Unbelievable!!!

We went out today!! Out to the stores, that is. Oh my goodness. What a mess!! We decided to stop in Jo-ann's to look for some Christmas stamps. Nothing. Not surprised being it is so close to Christmas. But haven't been in a scrap store for over a year and was really surprised. Jo-ann's, where I usually shopped, had virtually nothing. They had scrap things, just not much. They always had so much. And my goodness...was it ever expensive!!! And of course everything was 40-60% off as usual so that you couldn't use coupons on them.

So we went on down the the street a couple of blocks to Michaels. Wow! They used to be the ones that didn't have much and they had quite a bit. Their prices were up a bit from last I was in but they were still more reasonable. But still no stamps.

It was fun to look around again, though. I can't say I would ever go back to hands on. Just not there anymore. And I would hate having to go hunt for everything I need again. Now I sit and browse and when I find it, it is very inexpensive.

Anyway, back to my point. The stores, the craft stores at this point, were PACKED. People were not friendly, clerks or customers, so you could tell the holiday was pressing in on everyone.

After going to Michaels we decided to stop at the mall next door and grab some Chick-fil-A in the food court. PACKED. Everyone there was growling, too. 

Really. If this is what the Christmas celebration is...I say we either need to change our ways or give it up. I am wondering what God is thinking as He is seeing all this kind of attitude in honor or the birth of His son, our Saviour. Makes me sad.

We ate and started for home. Traffic was horrendous. We were probably six miles away from home at the farthest point...a straight line up the street to our house. Took forty-five minutes. First traffic was just slow. Then it came to a standstill. As it was...an accident. Got past that and as we were in the last couple blocks from our house we could see flashers at the intersection where we had to turn left to our place. We thought the street was open, but as we approached...road closed...accident. Did a "huey" as we call them  here and went around the block and came in from the other way. Traffic at a standstill again. So on and henceforth. We finally got home safe and sound, forty-five minutes later, thank the Lord!!

I think I will be staying home as much as possible.

Got a couple more LO's done, though. One is a collage of Gloria's stampers group's Christmas party. I like the way it turned out. Oh, BTW, I do need to say that the "liquid" that was being consumed out of the bottles was none less than Sparkling Grape Juice. You can't see the labels in the small pictures, but I can assure you it was indeed!! They were all laughing...but that was strictly from all the fun they were having!! LOL

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The last one I just finished today is one of where I worked. I was going through pictures and saw them and thought I need to do a retirement LO. So I did. I like this one, too. It is starting to scare me that I am liking my LO's. Perhaps I have finally found the style I like. That would be nice. It has only taken me about three years!! LOL

That is about it for today. Think I am about to curl up in the chair for a night of TV. Have recorded a bunch of Monk and they make me laugh. Jim says it is because we are so much alike!! You know, I did find myself straightening the apples in a display at the grocery the other day so all the stems were in the same place!! No kidding. (I just like stuff to be organized. OK???) Jim got a good laugh out of that one. I didn't even realize I was doing it. I was just by the apples waiting on Jim or something so I started straightening them. Duh!

Again, you have made my day stopping by to read my ramble, but I do have to say, I can ramble well!! LOL  (Quiet, Terry! I just give the facts!!) Thanks and hope to see you back here again.

A Yukky Day`

It is cold, dreary and raining, and neither Jim nor I feel like doing much. So I have been sitting at this computer most of the day giving myself a gigantic backache! Guess I can't complain about it then, can I?

I am seriously considering going and putting on my Eeyore slippers. I am that cold. It is about 77 in the house but it is damp and I still feel cold. I had wanted to go out on the screened porch and look at some things in my hands on stash but it is too cold. I will wait till tomorrow. Yowser, though, Tuesday we are supposed to have a high of 48. I might reconsider that thought and go out in a few minutes.

Did one LO this morning...actually really early this morning. Woke up thinking about it at 3 this morning, so I got up and worked on it till 4:15. Went back to bed and finished it when I got up this morning. I love to scrap about 3 in the morning. I don't know why, I just seem to do my best thinking then. I have to watch, though. When I do that, I keep going for several hours and if I do it too many days in a row, I want to reverse my days and nights like little babies do. That is not fun to try to get over. So I try to keep it under control and only do it once or twice a week.

Started another LO. Have the pictures in place but no idea what paper or anything I am going to use. I am leaning towards browns but one is never sure until you start looking at what you have!!

I had such a nice thing happen the other day right outside my own door. I was going out the door and standing at the car at the end of the driveway waiting for Jim to come out of the house when the cutest little girl about 8 or so came walking by. She lives about four houses away and has just recently moved in.

She was smiling so big and had a book opened in her hands. She couldn't wait to talk to me. She beamed as she closed her book and held it against her chest. She said, "I finally got the book I had been wanting!!" She was really honestly thrilled. She said, holding the book out away from her and looking at it, "I have to keep my cat away from it so it doesn't hurt it. It is a library book and I wouldn't want anything to happen to it!!!"  

She was the  most precious thing. I have not seen a child so excited about a book or so conscientious about taking care of one...or anything for that matter, in a very long time. We chatted until Jim came out and she said her goodbyes and was on her way. I need to see her again. She made my day and I have to find out if she enjoyed her book. She seemed happy, too, that someone was interested in her new "find". My hope is renewed. I was beginning to think kids were not reading anymore and that is a tragedy!! Sounds like teachers are teaching somewhere around here!!!

The tree decorating is proceeding. The tree is up and lights are on. Need to take another picture. I love having stages in pictures because I love each stage. So I need to do that as soon as I am done.

I have a few LO's to post this time. Going to the remainder of them just to get caught up.

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This is our son, Russ' daughter, Mariah. Pretty, pretty girl!!

This is another Gloria album page. They went to Cedar Point in Ohio, but only took a family picture. So I contacted Cedar Point and they were sweet enough to let me grab pictures off their web site. Would you believe they have seventeen roller coasters there? But many thanks to Cedar Point!!

This is Russ' youngest daughter, another beauty, Tabitha. She is the youngest.

And this one is of Nancy's daughter, Siana. I love this...seeing how her looks have changed through the years!!

Hang on, only two more!!!

And this little guy is Braisen, Nancy's youngest. I love the look on his face as if he can't remember what word he is supposed to say!!!!!

And last but not least...another of my favorites. Man Ideas. This one is of Buck, at work, when we were invaded by bees and he thought he would get rid of them after the bug man chased them from above the drop ceiling in the office. The bees waited outside the building for their scout to come back and tell them where to go. Buck, though, was afraid they would come back into the building. So he made his move. It never entered his mind that the bees would be faster than him. You know. After he sucked them up in the vac, I never asked what he did with them. Some things are just better not knowing.

Now I think I am about caught up. I have one hidden away, yet and one I am working on...that is it. I do need to take some new pictures.

So I am off and running. I don't know to where, but I am on my way.

Hope you have a great night and stay peaceful as the holidays get closer. Remember the reason for the season.

Blessings.

Floridians Don't Need It!!

I thought that Mother Nature knew this, but obviously she doesn't or perhaps it has slipped her mind.

Floridians DO NOT need cold temperatures to get into the Christmas spirit! We are quite content to experience a somewhat cooler climate than usual, but there is no need to get crazy about it! One cool snap, I repeat, cool snap, and we are good to go for the Christmas season!

We are the ones that really appreciate shopping in stores for Christmas presents, without sweating from wearing our coats inside where the management keeps the heat up because it is regulated from a state up north where it is below zero and they think all stores are experiencing the same deep freeze, or lugging it around with everything else while trying to look through all sorts of racks and shelves.

We are the ones that like to drive around looking a Christmas lights with the top or windows down, not freezing or trying to see out steamed up windows!! Better yet, we LOVE to take walks up and down the streets, being able to talk to everyone as we see the beautiful displays and hear the music they are playing to make their display even more meaningful!!

We don't need snow. We don't need slush. We don't need the wind blowing. We don't need a below zero wind chill. We don't need the winter coats. We don't need boots. And we sure don't need dead batteries!!

So she is on official notice. We have already had enough. We are in the Christmas spirit. Now you can move on. We get it. We remember what the holiday up north was like. Thank you for the reminder. Now scram!

Next week, we are to have a high of 48!! Come on. We don't have coats...at least most of us don't. We have a high transient population, especially in winter, that come here because they can not live outside up north. What are they to do? Freeze is the word. I feel bad about that. We have some shelters, but not nearly enough. It is very serious. And so many fires burn down homes and kill occupants because they are trying to stay warm with heaters and even candles. I don't think most people realize how hard it is here when the temps get so cold. So I ask for your prayers for the homeless and families not fortunate enough to have heat in their houses. Many, many homes have no heating system here.

With that being said and feeling very blessed, it has been a good week. Busy. Had to start getting ready to renew my driver's license. Have you done that yet? Oh brother!!! What a winner that is.

There is so much you have to take with you now to prove that you are not a terrorist. You only have to do it once unless something changes about you like your name or something, so it reads in the info.

I had to send to my birth county and get a certified birth certificate. $22. I had to locate my marriage license because my name had changed from my birth name. If it is not original, you have to get a certified copy. Get my original social security card. Still have mine so that was no problem. Get two proofs of residence. Home loan, credit card statement, bank statement...you get that one. I think that covers it for me. You are given a few options. No biggie if you plan early enough. It takes about a month to get a certified copy of anything...so beware. 

Then we have an eye test. Needed to get new glasses. So did that Tuesday. Will get them soon.

Then had to go online and set an appointment. If you don't you can wait three hours in line. Three of the places near me were already booked for all of December. My license expires the first couple days of January. So I finally found a place and got an appointment. 

Then would you believe...I had a two page form to fill out to take with me unless I wanted to do it when I got there. My idea of a good day is to get in there and out. So I filled it out and printed it off. It is ready to go now, too.

So everything is underway. Now I can go back to having fun again!! LOL Don't like being forced into time slots again. I gave that up when I retired. But I guess you can't get away from it all.

I have scrapped since my last blog. Let's see. Wow. I have done more than I thought. OK. I will just post a couple right now.

The first one is Gloria's album cover. I think it turned out pretty warm and homey feeling which is what you always feel at her house.

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The other one is of a bird and it's trainer that we saw at Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay. It was so cute to see how this cute bird reacted with the trainer. You knew for sure they had a love for each other.

So that is it for now. Going to get some things done. We are starting to put the tree up but we do it in stages. It is a bear to do. It is so old, as I have stated before, the same one we had for all the kids and Russ is 44. All the color is worn off the ends of the branches that tell you the order and there are 250 branches. But I just can't get rid of it! LOL

Hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks for sharing part of your day with me. I love each of you!!!

OH. Forgot that I haven't written about meeting with Serene. Had a blast!!!!! Will tell you more next time!!

DRESSING: That Love/Hate Relationship!!!

Did that get your attention? Hello!!? What is she going to drop on our willing ears now...right??? This one is something else!!!

First of all...I am still sitting in my Mu Mu as I type this. I love, Love...LOVE being in my loose fitting Mu Mu! I hate being dressed...like dressed in shorts and top. And from what I have gathered in reading blogs and forums, with the exception of one person, who will remain nameless...all us girls love hanging in out PJ's or Mu Mu's or sweat pants or whatever rather than bound up in all those "tight " clothes. Sorry guys...know you would love for us to look like women off the pages of Vogue for you, but get over it! It ain't gonna happen!!! Well, there are a few hubbies that just want us happy not matter what and we thank God for them. (Like they look like they are out of Esquire!! :))

I always blessed Joe where I worked. He told his darling wife to be herself. Forget the makeup, dress like what you want. I love you no matter what, and remember, I know what you look like. I wake up with you every  morning and love you to pieces!! Pretty good, right? This is not to say we run around in disarray!! Heaven forbid, NO. Just a comfy...er...disarray!! LOL Aw come on, you know what I mean!! LOL

So that, my friends is my I Hate Dressing!! Get it!!! LOL LOL Come on. Just humor me for once! OK?

Now. Here is the part that most of you will positively will not understand. I LOVE dressing. What, you say? After what I just wrote. But, yeah, I LOVE dressing. 

I thought that this was a normal thing, but then even when I mentioned this to Nancy last night, I realized that most people don't have a clue what dressing is!

To me, dressing is what most of you call stuffing!! I couldn't believe my own daughter didn't know what I meant when I said I wanted to make some of my own dressing. She said, what?? Where was she when she was growing up? Eating stuffing I guess!! LOL

When I was watching a Thanksgiving documentary...yes I do watch the History channel as hard as that is to believe...on TV last night is what made me think of it. The first stuffing mix, the predecessor of Stove Stop, was made, it was called dressing mix. I thought, well, there we go. Someone else calls it that, too. 

So after some googling I find out that the first "stuffing" was really dressing. Dressing had meat in it, as ours always did...sausage...and then because people always did their own baking there was always dried bread around and it was added, also. Isn't this fascinating?  LOL But now, stuffing is the bread filling, with or without meat that goes INSIDE something, as a turkey. Dressing, with or without meat, is what is cooked outside of the turkey. So today I am having my good old dressing...WITH sausage...cooked outside of something in a casserole!!! Yay!!! And this dressing....I LOVE!!!

So now...there is the Dressing: Love/Hate Relationship.  Bet you never could have guessed that one! That's OK. I didn't know where it was going myself!

My son and I eat it cold and hot. In fact, that is what I had for breakfast today! A bowl of dressing!! AND I am thinking about making more to have this next week for breakfast!! It is that good. Well, before you all gag...it is very good for you. Bread, sausage, butter onion, celery, beef broth...a pretty balanced deal. Better by far than that crappy cold cereal that is all sugar and carb. If it will make you all feel better, I will drink a glass of milk and have some OJ, too!

So, now I feel better that I have enlightened the world on dressing. I know in my heart of hearts you all will continue to eat your ole stuffing. Go ahead. It is OK. Just so you truly enjoy it!

Moving right on...I did do another LO for the Gloria album. Just random pictures of the fun day at Pleasant Hill Park. Working on more but back is acting up and can't sit at the computer too long. And you all know I am slow. But at least I can post this one. Hope you all like it.

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That is it for today. Don't have the faintest idea when we are eating. Haven't got that far, yet!! LOL 

Wishing each of you the best and happiest Thanksgiving...enjoying whatever is on your agenda today.

Thanks for stopping by and if I have bored you...so sorry...just doing my thing to brighten the horizons of those crazy enough to stop by here a second time!

I will be back with some other great bit of wisdom...but please don't hold your breath!!!

I Know She Doesn't Believe Me!!

Terry, that is!! Poor thing, just can't believe I don't have enough time to do all that I want or even need to do. She says all I have is time!! LOL

True, but now I have the opportunity to fill ALL THAT time with things I never had time for!! Like I have been wanting to post for two days and...just haven't had the time!!!!!!! I mean, like Mike Gallagher, the main character in the mystery I am reading, is biting at the bit to tell me who killed his partner! I can't leave him bottled up with what he has to tell me. The dog is counting on me to take her to see all her friends in the park. Starbucks is anticipating seeing me...to see how long I can keep ordering the same thing before I finally change my order just to confuse them!! My scrapper friends are looking for my comments on their posts...blogs to read............

Come on. Give me a break!! Now as she always reminds me...I  AM nine years older than her!! So I have had to work nine more years to get to this point. Right??? LOL LOL And I have to say I am lovin' it more each day!

I have completed two more Gloria pages. I like both of them. Humm. Actually, three more. I have been on a roll I guess!!

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This is Larry. Gloria's other half. I was thrilled I found pictures so he could have a page for himself. Dads so often get left out.

 

This is a group of pictures of family having some together time, enjoying being together.

And this one is the cousins having fun at the lake. I have just loved these pictures of all this kids having fun together. A lot of families never get to experience this.

That is what I have been up to the last few days. Have also had some computer glitches again, as everyone does. I think guru Nancy cleared up the last of them this morning. Seems to be working OK now. Thank you, once again, sweetie. She is really something else. Has come to our rescue more times than we can even count!!!

I need to go and get my day totally under way. I have found I am sitting too much in this computer chair. My back is screaming continually at me!! So, I am out of  here.

Have a great day. And as always, thanks a bunch for caring enough about me to stop by and read my chatter. I love you all!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!!!

Now I am going to have an ear worm all the rest of the day. You know what an ear worm is, don't you?

It is when you hear a song and it gets locked in your head. No matter what, you keep hearing that song all...day...long!!! That is an ear worm. Well, now I will hear Oh What a Beautiful Morning. But that isn't a bad song to have stuck in your head.

I digress, the reason for that song is that Jim and I took the dog out this morning, me biking and the dog and him walking, and it was absolutely gorgeous!! I was very sunny and warm, yet you could feel the chill in the air. Everyone had pretty well gotten their day underway. They had left for work. The kids were all off to school except for two that seemed to be running late, coming through our park to cut through a little park that backs up against their school. Jim said he wouldn't want his little girl about third grade riding her bike through there by herself, but what could we do? She even stopped and got off her bike, took off her backpack and put her hood up and zipped up her hoodie. Didn't seem to bother her at all!!

Wow! You could still smell breakfast having been cooked, birds singing, and it was just Jim, the dog and I. Well, not Jim, the dog. But Jim, and the dog and I!!! LOL A great time!

Have a bunch of stuff that I want to do today. So lucky you, I am going to cut this short.

I finished a LO and am going to post it. It is of a lake in Ohio were everyone goes. Really a nice place. It is for Gloria's album. Got pretty homesick when I saw the pictures. It was someplace I liked to go. Oh well. I got to experience it second hand, anyway!!

 Click for larger view

By the way, look at the circled area. This is a picture of the hen-eagle and her nest. So cool!!!

Hope you enjoy. Thanks for stopping by and will write again.

Where Would We Be

without cell phones??

Is the day of cameras gone?? LOL It seems everyone, but me, takes their pictures with their cell phones these days.

I can take pictures with mine, I just have no idea how to get them to my computer. So if my guru sees this, maybe she can clue me in. Like, do I need a special cord to plug in the computer, or what? See. I really am clueless on this one!!

The other day I was looking at Facebook and saw that Nancy had posted some pics of Siana and herself. I LOVED them. Wanting of course to scrap them I told her to send them to me. I should have known. She said well, just grab them because that is where I would have to get them. I took them with my cell phone!!

I had no idea she took them with her cell. They were great!! Why would I think she took them with her phone when she has, I think, about three wonderful digital cameras?? I wouldn't think that because I never use my cell to take pictures!! I would love one of those phones that does everything...but I really don't NEED one, and I sure don't need the cost, either!!! Too expensive to buy. Too expensive to run! Doesn't change the fact I would love one, though.

OOO. Just thought of something I just have to add. Why oh why do kids, and I mean kids, not older teens, need these super duper cell phones? More to the point, why a cell at all? Well, I guess I would want mine to have a cell, but I think I would opt for one that only calls home and 911. Just me, but I think it is totally unnecessary. I just thought of a whole other blog so I will let this idea rest.

My whole point of this blog is to show you the LO I did of those Facebook pictures. She posted them in black and white. I was glad because I think color would have not done these justice.

These are probably my favorite pictures of the two of them. I love, love, love them. So I decided to keep it absolutely simple and totally highlight the pictures. Hope you like them as much as I do.

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Don't you agree? Great pictures especially off a cell.

Gloria says they look like twins. I think she is right.

That's it for this post. Time to get the day underway. I smell food. I think Jim has breakfast about ready.

Ah! Life is beautiful. Enjoy the day no matter what is on your agenda.

Back later.

Guess I Need to Get a Life!!

At least that is what my younger son keeps telling me. I think he is just picking on me but one never really knows about him!!! LOL

That at least was what he was saying in his comment when he told me his plans for his Halloween costume for work this year. He said he was planning on being an Avatar. Oh. To myself I was thinking avatar like his Facebook picture. A thought I was not about to share with him!!! LOL

But then I did remember the movie that was out called Avatar and quickly fell into the scheme of things. You need to know Brian to really understand this. He is and has always been in theater and opera. So he always leans to loving the costume part of  life. So I knew this was going to be a big deal. He went on at length about what he was planning and mother sat and listened even though I had no picture in my head of where he was going with all this. He knew that. He knows I have no life and had most surely not seen the movie, so it was hard to really explain what he had planned in his head.

Time went on and each week I heard more of the details. He had laid plans to the nth degree...having the costume made the way wanted...setting up a person to do the makeup early before he went to work...I knew he had every detail down.

Then came the big day. As always, everyone loved his costume; they always wait in anticipation to see what he comes up with. They love it as much as he does, it seems. I always get reports from them!!!

Then came all the pictures. All thirty so of them!! The ham just doesn't seem to diminish with age. I guess that is a good thing. Anything that makes one happy...well, is legal and doesn't hurt anyone else...you should do. It is what keeps life interesting and fun...as it should be. So go for it!!!

I usually do a LO of him and of the office. This year, no one took any of the office so I just did one of him. I do think he did a great job. I went on the net and looked at the movie trailers and from what I could tell, it looked pretty much like he nailed it!!

So that is going to be my post for today. Did a double page LO. Kept it in dark colors...because that is the feel I got from the trailer, but also because that is what he likes. And he did like what I came up with which always makes me happy!!

Here it is. Hope you enjoy seeing it. 

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Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day and do something creative!!!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!!!

It is so wonderful!! My mojo has returned!!! Yeah!!! But what is so funny....Jim found it for me. I guess it had gotten lost!!

I have not been able to scrap for a month or more. I would open up my Photoshop and stare at the page. Well, in the scrapping world, that is called loosing your mojo!! And I had lost it real good!! I was really dead in the water as far as having any creativity!!

But, as always, Jim to the rescue!! When we were shopping at Publix, one of our grocery stores of choice, we were having some fun just being old fogies and touring the store looking at all the new and odd things we never had time to look at before. You know, there are a lot of things I never new were even made!!!

As we were moseying down the second aisle, Jim says..."Hey! I found your mojo!!!" I look up from my electric cart and he is handing me a jar of Mojo Marinade!!! What a laugh we had with that!!! I held it in my hands and said it felt good to have it back!!! LOL And of course we had to get pictures...even though we went back to get them!!!

The greatest part...I have not had a hard time scrapping since. It is like I am rejuvenated for sure!! It feels wonderful. So of course I had to scrap the event!!! Going to post it and be out of  here, but wanted to post this before I called it a day!! I have more to post but I will do that later, hopefully tomorrow.

Here it is. The great Mojo LO!!! This was so much fun to do!!! 

Click on image to read journaling

Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by and will write more later. It's late!!!

What Is That??

That is what I said when I woke up about two this morning. I couldn't figure out what it was. Ah!! At last I remembered. It was rain on the roof!! It has been over 30 days since we have had even a drop of rain!! Now it has rained off and on all day; a nice slow soaking rain, which is good, because if it had been a downpour it would have just run off and maybe even flooded.

When we first moved into the mobile home I could not get used to hearing the rain on the roof. It was soooo loud. Now I just love it. It reminds me of when it would rain and I was in the car as a kid. I just loved that sound. So, here I am again, enjoying a sound of Mother Nature!!

Not much done of any real importance today. Just had a nice enjoyable day. Ran out to the store and had a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate from Starbucks and came home. It is just plum amazing what chocolate will do to a girl's well being. Ummm. Makes you feel like a million bucks. And that Salted Caramel one...well...just beyond words. I have Jim order it extra hot and it is just out of sight!! Try it!!

Well, I am not sure you are ready for this. Are you?? Oh, I will tell you any way. I SCRAPPED yesterday. And today for that matter. In fact, today I did not one but TWO LO's!! Ta Da!!! My mojo is BACK!!!!! I found it, and I have come across a wonderful discovery that I will share with you as soon as I get the LO about it done. Till then...BIG secret. But I hope to do it tomorrow so you won't have to wait too long.

I finished a Gloria LO and really like it and so does she. I send her each one before I finish to make sure there isn't something that she would like changed or added, so I already know it is a go.

Click image for larger view

I loved the serious family portrait but there was also one just like it only everyone was having so much fun in it. I just had to be able to scrap it, too, so I decided to crop them into smaller ones so they could be a little larger and could be seen more. I think it worked good for this!!

And I love the quote I found for this. "A day without laughter is a day wasted." I really believe that. I do not think we laugh enough at all. It is proven that laughter can make people well, and keep people well. We need to laugh...so come on...give a laugh!!!

I heard on our news the other day that the classes at one school spend an allotted time each day in class just standing and laughing. Belly laughs. They have found there are less absences, better tempers and even better grades since they have started it. Isn't that amazing. I think God wants us to laugh.

Having been on the computer about all day, I am really getting tired, so I am out of here. Wanted to get this LO posted and jot a note which has become a complete blog, so out of here I go. Sleep great. Wake up with a smile and laugh when your feet hit the floor!!!

See ya.

A Job Half Done

Please. I can't stand it. I would rather nothing be done than to have it done wrong.

For example...we went to the mall a couple times this last week. Window shop if you need a name. As you go into the entrance of this one store that shall remain nameless, there is a metal stand at the place where you get carts to haul your kid and stuff around. For use in their store only. This rack has a sign on it that states in so many words to take a disinfectant wipe, PROVIDED, and wipe your cart for your and your child's health safety. 

Great. Seems like a great idea. Except. There were no wipes. Not only that. There was not even an empty container. This was early in the day as well, so it didn't just happen. So we grumbled about how that was not a good thing. Looked like they didn't really care at all.

On through the store we went, passing the four entrances as we went. Now let me tell you. There was not ONE of those racks that had even an empty container in it. Not one. None had even a container.

Now my point is this. If you are going to have these things and act as if you care, then have them stocked. I can fully understand an occasional empty container, even in the morning. But to have not even ONE that still had a jar!! Not acceptable. Especially since these are only a few feet from a cashier station which not one of them was busy either.

If you are going to have them, keep them stocked. If not. Take the silly little stand down so you don't look stupid. Wouldn't you think it is someone's job to see these are filled...at least at the start of the day? Even if it is the cashier? I know everyone is cutting back on personnel but a cashier could look up and see it is empty and replace it in less than 30 seconds. Come on people.

That is one of my pet peeves. I guess it came from my dad, years ago. I can still hear him telling me that he didn't care if I wiped off tables as long as I did it good. And feeling the way I did about my dad, I would always do what I did the way it was supposed to be done. I know I still make him proud, doing what I know I should do.

A very pretty sunny day here today. It is supposed to get into the 70's by Saturday. First thing Nancy said to me this morning was, "It's too cold!!" I said, "It's 66!". She said, "I don't care what it is...it's cold!!!". LOL Gotta love that. She was the one who when she lived in Ohio and called and I said I was freezing at 55 said, "Oh, poor baby!!!". Well, since she has moved to Florida, now all of a sudden 66 is COLD!! It's all in what you get used to!!! LOL

Trying to wind up loose ends this morning and want to spend the afternoon scrapping. I still haven't gotten to it. LOL I told Jim last night that I still didn't get to scrap. I just haven't had time!! He looked at me and laughed. I really haven't. I have been BUSY!!! LOL He laughed again. I really don't know where the time goes, it just goes. Guess I am spending too much time reading, running around, watching TV, reading and writing emails, taking online surveys that I get paid for, swimming, riding my bike, very little cleaning, talking to neighbors, organizing my stash, even surfing the web which I NEVER did before. Well, I should show Jim this list. He still would just laugh. He would say rearrange my priorities. I don't want to say, "You're right," to him so I think I will pass on that!! LOL But I should. I will work on it.

Going to post some of my LO's that I did a very long time ago. Don't think I posted LO's I did before I started blogging. This is one of Jim when the ATM ate our debit card just as we were getting cash and the power went out. It wouldn't give us our money OR card back. This is Jim calling the bank to see what we should do. We had to go pick the card up at the bank the next day. What a headache. We were afraid the  next customer would get our card and/or our money when the power came back on. They assured us they wouldn't.

Click on image for larger view

Hoping you do what you want today. Take my hint and do it in the right priority!! LOL At the end of the day, you will be content. Think I will take my advice and get some scrapping in. Will report back on whether it worked or not! All really depends on if we leave the house or not. Once you leave the house with Jim you usually get back too late to accomplish much else. He loves doing those running things. Me...I would rather stay put!!

Back at you later. Thanks for stopping by and passing some time with me.

The Most Wonderful Time

I know I have really been talking about my new retirement stage but I gotta tell you...it is a new stage for me and I didn't know there was so much new to experience and enjoy.

Yesterday as always we were at the pool. We get in the pool for about an hour and a half. I get a chance to exercise which I have not been able to do for about ever. My muscles won't take it on land but the pool does the trick. It feels awesome.

Then we get out and read for about another hour or so. We have the pool to ourselves. An occasional passing by of the park manager, pool manager or maintenance man, but really solitude at most part.

I got to a stopping spot in my book so I put it away and waited for Jim to get to a spot where he wanted to quit. I just sat there in awe. It was so beautiful. The gorgeous pool glimmering in the brilliant sunlight. the totally blue blue skies with not a cloud. I am a cloud lover but yesterday was beautifully blue. We have tons of yellow pines surrounding the pool, with about 8" pine needles of the most beautiful green on them. They looked even greener against the blue sky. There were no sounds of cars or people, only the occasional distant soft hum of the pool filter once in a while. Birds were singing. The mockingbirds were abundant. Get it? You could even hear the wind approaching from a distance.

Isn't this beautiful? Only it was even more so with the deep blue cloudless sky and brilliant sunshine!

Then it dawned on me what a blessing I was experiencing. There Jim and I sat for about an hour, not saying a word, but so being together. We were both into our books yet so enjoying the time together without saying a word. 

Being able to spend this kind of block time together is something we have never got to do. There was always school, band, homework, kids, work...all those pieces of life that never would give us this kind of time.

Now I understand retirement. I believe God meant for it to be...for everyone. Even Jim, who said he wouldn't retire until he absolutely had to, now says that everyone should retire as soon as possible. It is suddenly our time. The time we have worked for. From being together as teenage "lovers"...we never dated anyone else and started dating when I was a sophomore...to young marrieds...parents...laborers like everyone else in the world. 

But now it is our time. Time to do what we want. To be able to act on the spur of the moment. The time not to have to work appointments around other people's time lines. Time to linger on the computer more than we should because other things are pressing. The time to be able to say to people, no rush...whenever you have time.

What can I say to you? I can say work hard now. It is what we are all called to do. Do your best at whatever is on your plate. But when it is time to retire. Do it. Even if it means paring down the finances as most will have to do. It is what every person's system needs. Listen to me. I know in my heart I am absolutely right and you will never regret it.

This is not where this post was going but it went there so I am leaving it. Maybe someone needed to hear it. I hope so.

Humm. I still have not scrapped. Went to get it out yesterday and my pen tablet had a problem. So put it down and will conquer it today. Now I am really itching to get at it.

I think there is just one page I have done that I have not posted. It is of Gloria's family just having some great family time together playing games. So I am going to post it then get busy on some more!! I have to have something to post!!!

That is it for now. Thanks for taking time to stop by. Have a beautiful day.

A Christmas Giraffe!!!

Oh my goodness!!! We were at Home Depot the other day to buy an "O" ring to fix the faucet and I can't believe it! We decided to walk through the Christmas department and there on the top shelf was a lit about 4 foot giraffe with a red scarf and Santa hat on!! Oh. For $50!!! That is really the LAST thing I need but everyone needs to really want something!!!!! Something totally unnecessary!!! LOL Now that is a giraffe I don't have!! I should have taken a picture, at least. Maybe I will have Jim take me back out and take a picture. It is soooo cute!!

Well, edited to add...here it is!! We went out so I HAD to get a picture of this cutie!!!

Now really. Don't you think I NEED this giraffe??? I love him!  LOL

I have had a marvelous first week of retirement. Still trying to catch on to the fact I have no schedule. You know, after a lifetime of a must schedule, this, for some reason, it difficult for me. I bet women have more of a problem with this than men, having had to keep a household running and all. Really, it is not coming easy for me. But, trust me, I am getting in the groove!!! LOL

I think I am going to start Rosetta Stone Spanish soon. I have always wanted to speak Spanish and now seems like a good time to try it. Rather, do it!! LOL So I have put that on a priority list.

I have been stuck in a scrapping mode...or rather a non scrapping mode. I look a this LO I am doing and I can not decide what needs to be done. It just isn't happening. Think I will give it a go around today and see if I can't get it off center and moving. It just takes getting one right thing on it and it will take off. I would love to know what causes this to happen. Me and thousands of others, I suspect.

Well, Terry is off for a few days of well deserved vacation rest. Only the weekend, but I hope enough that it eases her breathing some. With her mom having broken her hip and subsequent hip surgery...seven hours from home...it has been a stressful few weeks for her. So hopefully, this will get her back into a normal groove. Travel home safe, my friend.

Oh my! Forgot to tell you. We went to the pool here in our park on Friday. Like real dummies, we forgot to put sunscreen on. We both got burned, but I especially got it bad. Sort of sore today, but I never blister for a week, so I think that is still on it's way. But what a marvelous time we had. We stayed in the pool for an hour, having it all to ourselves. I did some great exercising which the chiropractor and neurologist love for me to do in a pool, otherwise I get too energy depleted. It felt great. Then we spent another hour with three other people just sitting around enjoying the beautiful weather. As we left, Jim says, "Now THIS is retirement." That guy LOVES the sun. Me, I love the sun, hate the humid heat. But Friday was perfect for both of us. Planning to go back next week during the day because the kids are in school. So peaceful!!

I have a bunch of LO's to post. I am going to post some. Don't know if I will do all of them. Probably not. So here they are. Remember, click for a closer view. Sometimes you have to do that to be able to read the journaling if you are into that. These are of Gloria's family reunion.

Rode my bike while Jim walked the dog. Love having the time to do what we love. We get to stop along the way and meet and talk with the neighbors, too. Fun time!!

Will write again. Have more LO's to post too.  Have a good Monday eve!  LOL

Ages and Stages!!!!

Oh yes! One of my most favorite sayings!! Ages and stages. That is what life is all about.

So now..I am at another age...another stage...called retired!! Yep. As of  last Thursday. Sorry to say it didn't end on a good note at work but that is another story, one of which really doesn't make any difference. The difference is...I'M RETIRED!!!

Oh my goodness. I am not sure I am ready for this. So much time on my hands. Yet not enough time at the same time. Doesn't make sense, but you all will get to experience it sometime!! LOL

Monday Jim and I took the day and went to Busch Gardens. What a wonderful day we had. It was cooler than it has been...in the mid to upper 80's...and not crowded. Just a wonderful day. Probably the best time we have ever had there.

I don't have any reason for not posting in such a long time. I just didn't. But I certainly do hope to keep in touch more often now. Especially after a routine settles into a usual rhythm. Jim tells me it does, eventually!! But now, just as he was getting into his routine from retiring a couple months ago, here I am sort of having him make a new one with me around. LOL He says he loves it!!

Poor dog, Zoe. She didn't understand why Jim was always home with her. She got used to that and now...why am I home all the time?  I try to explain but she just figures it means more food to mooch at meal time!!

So far, though, we cleaned out the pantry and four cupboards. Yesterday we clean the screened porch and got it all moved around. So nice to be able to do that stuff without a time schedule knocking at your back door to hurry up.

I have gotten some LO's done. Wow! I just checked. I got more done than I had realized. So, I think I will just post the two of Nancy's kids. Then I will post the others in due time!!

One is of our grand daughter, Siana, and the other is of her brother, Tylan. Aren't they sweet?  We think so!! LOL

Siana's is one I took at her 13th birthday, and Tylan's is when his mom wanted his hair trimmed and he decided to have it all shaved of instead. She was just toooo willing to oblige!! Hope you like them.

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Believe it or not, I am cold!! Not used to these cooler temps. I am going to go find my Eeyore slippers!!

Have a fun night. I will write soon!!

I Need A Weather'person's Dictionary!!

I guess I just don't understand the terms a weatherman...excuse me...weatherperson uses.

For days, and that includes this morning, the weather girl said just a slim chance of a passing shower. OK. Can live with that. Unfortunately, I don't know what that means. I was under the impression that it meant maybe...only maybe, there would be a little shower that would pass in a few minutes and it would be sunny again. Not so. It was cloudy at noon when we left home to go to the mall, and at 4:30 a downpour and not a shower. It was cloudy as far as you could see in every direction. It had been raining while we were in the mall, big puddles everywhere, and continued for another hour and a half. Now it is still totally cloudy. Does someone have a definition I don't know about. Ugh!! Not pretty out at all!!

I was going to come home and clean the kitchen but now with the gray old day I have lost my enthusiasm. I know it doesn't take much, but that was enough. So think I will start to scrap and Jim wants me to show him how to organize my ACDSee and I sure am not going to turn down that request.

I am waiting for the last coat of oil to soak in on my new cutting board.  BTW...What do you use to season your cutting boards? I have always used vegetable oil. Well, thanks to the Internet, I found out that is not good to use. You should use mineral oil. It does not go rancid. BUT use only the kind that is ingestible. There are two kinds. One you can ingest and one you can not. It seems that if you use olive oil or vegetable oil or an oil like that, that it can go rancid and spoil on your board. I didn't know that. So I got the mineral oil and it is working great. Giving it a really nice finish. I got my board at the dollar store at the flea market and it looks pretty darn good for cheap! BTW you find the mineral oil in the health and beauty area in the laxatives section. Yep. That is what you take it for. Also as a body lotion. Jim had never heard of it as a laxative. And I rubbed it in my hands and it makes them very soft. Maybe we have been spending to much on hand cream. Get a bottle of mineral oil. Only $1.32 at Walmart!!

I finished another Gloria page. I am having so much fun doing these. This is her grand daughter who was being so sweet and cleaned the bathroom for her!!! Pretty nice...right?? I like the way the sketch turned out. Hope you enjoy it! (BTW the shadow on her teeth is where the light picked up strangely on her braces! Don't know why but it did. It looks like a tooth missing, but it's not. She has beautiful teeth!!!!)

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So I am calling it a night for now. Hope you enjoy tomorrow!

Absolutely No "Scents"!!!

Edited to Add: I am going to start a prayer list on my blog. But until I get it up and going I am adding them in my blogs.

Please pray for my friend Gloria's brother-in-law., Bill Miller. and his wife, Nancy. Bill is having multiple health problems and needs two surgeries, neither of which can be done before other health problems are corrected. He is uncomfortable and in pain. He and his wife both would appreciate prayer as they face this difficult time.

We have had rain. We have had rain. We have had RAIN!!!!!! A whole week of it!! Things are so green....AND soggy!! It has been just wonderful for the vegetation. Poor Jim was taking a picture of our plumeria bloom and as he was snapping it, he says, "I"M SINKING!!!"  LOL His back foot was slowly sinking into the front yard!! But, really, everything is so pretty and green and the flowers are blooming in abundance!

One big problem, though. Let's see if I can say this delicately. If you have or have had a dog, you will get it! It seems that there has been soooo much rain, that when you take the dog out to go potty....she just can't seem to find the "right place" to go. You know, usually, they sniff around until they find that perfect place where they or a dear friend has been before. But now....thank you rain....there are no scents!! Now to us humans, that makes "no sense" to us. We...positively....hate to go in a bathroom that has ours or anybody else's "scents"!! But to the animal world, I guess that triggers the needed response! Maybe that is what keeps them from using the inside of our houses so I guess that is a good thing! But now that the rain has subsided somewhat, we are getting the great "scents" all over everywhere. Golly, with no scents around, it was taking forever to take the dog out. You sometimes just had to tell her...GO! Believe it or not, she always performed!! LOL

Been a nice week so far! Not nearly enough hours to do everything I would like, but still having a great time. Ready to scrap some more. Organize some more. Play computer games some more!!! Starting a new Joyce Meyer book, too. Ah. Life is good!

So I wanted to just drop a small thought on you today and post my latest Gloria page. Now that my computer is up...at least most of the way...I do really want to scrap more. I have really missed it!

Here is my latest contribution to the Ohio 2010 book!! It is of her mom who is 95 years old!!! Isn't that something? And of course Gloria, her three girls and great grandma's nine great grand children!! Whew!! That family has grown! Hope you enjoy.

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Have a great day and do at least one thing that is fun!!

Came back to add this picture Jim took of the plumeria. These are the flowers that they make leis from. They are so fragrant. Each color has a different smell. They are just beautiful I will post a picture of what the tree looks like after they loose their leaves. Hideous looking sticks is all that is left. But the floweres make up for that!