to 13! If you are still here, you don't suck. ;-D

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

These boots are made for walking...

2007-01-15T00:20:00.000-05:00

....or at least for making me smile.

Yessir-ee, sir. I gots me some RED boots.

Sometimes on a dark, dreary, rainy winter day, when the whole world just feels "wet-blehh"....ya' get an itch that begs to be scratched.

So.....I hit my favorite Thrift Store..."just looking", ya' know?

But wait, I hear my name...very faintly being whispered and then getting more insistent and louder as I tried to ignore the obvious.
But noooooo! It was not to be denied!

Sitting there amidst all the sad, worn grandma' sensible shoes, the stinky athletic shoes (WHO would put their feet in those?!), the out of season flip flops and sandals, the too-gothic-for-me chunky black and silver chained combat boots....sat THESE!!

Bless my heart, they make me want to go boot scootin', cowboy chasin', and watch out....maybe even a bit of butt kickin'!

But seriously.....I know they are so rock-a-billy tacky but they were TOO tempting to pass up for $2.00! They don't even have trying-on scuffs on the soles and they ARE 100% leather. They have to be real cowgirl boots 'cause they even have a cactus imprint on the soles! How cool is that?
I know my daughter will either hate them or think they are bitchin'.....but regardless, I am going to wear them.....even if it is just strutting around my bedroom, tipping my old straw cowboy hat, listening to some Hank Jr., and pretending I am a "Cowboys' Sweetheart"!

And today.........these red boots made me smile.

"Instructions for Life"

2007-01-05T15:32:00.000-05:00

1. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
2. Pray -- there's immeasurable power in it.
3. Mind your own business.
4. Don't trust someone who doesn't close their eyes when you kiss them.
5. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
6. If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living.
That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
7. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.
8. Learn the rules then break some.
9. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is
greater than your need for each other.
10. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
11. Remember that your character is your destiny.
12. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon
13. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
14. Turn frustrations into opportunities.

15. Add your own.............

2006 Year in Review

2007-01-04T18:02:00.000-05:00

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?

I snorkeled for the first time, off the coast of Cozumel, and after I nearly drowned, thanks to an ill-fitting mask and my sweet
Feller had to come to my rescue...I LOVED it! I wish all the coral had not been destroyed from the hurricane the year before but we still saw some really cool fish. We both are ready to return.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions,
and will you make more for next year?

I do not usually make resolutions as I see them as an invitation to fail and become discouraged, But I set some goals through out the year and I am happy to say I met or almost met most of them. This year, I am aiming for getting in better physical shape and becoming more organized. This may be harder to do since I will probably be setting up a second home in another state...so two homes to keep straight. Eh, I won't think about THAT right now.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes, I had the joy of meeting my 7 week old great niece and 11 week old great-GREAT nephew at Christmas. Both babies were born in Detroit but my great nephew has moved his little family back home to Arkansas so I will get to see little Jagur more, I hope, when I go home for visits.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

I did not lose any family this year, which is a blessing since I lost my Mom the year before. However, a special friend, Winthrop Rockefeller, Lt. Gov of Arkansas, passed away and it made me very sad. He was too young and the last time I saw him, he was still healthy, vibrant, funny, and as charming as ever. I treasure the last picture made of us together. My Feller was the photographer and we recalled what a genuine person Win was......he is missed.
And.......
She was not a human person, but my sweet little Patches had to be put down this fall. I adored that little dog and thought my heart would break for several weeks. Patches got me through some pretty dark spots in my life and her absence is acute some days. She was my precious Lumpy Dumpy.......I miss her so.

5. What countries did you visit?

We went to Mexico this year and Paris the year before. We hope to go to Italy this year if Feller can get off work.

6. What would you like to have in 2007
that you lacked in 2006?

More organization, more free time (which is silly since I do not have a public job and should be able to just back up and say "No work today!), more friends.

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched
upon your memory, and why?

I do not really have any specific dates since nothing earth shattering happened to me last year. However, my daughter and I both had milestone birthdays so I guess I will say Jan 10 and May 19.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Achieving a level of success in my home based business and being a better person/partner to my Feller.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Working too much and letting my home go. My cottage business has taken over my home and I MUST eliminate that.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Unfortunately, I was plagued by one or another complaints a lot of the year. I really need to take better care of my health. Feller does a great job taking care of me but since he is now living in another state, I cannot afford to have some of the same issues recur. I am getting old...parts wear out....but I still think I am 25 years old. Reality check!!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I did not buy it but Feller bought me a new car to replace the one I literally drove until it would not move. I love my new ride and am so very appreciative of it and it is MINE.....no car payments.....just get in it and go!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

I would like to say my daughter but she still worries the heck out of me. I am praying this is the year maturity finally takes up residence with her and the wild-life, carefree college mind set settles down. {Please God, I am just praying....}
I would have to say Feller once more. After a bumpy start, we are finally settling into a much more giving and peaceful place. We are both very determined and head strong and each of us have lived on our own for so long, we have had to adjust to sharing space. We are so much better now.....and then he moves again. *sheesh*

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

The one person I called friend here. Money is indeed the root of all evil and it destroyed a relationship I valued so much. Competition and greed killed it and it still hurts my heart and makes me sad but I cannot change anyone but myself and I have to accept who a person shows me they are.....even though it hurts. I miss her but she obviously did not need me as much as I needed her and I put a lot of my heart into my friendships. It hurts when they wither........

14. Where did most of your money go?

Business related expenses and my daughter, who always seems to live beyond her means. I have been letting her know she is about to be on her own and she better learn to stay out of the malls. I also help out my sis and her family now that he cannot work due to injuy.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Um, nothing really got me going that much. Travel does it for me so I would have to say our cruise trip to Mexico and our week in Boston.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?

The only one that really stands out to me is one of Carrie Underwood's, "Jesus Take The Wheel". Not only does she have a beautiful voice, the message is so true and one we all need to hear.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
c) richer or poorer?richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

More R & R with Feller while he had the whole summer off. We live near two lakes, we have three boats, and none of them got wet all summer. That is just pathetic.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Work. And, I work on the computer so I now have PC butt.....I need to get that taken care of.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

I went home to Arkansas and saw my Baby Girl and my sister's large family. I got to meet the 2 new babies and a new great niece in law, my nephew's serious girlfriend. We had such a lovely time and it warmed my heart to be with my family. I just wish Feller could have been there too.......

21. Did you fall in love in 2006?

I fell back in love with My Love......and it is truly better the second time around.

23. What was your favorite TV program?

I have several I like: ER, American Idol, Survivor, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy.... I'm shallow, I admit it. My all time favorite, makes-me-laugh-till-I-snort: America's Funniest Videos. I LOVE that show and it guarantees me a belly laugh a day. I guess I just love slap stick and real life comedy.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t
hate this time last year?

I don't hate anyone but I have a great heart hurt from one person and sadly, I don't think she is even aware of how much her actions wounded me.

25. What was the best book you read?

I did not read a book last year.....really. How totally loser can I be? I started several, finished none. I'm telling you, all I did was WORK. When I was not working, I was recovering. Ask Feller....I was a machine.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

This past year? Hum....well......is none an answer? Truly, I guess it would have to be the CD's my daughter makes me. I have lost touch with all new music since she went to college but she makes CD's for me and I always love her selections. I am such a boring fuddy duddy.

27. What did you want and get?

A new car.......got it.......love it! It has POWER! So much so, I got a speeding ticket coming home from Arkansas after Christmas. Talk a post-holiday let down. *jeez louise*

28. What did you want and not get?

A new cell phone of my very own. Have to tell you - the longest, worst, on-going battle the Feller and I have is his stubbornness over the cell phone issue. (besides the fact that he is a such a tight wad) I am using his. He insists that is acceptable........but it is not and we have one argument after another over it. There is no simple solution so it just drags on always.

29. What movies did you see - favorite?

I did not enter a movie theater all year. Again, I am a dull slug.

30. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

Well, I had "The Biggie" and Feller took me to eat. We did not do a lot but I have a Trip Ticket in my drawer which will take me wherever I choose. I am still trying to decide. I also have my choice of a really nice curio cabinet waiting to be picked out. I am holding off until we get our other house since this house is full. I need it now since I have so many delightful little treasures that need a proper home but I want a nice area to display it so I am waiting to make a choice.

31. What one thing would have made your year
immeasurably more satisfying?

Organization, time management, play, exercise........and not feeling like crap nearly the whole year. I hit "The Big Mark" and my body celebrated by falling apart, one piece at a time. I am hoping it has all settled in one soft, flabby mass and will behave this year.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?

Simplify. I tried to limit new purchases and only add those things that would compliment my existing wardrobe. I did splurge on some cutesy cruise wear but that was a special thing, not a life style change. I am all about comfort and coordinating so packing for trips is easier. I like black and neutral colors and like looking put together so that is what I watch for. Plus, I am a huge bargain shopper so anything on sale that works, I buy a bunch. I have more plain white tee shirts than anyone I know...and I live in them. Really, a white tee goes with and under anything. But, only buy good ones that do not shrink or stretch out of shape. LOVE them.

32. What kept you sane?

Have not found that magic pill yet......I tend to be a goof. No, seriously, I meditate and pray a lot. I have a special place where I can look at my woods and it always medicates my soul.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I don't fancy any of them, really. I think most of them are self-absorbed and shallow. I do adore Tom Hanks but that is because I just want to hang out with him and be his buddy pal.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

Our president. The man irritates and infuriates me. I could get on a huge soap box here but won't. Let it be said, it is way past time for a change and hopefully, with someone who can speak without sounding like a backwoods idiot.

36. Who did you miss?

My Mom, my family, my daughter, my Feller when he is working, and my friends.

37. Who was the best new person you met?

Can't say I really met anyone new. I do not work outside the home, I do not have a social life in the place I live now, and don't get out much. I did meet a really nice, totally cool gal when we went on a business trip to NC. She is the wife of the Chairman of the Board for the hospital and I found out she used to live in my home town and we know some of the same people. That excites me since I may have a built in pal if I ever get to move there.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.

I re- learned that people will and can hurt you and that opening your heart to folks is risking having it broken. I have always known this but it still catches me off guard when it happens and it takes me a while to recover. I also learned that being a mom is the hardest job in the world. Well, i have known that all aong but there are times, it is a more acute lesson.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I can't. I cannot think of a single song that sums up my year. Maybe I will edit if I get a flash of inspiration but please don't hold your breath. I do not want to be the reason anyone passes out and falls off their chair. 'K?

I tag anyone who wants to do this. Hopefully, it won't take you as long as it did me. If you do it, please leave a comment so I can read yours too!

It's Been a Long, Long Time.......

2006-12-29T20:52:00.000-05:00

Hello To Anyone Who May Still be Wandering in the Wilderness Over Here......

Yeah, I am still here. I just simply have not had a blogging urge or inspiration so I did not waste my time nor yours......

Aren't you just tickled pink that I am putting word to blog now?!
Yeah, that's what I thought. Ha....bear with me.

Christmas has come and gone. It is done for a year and.......yay.
I simply had so little spirit, except when I was in Arkansas with my family. I did not even put a tree up this year...first time in my life. But, NO ONE was going to see it but me - and the cat - and all he wants to do is climb it...so I just said 'bah humbug' and left it boxed up. I did throw up a few garlands and lights on the porch so I would not look like the local grinch. woo hoo....

I enjoyed being with my Baby Girl and my sister's family. Meeting my new great niece and great-great nephew was wonderful! They are 7 weeks and 11 weeks respectively and tell me, is anything sweeter than a baby at Christmas? Oh, I loved bonding with sweet little Tessa Rae! I did not get to spend nearly enough time with little Jagur however.
I also got to meet my great nephew's new bride, the mommy, and my other nephew's sweetheart.....wedding bells soon??
All in all, I go to meet 4 new family members and it was a blessing! It makes me hate living here even more, if that is possible.

I have not seen Feller since before Thanksgiving and that is TOO long! He is coming home the first week of January as he is in Florida visiting his folks this week. He needed to go and I am glad he went.
We will have a late Christmas with each other when he comes home......and we will watch the National Football Championship together and it will be GOOD! Go Gators!

My trip back here after Christmas was horrible.....with a capitol H. I got a late start since I had a touch of the GI bug that was going around my family. Nothing like an 800 mile, 13 hour, drive alone with a stomach virus. It was after midnight when I got home and I can hardly remember the last 100 miles from Lexington. That is NOT a good thing! I am still trying to get well and now have a sore throat. I spend so much time alone, I apparently have NO immunities and was with 20 family members! Oh, and I also got a speeding ticket. great. I never get tickets so it really ticked me off but what can you do? It was a fat, older, white State Trooper chick....she was on such a power trip, I just bit my tongue and signed the damn thing. She looked like she should have been rocking babies and baking cookies, not hiding in the bushes, waiting to hit me for going 70!! On a highway...straight, dry, and clear....sheesh!! Maybe she got an end-of-year bonus....who knows?

Still, it was SO nice to be back home....I miss my family and friends SO much! It seems all I have encountered living here fall in to this category:

http://suburbanturmoil.blogspot.com/2006/05/shitty-friend-syndrome.html

I am quite weary of their "games" but I am just trying to not think of it and let them continue on their merry way. However, seeing old faces back home and catching up reminded me how much I miss my pals and how sad it makes me to only have met SF's here. One on every corner, so it seems. But, I have sweet, dear friends back home and so I know they DO exist....just not any I have met living with these backwoods hillbillies. Do I sound bitter? Yeah, that's what I thought....but it IS my blog and this is how I feel. I just miss my friends, the ones who know me and still love me, and laugh with me and don't compete with me and don't act like they are the only part of the equation that matters.

I am now gearing up to work hard the rest of the winter, get the rest of this stuff out of my home and start spending more time looking for another house. I love our home and it is really nice but it's big and lonely and too much for me to tend to alone. I am ready to be with the human race again. Feller worries about me but he knows I am pretty independent and can take care of myself.....I am just tired of having to do it. He feels a bit guilty because he has to be living and working in NC. He wishes I had a gal pal to ease the isolation but he also knows how THAT has gone in the past so he just lets it go. He tried to warn me....I just did not listen.
Ah well....his judge of character is much more practical and less trusting than mine.
But, trust me....I know NOW!

Oh well, enough of THAT. She is so not worth it....for real.

End of year thoughts:

1. I am happy my daughter is turning into a lovely young woman, about to graduate from Emory University in Atlanta. (HIRE her, please!) And she is learning to cook! Now THAT'S major! She watches the Food Network, cooks for her roomies, and collects recipes from me and my sis. And she is hostess for an Italian Restaurant. And she weighs 110. Not fair, I scream, NOT fair!

2. I worry about my sister and how she and her hubs will manage while he still recovers from his broken leg and ankle and is off work. Lots of hard praying here.....

3. I miss my Feller but admire the work he does. We get along better when we are apart....that's all we've ever known. (just kidding here)

4. My heart still aches for my sweet Patches. I miss my dog.....very, very much.

5. I love my cat, Koko, and he does his best to love me back. But he gets hair all over me.....and my house.

6. I am ready for the next chapter, whatever that might be. Me, the one who hates change, I'm SO ready to move on. Northeast KY has lost its appeal, what little it ever had. Same old complaint- the folks here are clannish and stuck up and just *wierd*. Those who have the least to gloat over act the most greedy, superior and haughty. Save it, sister. I ain't impressed....never was.

7. Getting old has its perks...I would not have openly bitched about any of this ten years ago. But, I also had migraines, an ulcer and an eating disorder ten years ago. Now, I am just fat and sassy and honest.....ha! :-)

8. I miss my Mom...a lot. But I have missed her for a long, long time, even before she died.
Alzheimers is an evil, hateful disease and I hope I die of ANYTHING else but that.

9. Faith and prayer can get you through anything but there are days it is harder to find....and I remind myself, "If God feels far away, who moved?" Hum?

10. A new year, new opportunities, new lessons to be learned, new mistakes to be made, new horizons to explore......come on, 2007! I am ready for you!

Let's roll!

(holiday pics will come soon....I have not felt like uploading and editing them)

Woo Pig Sooiiee! Go Razorbacks!

2006-11-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

Razorbacks have a 9-1 start including a perfect 6-0 record in Southeastern Conference play. The Hogs’ 6-0 start in the SEC is the best in school history and the longest conference winning streak to start a season since Arkansas won all seven of its games in the Southwest Conference in 1988. They are currently ranked 5th in the nation and are expected to finish undefeated in their regular season play. If all plays out as I predict, the Hogs will more than likely face the Fla. Gators for the title game. If that happens, it will be a good thing the Feller is in another state. We love and support each other all year long but HE is a Gator and I am a Hog.

Yes, I admit it.......I am a pig.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIS!

2006-11-10T23:09:00.000-05:00

Today is my big sister's birthday.
"Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday, you old Far-Art! Happy Birthday to you!"

I sent her a nice card and gift earlier this week but I have not spoken to her today...however, she knows I love her.

She has been at the hospital today with her hubby who had a bad accident a few weeks ago. He had to have more tests and "icky guy stuff". (According to my Feller, it is God's way of balancing out womens' female miseries....just as most of us gals are settling into "The Change" with some modicum of acceptance, a lot of our men get a big fat prostate and faulty plumbing and all-that-stuff.....I am still waiting on them to pass a cantelope out of their nether regions...and then we will be even)

Anyway, I will talk to her tomorrow and graciously remind her that she is HOW much older than me....and we will laugh cause that is just how we are.

I get to see her in about a week and a half and I.cannot.wait.

Love you, Sissy....truly I do.

*DISCLAIMER: I love men, but they are fun to pick at!

2006-11-10T08:49:00.000-05:00

Masculine Maladies...

One day my housework-challenged husband decided to wash his sweatshirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to me, "What setting do I use on the washing machine?"

"It depends," I replied. "What does it say on your shirt?"

He yelled back, "University of Oklahoma."

And they say blondes are dumb...

* * *

A couple is lying in bed.

The man says, "I am going to make you the happiest woman in the world."
The woman replies, "I'll miss you..."

* * *

"It's just too hot to wear clothes today," Jack says as he stepped out of the shower, "Honey, what do you think the neighbors would think if I mowed the lawn like this?"

"Probably that I married you for your money," she replied.

* * *

Q: What do you call an intelligent, good looking, sensitive man?
A: A rumor

* * *

A man and his wife, now in their 60's, were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. On their special day a good fairy came to them and said that because they had been so good that each one of them could have one wish.

The wife wished for a trip around the world with her husband.

Whoosh! Immediately she had airline/cruise tickets in her hands.

The man wished for a female companion 30 years younger...

Whoosh...immediately he turned ninety!!!

Gotta love that fairy!

* * *

Dear Lord,

I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And Patience for his moods. Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength, I'll beat him to death.

AMEN

* * *

Q: Why do little boys whine?
A: They are practicing to be men.

* * *

Q: What do you call a handcuffed man?
A: Trustworthy.

* * *

Q: What does it mean when a man is in your bed gasping for breath and calling your name?
A: You did not hold the pillow down long enough.

* * *

Q: Why do men whistle when they are sitting on the toilet?
A: It helps them remember which end they need to wipe.

* * *

Q: How do you keep your husband from reading your e-mail?
A: Rename the mail folder "Instruction Manuals"

* * *

Ok, Ok,......I am NOT man-bashing, just having a little fun. Ya' gotta' admit, some of them are just TOO funny!
Happy TGIF!
(and don't forget to hug your guy today!)

Where've You Been?

2006-11-10T01:03:00.000-05:00

create your own visited states map

Here's a fun little linkie thingie....just select each state you've been to and get a cool little map with your states in red (I would have preferred pink, thank you)......like this.

I think I need to branch out a bit.....I seem to have been avoiding the west coast...and the ones at the top. Bottom heavy, just like me.

I also seem to favor the southern states.......which makes sense - since I AM a "GRITS".
{Girl Raised In The South}
;-)

create your own visited countries map

Here's one for visited countries. Sadly, my passport has not seen that much action.

*ahem*
No, I have not updated in several days and no, I do not have anything profound to offer.
Some days, I simply cannot do more than read others' blogs and wonder how and where they find the time and inspiration to post such entertaining and insightful posts.
I have a lot of utterly delightful thoughts and stories and poems and monologues skittering through my brain......but putting them into written word is just so much work...
I think it is because I spend SO much time entering written words for "WORK"....that nasty four letter word.
Yes, I am the hardest boss I have ever worked for. Ever.

My Celebrity Look-Alikes (or ARE-YOU-KIDDING?!)

2006-11-03T11:20:00.000-05:00

Okay, I can hang with Madonna, Heather, Sally, Shakira (wish I could shake like that!)....in fact, Madonna came up on every picture I tried......but I have not adopted any kiddos so the resemblance stops there.

That Benita chick just scares me! *eww* Can we say Harsh?!

Michelle Kwan?? Hum, I LIVE with an Asian, but I sure don't LOOK like one.

Was surprised Elizabeth Montgomery, Samantha on "Bewtiched", did not pop up as I have heard my whole life that I look like her....go figure.

I tried a few of my daughter's just for fun. She and I both got a Susan Lucci hit so I guess that means she is indeed my "mini-me" as we have heard her whole life.......poor child.

(We are both green-hazel eyed blondes, average size, not tiny, not big....how did we get a dark, teeny boned chick like Erica?!)

The strangest hit was Gary Sinise.....now I know for sure.

I would make one fugly guy.......

How Girly Are You?

2006-11-02T02:07:00.000-05:00

You Are 60% Girly

You're a little girly, a little boyish, and probably a whole lot indie.

You have your own unique style, and it pretty much defies gender lines.

How Girly Are You?

Pretty accurate.....next?

Ummm....My Pamper Me Snack!

2006-11-01T17:05:00.000-05:00

It is a dreary, rainy, cold day..........and I knew just the pick-me-up I needed.
No, it is not diet-friendly but it sure was yummy!
A slice of moist Amaretta Liqueur cake with a dollop of Italian Fig "Casa Giulia" jam (slightly warmed) and a steaming cup of Pumpkin Spice coffee........yes, a BIG mix of flavors but JUST what I was craving.

What's YOUR favorite "make-me-cozy", *sinful* snack?

WFMW Thanksgiving HELP Site

2006-11-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

Even though I will be traveling to see my family in Arkansas during Thanksgiving, I just LOVE this site! I know there are a lot of "help" sites available but this one covers all the bases from deep frying a turkey to decorating for the season. There are a lot of cool links and has a little bit of everything.
Just clicking through it gets me in the mood for some cranberry sauce, mulled cider and cornbread dressing!

http://www.arcamax.com/recipes/s-127435-321049

PUMPKIN HOUSE to be on the "Ellen DeGeneres" Show

2006-10-28T19:26:00.000-04:00

Just thought I would share that an attraction located a few minutes from my home is going to be on the "Ellen DeGeneres" show this coming Monday. The crew just showed up unannounced this past week and filmed a segment to be aired the day before Halloween.

There is a Victorian home located in Kenova, W VA and each year, they carve and then display over 3500 pumpkins on the house, in the yard, on specially built walls (2 stories high!), around the trees, along the street...everywhere they can find a space. We have been the last two years and it is rather amazing to see all the work that goes into this....all for fun, no profit.

Each pumpkin is carved from a pattern drawn and collected by the man of the house. School groups, churchs, businesses, etc. all volunteer to carve. Every single pumpkin is lit with an electic bulb. I will tell you that if you wait until the day or so after Halloween as we did the first time we went, it begins to get a little smelly from the mushy pumpkins. *eww*

Last year, we went the night before Halloween and they were all still pretty fresh and he had added a lot to the display.

Anyway, if you want to see a pretty neat seasonal display, tune into the "Ellen" show Monday.
Here are a few pics I took last year:

~That's me, ordering a "Pumpkin Pop"....

Girls' Night Out (or "The Sort of Stuff My College Daughter Sends to Me"!)

2006-10-27T17:36:00.000-04:00

(Have I ever mentioned that my daughter is a nut who has a VERY dry sense of humor and is more like my peer than my child........?)

"Girls night out"
---WHY WOMEN SHOULD AVOID A GIRLS NIGHT OUT AFTER THEY'RE MARRIED!

The other night I was invited out for a night with "the girls." I told my husband that I would be home by midnight , "I promise!" Well, the hours passed and the margaritas went down WAY too easy. Around 3 a.m. and quite a bit drunk, I headed for home. Just as I got in the door, the cuckoo clock in the hall started up and cuckooed 3 times. Quickly, realizing my husband would probably wake up, I cuckooed another 9 times. I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a quick-witted solution in order to escape a possible conflict with him. (Even when totally smashed)...3 cuckoos plus 9 cuckoos totals 12 cuckoos = MIDNIGHT. The next morning my husband asked me what time I got in, and I told him "Midnight!". He didn't seem pissed off at all. Got away with that one! Then he said, "We need a new cuckoo clock." When I asked him why?, he said, "Well, last night our clock cuckooed three times, then said, "Oh shit.", cuckooed 4 more times, cleared it's throat, cuckooed another 3 times, giggled, cuckooed twice more, and then tripped over the coffee table and farted."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, this not profound or moving or inspiring..........but, it IS funny!
It also sounds like something I would have done a few years ago. I am more grown up now....I would not throw a decoy cuckoo! :D

I am trying hard to get back into a "groove" after a much-too-short visit from Feller. We had a good time: got some chores done, took a day date, had a nice lunch out, did some frivolous shopping, hit our favorite flea market (in the rain!), ate supper in bed while watching TV (are we the only weirdos who DO that?!) and then had to part again way too soon.
He has the ability to drive me batty and get on my last nerve but he also is able to make me laugh (at him!) and he takes care of me and reassures me and always has my best interests at heart. He is an excellent provider and partner......and he is in another state for three more weeks.
I find myself so blue for the first few hours after he leaves and then I get okay and actually enjoy my "me" time.....for a while.
Like he said to me, I will miss him now and then be ready for him to hit the road next month after he has been here for 2 or 3 days.
He knows me too well............

p.s. The leaves did not "hold" very well....I missed having our annual boating on the lake to Leaf-Peep.....but it was too dang cold and most of the color had fallen off......oh well........there is always next year. *sigh*

$20.00

2006-10-22T22:51:00.000-04:00

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by

holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked,

"Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you

but first, let me do this.

He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?"

And he dropped it on the ground

and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.

"Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson.

No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it

because it did not decrease in value.

It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives,

we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt

by the decisions we make and

the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless.

But no matter what has happened or

what will happen, you will never lose your value.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased,

you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know,

but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.

You are special- Don't EVER forget it."

Count your blessings, not your problems.

"And remember: amateurs built the ark ..

professionals built the Titanic.

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

~copied

An.....ti......ci......pa......tion!

2006-10-20T00:14:00.000-04:00

Feller's coming home!

Sorta'..........

He is headed home next Tuesday and will go back to NC Thursday......
It's a good thing.......I am almost getting used to him being gone.......

I'm just saying........

But hey, at least I get 2 1/2 days, right? Hopefully we will have a little time to go leaf peeping at the lake near here like we did last year.....HOPEFULLY. The leaves are simply gorgeous in these Kentucky hills! (insert short prayer: Dear God, If it is within Your will, please let the pretty leaves hang on until he gets here! Amen)

So, with that said, I may not be here much. I have been working my tail off on my ebay postings...(go look, LOTS of yummy vintage Christmas goodies and such - buy my stuff and let it come live with you instead of me) :-)
....and I REALLY have to get the house in order. Not that he cares...he tends to be a slob anyway, but "I" care and I "WILL" get the house yummy clean and smelling like cinnamon and apples and all things "autumn-y".

'Till later............be blessed!

Be Prepared

2006-10-17T11:34:00.000-04:00

A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows."

This puzzled the farmer. But he liked the young man, and hired him.

A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm. They quickly began to check things out to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace.

The young man slept soundly.

The farmer and his wife then inspected their property. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements.

The tractor had been moved into the garage. The barn was properly locked. Even the animals were calm. All was well.

The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, "I can sleep when the wind blows."

Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for the storm when it broke. So when the wind blew, he was not afraid. He could sleep in peace.

~copied
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If we can catch up in our lives with all of the things we are behind in, and prepare properly for things, then we will really learn to understand what sound sleep really is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am hoping for a good night's sleep some day (or night!).................

Today's Funny......

2006-10-16T13:56:00.000-04:00

I HAD forgotten to get my estrogen-patch prescription re-filled, and soon the symptoms of menopause-hot flashes, forgetfulness, irritability-returned. At the drugstore, I found myself telling the pharmacist all about my problems. After listening patiently, he asked, "So, how many people asked you to get this refilled?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a good day......it is only Monday for 24 hours!! :-D

Prayers please.......

2006-10-14T22:10:00.000-04:00

I truly do believe in the power of prayer.........and I respectfully solicit it in His name.

My sister and her family live in Arkansas where I lived until 3 years ago. We are all very close and she is like my surrogate mom. She's my last blood family except for an uncle.
They have had a tough time. My sis is disabled from chronic systemic lupus and my BIL has suffered a broken back and three back surgeries...all work related...and then they fired him. Too big an insurance risk.
They are struggling to get back on their feet after bankruptcy and today, my sis called to tell me my sweet BIL had fallen only three rungs down a ladder where he was working on his deer stand in preparation for adding meat to their winter food stores.

The ladder went one way and he went the other...not very high at all...but the rung acted as a lever and he suffered a compound fracture of both leg bones in his right leg and shattered his ankle. Both bones came through his sock.....
He has just gone into recovery (in a hospital 50 miles from their home) after almost four hours of orthopedic surgery. He will be in a cast for 6-8 weeks to let the pins, plates, and bones heal. Then, he will be on crutches for 6 months to let the bones regraft. Ankles are hard to repair....so many little bones.
How they will survive financially is beyond comprehension as he will not be able to work and he has been off almost three years due to his back.
My heart is heavy and I feel their burdens.
We all help as much as we can but we need a spiritual intervention for strength, healing, and courage.
I struggled with the decision but, I am not going there right now. It is a 13 hour drive and my Feller is in another state as well. I want more than anything to be there with my family......
I made the difficult decision to stay here for now and work as hard as I can with my ebay business so that I might be able to better help them monetarily. I already contribute as I can but the need has been magnified and will be for a long time.
Please pray for them - for strength, healing, and peace, and for me to stay well myself and have strength, fortitude, and good business so that I might help to provide for my loved ones. You won't find better, sweeter, more Christ-like folks anywhere than they are.
My heart is heavy and sad and I need a hug.....but I have yet another week or so before I can get one..........
Thank you and blessings to all.

Ripple Effect

2006-10-12T22:08:00.000-04:00

Consider how much one small action, one little word, can grow a life of its own and reach out to touch so many. Positive or negative...it is our choice.

Did you smile at the grocery checker today or complain at how slow the line was? Did you nod at your mailman or meet the UPS delivery guy with a pleasant thank you or were your rushed and short and haggard and impatient? Did you let a car out ahead of you in traffic or inch forward to protect your territorial space?
For every smile you give, for every courtesy extended, for every pleasant act of graciousness - you have the chance to touch a heart or melt a coldness or cheer a lonely spirit......and every grumble has the potential to ruin another's day.

Chances are, your one small act will ripple out in an ever widening circle until it finds its way back to you......be careful which one you choose.

(Photo was taken last fall at a little lake near our house. I probably won't get to see the leaves change there this year as Feller is gone and I cannot pull the boat with my car.)

Kitty Litter Cake

2006-10-11T22:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, I will be the first to admit.....this is more than a little gross!
A friend sent this to me and I just had to share.
With Halloween just around the corner, maybe one of you brave and daring souls would have the guts to try it.

It is wayyyyy out there but you would sure win the "Most Original" dessert prize!

Read on but do not peek at the picture until you have read the recipe, 'kay?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*Kitty Litter Cake"*~
This is *no joke*
READ THE INGREDIENTS AND STUFF FIRST AND THEN LOOK AT THE PHOTO...

TRUST ME...

DON'T LOOK AT THE PHOTO FIRST, BUT LAST...

This is for all you cooks out there looking for something a little
different.........

WANT TO HAVE FUN AT A PARTY? PREPARE THIS RECIPE! COMPLETELY EDIBLE,
BUT YOUR FRIENDS MAY NOT THINK SO!

"On a recent visit to our veterinarian to get shots for our cat I found
this recipe on the waiting room bulletin board. After recovering from
hysterical laughter, I obtained a copy from the office staff so that my
wife could make it, which she refused to do. I took it to work and gave
the recipe to a lady at work who loves cats. The pictures below show
the results of her work. It doesn't look very nice, but it's actually
quite tasty, so I decided to pass it along."

CAKE INGREDIENTS:
1 box spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 box of white cake mix
1 package white sandwich cookies
1 large package vanilla instant pudding mix
A few drops green food
coloring
12 small Tootsie Rolls or equivalent

SERVING "DISHES AND UTENSILS"
1 NEW cat-litter box
1 NEW cat-litter box liner
1 NEW pooper scooper

1) Prepare and bake cake mixes, according to directions, in any sizepan. Prepare pudding and chill. Crumble cookies in small batches in
blender or food processor. Add a few drops of green food coloring to 1
cup of cookie crumbs. Mix with a fork or shake in a jar. Set aside.

2) When cakes are at room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl.
Toss with half of the remaining cookie crumbs and enough pudding to
make the mixture moist but not soggy. Place liner in litter box and
pour in mixture.
3) Unwrap 3 Tootsie Rolls and heat in a microwave until soft and
>pliable. Shape the blunt ends into slightly curved point s. Repeat with
three more rolls. Bury the rolls decoratively in the cake mixture.
Sprinkle remaining white cookie crumbs over the mixture, then scatter
green crumbs lightly over top.

4) Heat 5 more Tootsie Rolls until almost melted. Scrape them on top of
the cake and sprinkle with crumbs from the litter box. Heat the
remaining Tootsie Roll until pliable and hang it over the edge of the
box. Place box on a sheet of newspaper and serve with scooper. Enjoy!

"Kitty Litter Cake"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were warned! :o)

WFMW Christmas Boxes

2006-10-11T21:10:00.000-04:00

It may be a little late for this tip this year but I wanted to share it anyway.
I keep "Christmas Boxes"...by that, I mean I keep designated boxes in an accessible area and I add items to them all year, starting as soon as I put away the current year's Christmas stuff. I also add generic baby or wedding gift ideas.
When I see neat stuff on sale or find NEW items at a yard sale or wherever, I put them in my box(es). It is amazing how fast they fill up!
My family always looks forward to my presents since they get a variety of really nice gifts and they are geared to what the recepient will use or enjoy.
I am the one who gets the biggest kick out of since by the time I start sorting them (around Thanksgiving), I am always surprised to see what I have stashed throughout the year. By doing this in November, I have time to shop for completers or extras.
I started this tradition as a single mom when money was very tight and this was the only way I could give to my Loved Ones. It is sort of like a home lay-away!
Do you realize how CLOSE Christmas is getting? Yikes!

Of the Devil.......

2006-10-11T02:32:00.000-04:00

......that's what machines are.

I have had blog issues today. Thanks to novaks8~firelfies and frogs~ for setting me on a corrective course.
I hope I have it fixed (can't know for sure since it looked fine to me anyway). THANK YOU!

But.......the biggest headache was that DSL was out Tuesday day and night. Of course, that meant NO work and I have SO much to do! I am getting ready to list lots of sweet vintage Christmas items and, well, I got an unexpected respite but of course, that means I just have to work twice as hard in the next day or so.

Anyway......not feeling very insightful or funny or anything except tired and frustrated and aggravated.......did not help me *one little bit* the Feller was *testy* when I called him out of desperation and he more or less called me a "Drama Queen".

Huney, I CAN show you some drama!!!

Ah........methinks I just need to go to bed. :-)

GRRRR!

2006-10-10T16:13:00.000-04:00

It seems my blog posts are not showing up for some reason. I know this must be true as Corey was kind enough to write me and tell me all she could see is my header and sidebar....however, "I" Can see all of it.

I checked my stats and see that all visitors today have 0:00 stays ....so they must not be seeing my posts either. I am not a blogging expert and the "help" section is sorely lacking.

Sooooo.....I may just be floating out there in virtual space with no life line.

help.

(of course, this is a futile cry if no one can see me......) :-( *sniff*

Numbers.....

2006-10-09T20:57:00.000-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I graduated High School, I was a muscular, lean-mean 117.......

After college - in my 20's, I was a fit and fine 120...............

After having Baby Girl - in my 30's, I settled into a comfy 130..........

After "The Divorce" - in my 40's (when I plummeted to a boney 110 - you know, The Divorce Diet?), I fluffed back up to a firm 140.......

I had "The Big Birthday" - 50, this past summer......you do the math........

Does this mean I may eventually live to be 200??!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Putting the pieces together....

2006-10-09T14:44:00.000-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a man who had a little boy that he loved very much. Everyday after work the man would come home and play with the little boy. He would always spend all of his extra time playing with the little boy.

One night, while the man was at work, he realized that he had extra work to do for the evening, and that he wouldn't be able to play with his little boy. But, he wanted to be able to give the boy something to keep him busy. So, looking around his office, he saw a magazine with a large map of the world on the cover. He got an idea. He removed the map, and then patiently tore it up into small pieces. Then he put all the pieces in his coat pocket.

When he got home, the little boy came running to him and was ready to play. The man explained that he had extra work to do and couldn't play just now, but he led the little boy into the dining room, and taking out all the pieces of the map, he spread them on the table. He explained that it was a map of the world, and that by the time he could put it back together, his extra work would be finished, and they could both play. Surely this would keep the child busy for hours, he thought.

About half an hour later the boy came to the man and said, "Okay, it's finished. Can we play now?"

The man was surprised, saying, "That's impossible. Let's go see." And sure enough, there was the picture of the world, all put together, every piece in its place.

The man said, "That's amazing! How did you do that?" The boy said, "It was simple. On the back of the page was a picture of a man. When I put the man together the whole world fell into place."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are many potential lessons in this piece. I am asking you to leave a comment of what you think this story means.
Should be interesting to see what the pieces mean to you....

Five and Dime......

2006-10-08T21:37:00.000-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When young F. W. Woolworth was a store clerk, he tried to convince his boss to have a ten-cent sale to reduce inventory.

The boss agreed, and the idea was a resounding success. This inspired Woolworth to open his own store and price items at a nickel and a dime. He needed capital for such a venture, so he asked his boss to supply the capital for part interest in the store.

His boss turned him down flat. "The idea is too risky," he told Woolworth. "There are not enough items to sell for five and ten cents." Woolworth went ahead without his boss's backing, and he not only was successful in his first store, but eventually he owned a chain of F. W. Woolworth stores across the nation.

Later, his former boss was heard to remark, "As far as I can figure out, every word I used to turn Woolworth down cost me about a million dollars."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The greatest risk in life is not taking any risks at all. In life, people rarely regret when they tried, but didn't succeed. They regret when they never tried at all.

What will YOU try this week?

Have You Ever......

2006-10-08T13:53:00.000-04:00

My first MeMe, from Ink on my Fingers...

(NO details provided due to the sensitive nature of some of the queries.) :D

Have you ever:

1. Taken a picture completely naked? NO
2. Danced in front of a mirror naked? YES
3. Told a lie? YES
4. Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back? YES
5. Been arrested? NO
6. Seen someone die? YES
7. Kissed a picture? YES
8. Slept in until 5pm? YES
9. Had sex at work (on the clock)? YES
10. Fallen asleep at work/school? YES
11. Held a snake? YES
12. Ran a red light? YES
13. Been suspended from school? NO
14. Pole danced? NO
15. Been fired from a job? YES
16. Sang karaoke? NO
17. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? YES
18. Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? YES
19. Laughed until you peed? YES
20. Caught a snowflake on your tongue? YES
21. Kissed in the rain? YES
22. Had sex in the rain? NO
23. Sang in the shower? YES
24. Gave your private parts a nickname? YES
25. Ever gone to school/work without underwear? NO
26. Sat on a roof top? YES
27. Played chicken? YES
28. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? YES
29. Broken a bone? YES
30. Flashed someone? NO
31. Mooned someone? NO
32. Shaved your head? NO
33. Slept naked? YES
34. Blacked out from drinking? YES
35. Played a prank on someone? YES
36. Had a gym membership? YES
37. Felt like killing someone? YES
38. Cried over someone you were in love with? YES
39. Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? YES
40. Been in a band? NO
41. Shot a gun? YES
42. Shot a bow and arrow? YES
43. Played strip poker? YES
44. Donated Blood? YES
45. Ever jump out of an airplane? NO
46. Been to more than 10 countries? NO

Okay, who's next?!

FOOTBALL!

2006-10-07T16:24:00.000-04:00

Wow.......I LOVE college football!

It is so funny...my daughter is the quintessential girly-girl, blonde, cheerleader, beauty queen gal. She was captain of the cheerleading squad in high school and two of her best guy friends went to UT on full football scholarships. Her junior and senior year of high school, our team was State Champions.
(Go Mighty Fightin' Warren Lumberjacks!)
In 7 years, I don't think I missed a single high school football game....even when it was 18 degrees, sleeting, and the game was 5 hours from home!

Today, SHE called ME to remind me to switch the TV over to the Arkansas Razorback game.

She just called me again on her way to work to rehash and celebrate their victory over Auburn.....Woo Pig Sooiiee! We differ on who we want to win between Florida and LSU. Of course, since Feller is a born and raised Gator, I am pulling for FLA.

Baby Girl is still bitter over FLA's win over UT Tennessee so she wants LSU to win. She's ticked that UT is playing GA in GA today and all of her friends are going and she has to work.

It is a hoot talking football with my daughter! Gotta' love it! (Too ironic she chose to go to college where they have NO football team!)

My Feller loves that he has a football freak girlfriend. He bugged me several times by phone while the Hogs were playing. Should I now call and bug HIM while the Gators are playing? Nah....

Okay, back to work and the game and hope YOUR team is winning today too! (unless they are playing against one of mine!) ;-)

79 DAYS?!

2006-10-07T02:12:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is 2:00 a.m. and I am still wide awake.

So.much.on.my.mind.and.heart.....sort of lonely.
No, correction......major lonely.
It has been a week since Feller left and even though I have been SO busy.....I am alone and I miss him.
And my daughter.....and my sister.
I have not seen my sister since last Christmas and that is absolutely the LONGEST I have ever gone without seeing her in my whole life. Since we have no parents, we are each other's blood family....we are all we have left.
She is my heart, my best friend, and my safe harbor.....and she is 13 hours away.*sigh*

Anyway, I was doing what I usually do when I have insomnia....reading my favorite blogs.

Thanks to Ms. Robyn, I realized that Christmas is only 79 days away! Or is it 78 or 80? I am too lazy to count them and Robyn is down under.....so is she ahead or am I behind? Hummmm?

So.....I have only just decorated for FAll and at the rate it took me to do that, I really should start putting Christmas out tomorrow and maybe will have it done by actual Christmas.

I am just a mess.......truly I am. I dont' even know where I will BE at Christmas!
Kentucky, North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia?

I guess I could be working but my head is so fuzzy, I am afraid I would just make a mess that I would have to re-do.....

I really should just go to bed, huh? I would - but I hear boogies and tonight, they have been as wide awake as me......and cats are lousy watch dogs.

The Fierce Watch-Cat
Be afraid....very afraid

Revealed Blessings

2006-10-06T20:44:00.000-04:00

The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly to be rescued, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with the smoke rolling up to the sky.

The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger.

"God, how could you do this to me!" he cried and complained.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship's horn that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Just reminding you to never forget that many blessings come in disguises. Often they show up as uncomfortable or even dangerous and painful situations. And often only later, sometimes decades later, does the true purpose of something revealed. May you all be blessed with revealed blessings.

One small step for me.....

2006-10-05T17:36:00.000-04:00

Woo Hoo!
Yay for me!

After publicly admitting my sloth yesterday, I got the ole rump in gear, gathered the courage to enter the "Belly of the Beast", a.k.a. the under-the-porch, full basement storage room....which is PACKED full! Of course, all of my fall decor was stored at the very back....where else would it be?!

Anyway, I moved out TOO many boxes of Christmas decor (you know, the last ones used so the first ones I could reach?)....I got out my autumn accents and started lugging them upstairs.

I cleaned off the front porch, placed all summer seasonal accents in plastic bags and boxes for storage in the little barn. I removed all spent flowers, took flower pots to the back, spruced up the plants still on display for now, and set out pretty lilac mums in the flower boxes. (TIP: When selecting mums, always pick lush green ones with the fewest blooms and most buds. That way, you will get to enjoy more blooms for a longer time period.)

I used the leaf blower (as best I could since it would not stay running and the feller is not here to work on it). I finally resorted to a regular broom which kills my back. But, I got all debris off the porch...funny how much collects considering it is a covered porch. I then cleaned the windows and sills and the front door with side panels. I even used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on the door and it looks freshly painted! Those little eraser thingies are great!

I changed all the wicker cushions and pillows over from summer pinks to more fall-ish colors. Well, almost all of them. I never finished sewing as many as I need. (Today, I have washed the cushions in preparation for storage.)

Then, I started adding my fall decor. I love scarecrows and pumpkins and have used that as my main decor theme. I really don't do Halloween and haven't since my daughter was very young. I like pumpkins but am not crazy about the whole witch/jack o' lantern/ghosties stuff. It just feels too pagan to me.

Anyway, I am quite pleased with myself since I really need to work (ebay is a never ending, hungry monster!) but I never seem to just putter to make me happy. So, that is what I did although it was unseasonally warm for this time of year and I was stinking sweaty by the time I finished. I took a long, relaxing bath with some of Ms. Peggy's goat milk soap in my favorite scent, White Diamonds. (hiddenhavenhomestead....go visit her...buy Ms. Diva's soaps...they are divine!)

I had a good day, wore myself out, but am quite happy when I see my pretty fall porch. I took these pictures this morning since Feller wants me to send him some pics as soon as his internet is connected. He is slightly homesick......already.

Now, if I could only get the house done.....**sigh**

TA DA!!

I do love this fall wreath with the fruit and roses that I snagged at a yard sale for one measley dollar! Love. It! (I made all of the other flower arrangements.)

Poke me with a sharp stick.

2006-10-04T11:38:00.000-04:00

Ok, I am going to admit it....just like at an AA meeting:

"Hello, I am Nancy. I am lazy."

There. Out of the closet. Exposed. Revealed.

I mean it....I swear I must be the laziest female ever.

I read all these wonderful blogs (what better way to be lazy than sitting on my big padded butt, staring at a computer screen?!)

I have good intentions, I really do. I want to get my house organized and cleaned, I want to put up all the beautiful holiday "stuff" I have collected over the years. I want to see the floor again!

But, I don't do it.

I read the blogs of amazing women who actually find TIME to write imaginative, informative, entertaining essays. They DO this all the while home schooling 15 kids, baking a week's worth of homemade bread, planting a 2 acre garden and canning all of their food, volunteering at the local food pantry, writing the great American novel, sewing all their own clothes for themselves and the 15 kids, making mad passionate love to their spouses and this is all before NOON!

I am lucky to comb my hair and dress myself before noon.....and sometimes I don't.

So, what is my problem? Why can't I get some of my tasks actually DONE?

I am not depressed. Been there, done that, know the difference.

I am just damn lazy!

I don't think I am alone...I think I am just one of the painfully honest gals who will claim it.

I make my lists, I have a mental picture of the end result, I have all the tools necessary to accomplish great things.....but my house looks like a tornado ripped through it and spit it all back out in a disgusting, mangled heap.

Of course,I currently have a good excuse (previous post regarding The Flood...)
But, what do I do after the impact of that one wears off?

I think I am just overwhelemd by my cottage industry which generates a lot of clutter and is compounded by the disruptions to my schedule from several uncontrollable episodes over the last few weeks.....ill health, household emergencies, death of my beloved dog.....ya' know?

So, I am going to try REALLY hard to make some progress. Starting today. I have NO valid excuse not to. I am here alone, I do not have any demands on my time from outside sources, my only child is busy at college, my only family lives 13 hours away from me, I have no real buddy-buddy friends here, my feller is in North Carolina on a new job and I am just putzing around this big ol' house, wasting time, being lazy and enjoying the hell outta' myself.

Okay, so now that I admitted it, I am asking that anyone who might read this, hold me accountable. ASK me what I have accomplished. Of course, I will probably lie and tell you I landscaped the yard, did all of my Christmas shopping, and built a sunroom today but we will know better......

Time for a nap....all this writing wore me out.

WFMW Laundry Room Dust Bunnies

2006-10-04T02:20:00.000-04:00

I cannot stand the lint and "stuff" that collects in my laundry room so I keep a Dustbuster on my dryer. I use it to suck off all the lint left on the lint trap after I clean it and I run it over the top of the dryer to capture all the little lint bunnies that run around. It keeps my laundry area so much neater and easier to clean.

*TIP: ALWAYS clean your lint trap after a load dries to increase dryer efficiency and decrease the chance of fire from accumulated lint.

Okay, my link thingie is not playing right so , for more "works for me wednesday" tips and tricks, click the link to Shannon in the graphic above. *sigh*

Water, water, everywhere......

2006-09-27T18:37:00.000-04:00

Imagine if you will, a ranch style home, typical four bedroom, 2 bath, LR/DR model, about 2000 sq. feet.

Now imagine if you will, a SECOND home the same size directly beneath it - den, guest suite, bathroom, utility/second kitchen, laundry room.

That is my home.....

Now, imagine the lower part - 1:00 a.m. in the morning - UNDER WATER! That was my night Tuesday night.

Jeez louise! We have always been secure in the knowledge that our lovely home is safely above flood level as we sit on a hill with no chance of flash flooding that is so common in these Kentucky hills. Little did we anticipate our own home would destroy our security and wreak havoc on our lives.

Blame one small 1" diameter rubber hose............

Amazing what a break in one of those will do!

I was in the kitchen, about to put take-out Chinese left overs away when I thought I heard the dishwasher running. But wait....I ran the dishwasher earlier in the day. However, the sound of rushing water was emitting from my sink area and to my horror, I realized that yes, my laundry room is directly beneath my kitchen! The Sweetie had installed a water alarm on the washing machine and we had not heard its ominous beep.

We raced downstairs and before I hit the last step, I knew we were in trouble.....it sounded like a water park downstairs. TROUBLE!

My heart did a leap in my chest as I saw at least 3 inches of water sloshing in the main hall and all but the den was swimming in H2O! (including the guest suite which has lovely Pergo wood floors and my Mother's heirloom bedroom suit!)

Soooooo.....I have spent the last 18 hours NON-STOP mopping up, using the 2 Wet Vacs that Sweetie rushed to Wal Mart in the middle of the night to purchase........and dealing with the misery and mess that accompanies a home flood. It s-u-c-k-s!!!

I have cried, ranted, raved, laughed hysterically, and just attacked the chore with a disjointed resolve to put it right. I am spent, exhausted, overwhelmed, and mad.....and so far behind in work, I will NEVER catch up! (wet bedding covers, rugs, stored clothing, computer equipment, books, games, carpet, recliner, holiday decor, etc., etc.!)

Sweetie leaves Saturday to begin his new job in North Carolina and I will be left here to deal with the final clean up and reorganization. I am just thankful if it were going to happen, at least it happened while he was still here to help me. He is about to be gone for at LEAST three weeks...... He feels badly but it is no one's fault. He tried to be preemptive with the alarm but we never expected that water would spray UP, instead of dripping DOWN from the connections, and short out the base unit before it could alert us. Hence, the washing machine was free to do its dastardly deed, unnoticed, unhindered, and for who knows how long?? (I rarely venture downstairs unless it is to do laundry or retreive something from the freezer in the utility/storage room. We live upstairs...)

So......how was YOUR day?

Bitch and Moan or Smile and Carry On?

2006-09-16T09:42:00.000-04:00

I am a terrible blogger.

That is odd in that I truly love words and the process of writing. I have always felt at home with the written word and the prose that ambles through my brain endlessly.
But..........I am a busy woman. I DO read my favorite blogs daily. I enjoy reading what other fascinating, HONEST, REAL women are doing with their lives and homes. I just never seem to take time to issue my own thoughts.....

I do NOT read ebay blogs! ( <-- stated emphatically and with meaning!)
I have a job. It is called ebay, and I have a home that is called "ours". I have been trying to find a way to separate them as one would separate from a "leave the house" job. If I spend my time reading ebay blogs and "how-to's" and "how comes" and general "look at me and all of my wonderful, unique ideas and stuff and spend your hard earned money and time with ME"......PUH-lease! I have enough "stuff" to last me a life time (and I like MINE better than yours anyway!) and seeing what others are doing is really of no interest to me. I also do not spend time searching for ideas and formats and templates and such to copy as ONE I KNOW loves to do. So unoriginal!!! And annoying.

I know I sound a teeny bitchy and bitter but you would have to know all the behind the scenes crap and hurt to understand and I don't want to get into it. Let me just wrap a tidy bow around it and say I was VERY hurt and disappointed by an individual who basically lied to me and herself and lives in a pretend world where it is okay to use and discard people as easily as she does her ever changing home decor!

Shallow, selfish, self centered, self important, scheming, gossipy, two faced, immature, and transparent....this person I once called my friend. She is selfish with her family and husband as well so who was I fooling?

I am D-O-N-E!

End of THAT story and spending any more of my time or thoughts on someone who is truly not worth it. (insert huge sigh of release and relief here)

I admit to being a work-a-holic. I have always been this way. It stems from being raised on a farm where the luxury of being lazy for a day did not exist in our reality. It comes from having a Mother who did not possess a lazy bone in her body and expected me to be built the same. I am driven and it wears me down. I have found I am least productive when I am the most preoccupied and "busy". Weird in its own twisted way. One would think if you are busier, you would get more accomplished. Wrong. I just get more behind and feeling over whelmed. That is not good.....it is making me physically ill and I have to take better care of myself. I have pretty much been sick all summer with one thing or another. Not that anyone besides my J would know.......
I am trying to get better. I am over the sciatica (I hope!) and the resulting adrenal crisis created by the steroids. That shit is scary!! 'Scuse the language but I truly thought I was dying....for real. I could not even dial 911! and I was alone. I said my prayers and waited for "The Light"....FOR real. But, I am better and now I am dealing with the residual rapid, irregular heartbeat and occasional chest pain. I know, I KNOW! I need to haul my fat butt to a doctor but I LIVE with one! Ya' think maybe he knows how to tend to me? Well, maybe he does not always do what I think he should or could but he DOES take care of me.......I am just getting old and falling apart. I just have had too many different things to deal with...it all started in Boston when I had what we think was a gall bladder attack or panreatitis and it has been downhill from there.......all freakin' summer!

So, I am making a September Resolution. Who says you can only do this at New Year's?!
I resolve to work less, work more productively, worry less, laugh more, and just let what happens, happen. Plus, I want to get all that crap out of my living room and enjoy my pretty space again. I love my home and appreciate it even more now that I am going to be dividing my time between here and another house in another state. I do not even know what it will be or look like but it will be not HERE and I love my HERE. I love my house and my heirlooms and am not sure how to divide them and me. It will happen but the growing pains hurt.......
Looking for a new house will be trying and fun. Dividing up possessions will not be so I am thinking maybe we just furnish and decorate from there and leave here as it is. Yeah, I am thinking that is so much better! Since it is an afforadable issue, I think it is best.
Okay, I am rambling and feeling all "Mental-pausal" today so I am out. Blogs are to record and vent our thoughts and I did and I can now pat my foot, cross my arms, set my lips in a determined line and say, "There! I feel better and tough cookies if YOU don't!" :O)

Later Taters......and maybe I will be in a better mood! ;-)

p.s. I also miss my Patches. Life without my sweet baby girl dog is hard and different. I relied on her chocolate brown eyes to look at me with love and she was my soft spot to fall when the world was too hard. I love and miss her!!!

Baby Girl and WORK!

2006-08-22T10:03:00.000-04:00

My Baby Girl is coming home tomorrow - for 6 days! 1000 yippees! I do miss that little nut case, drama queen. She is a rising senior at Emory University in Atlanta......yikes! Where have the last three years gone?!
We plan to hit all the best flea markets and tag sales while she is here.....she wants to add to her condo decor that I put in place for her in July and I need to add to my ever growing mountain of vintage inventory for ebay. I have NO WHERE to store what I have now but winter means slim pickings so I am buying tremendous amounts of treasures to share while I can.....come take a peek, ebay name is nancourt and I have a store with over 200 items right now! More to come....stay tuned!
Will try to get back in the habit of blogging, not just reading others' and working on ebay ALL the time.....I just seem to have NO ~me~ time! That is not a good thing!
Okay, gotta' run....must prepare for the daughter's arrival. I am on cloud nine!
Does everyone get so simple silly over their children? I have always been this way.....

Where do you blog?

2006-01-07T14:18:00.000-05:00

I got this idea from Peggy at Hidden Haven who got it from Toni at simple sparrow....
where do you blog?
Well, I blog...or read them mostly....from the smallest room in this cavernous five bedroom home we have. My tiny little office is crammed full of my heart stuff...pictures of loved ones, art stuff, sewing machine, ebay inventory and assorted junk that goes along with a home based business, and fluff and stuff. I adore my window which looks out at my bird feeders and the woods behind the house where assorted squirrels and a herd of deer abide. I tend to spend much time gazing out at the world.. I have my little television handy right beside me, my assorted music cd's and DVD's, and lots of clutter and junk that I cannot live without. I love, love, love my desk that we found at a moving sale last year. We got this wonderful, HEAVY, L-shaped wooden desk for a song and you should have seen me and the BF hauling it up two flights of stairs to squeeze it into this teeny little room. (I think the original owners designed this room, off the master bedroom, to serve as a nursery which it most certainly won't be used for my me!).
Anyway, this is my little spot in the world where I spend most of my time visiting you in YOUR world. Cluttered and fussy but ALL mine!

From the Heart

Win a Cruise or $1000.00!

WFMW-Saving/Recycling FREE Water

"Day late, dollar short....."

Ah, Skybus!

The Jelly Bean Prayer

San Francisco - Fourth And Final Day, Part One

San Francisco - Day Three, Part Two

San Francisco - Day Three, Part One

San Francisco - Day Two

San Francisco - Day One

A few Easter Goodies and So Long for Now

~Happy Valentine's Day!~

Woo Hoo! Chik Fil A!!

WFMW - Incentives & Freebies

~Date Cards - A Free Gift For You!~

Super Tuesday Eve And Huckleberry Win

G-I-A-N-T-S!!!

And The Winner Is!

BLOGGY GIVEAWAY CARNIVAL!

Um, Disney?

Gratuitous Fur Kid Post

Bloggie Giveaway Reminder

iPod Shuffle

A little of this, a little of that....

Rockin' giveaway!

We have a winner!

Fall Y'all, Bloggy Giveaway!

Win a Starbucks Hawaiian Gift Card

WFMW - Brand Loyalty

When In Rome....

More FREE Stuff, Like CASH!

WFMW - Give them Wings and Roots

I'm having a sale!

WOWSER! Free TV!!

What Kind of Soul are You?

And the Winner Is....................

Thursday Thirteen - Stuff and Nonsense

Tag! You're It! (A little meme about me, me)

Doggy Days Giveaway! Simple Abundance!

It's not easy being green....

Monk & Neagle!

Bloggy Giveaway!

WFMW-Summer Beach/Lake Bag

Hot Mama Revolution!

I am finally back! This is a copy of my ebay newsletter...

Win an Ipod and more!

For Heather

It's All About a Cute Purse!

This SUCKS! (Really...and you WANT one!)

Lessons Learned

Just for the Ladies

Easter Candy

~*~Happy Spring!~*~

~Presenting Her Most Royal Pain Highness~

Switcheroo......

~*~Looky What I Won!~*~

The Accidental Contest

~The Purina Diet~

WFMW Fabric Softener Economy

~*~Happiness Is............~*~

DoNUT or DoNOT?? You Do? You Don't?

~Thursday Thirteen~

These boots are made for walking...

"Instructions for Life"

2006 Year in Review

It's Been a Long, Long Time.......

Woo Pig Sooiiee! Go Razorbacks!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIS!

*DISCLAIMER: I love men, but they are fun to pick at!

Where've You Been?

My Celebrity Look-Alikes (or ARE-YOU-KIDDING?!)

How Girly Are You?

Ummm....My Pamper Me Snack!

WFMW Thanksgiving HELP Site

PUMPKIN HOUSE to be on the "Ellen DeGeneres" Show

Girls' Night Out (or "The Sort of Stuff My College Daughter Sends to Me"!)

$20.00

An.....ti......ci......pa......tion!

Be Prepared

~~Happy Spring!~~

~~Looky What I Won!~~

~~Happiness Is............~~