Lately

It's been a couple of weeks since I did a post that wasn't a linkup and I knew that you, my readers, were wondering what I had been up to. Right?  Well, here's what I've been up to lately...........

While my youngest brother and his wife were here about 3 weeks ago, Hubby and I used their help to plant our big pots on the back porch and patio.  It's a big job and it was great to have their young, strong backs assist us. ~smile~

We love our back porch and always enjoy getting it decked out in the spring for the months ahead. And, we get to enjoy the beauty of the porch and patio from inside the house with all our windows. 

Our landscape crew readied all our beds for the spring 2-3 weeks ago.  They put out fresh pine straw and trimmed the plants that needed trimming.  They all look so good now. 

There is a sweet story about this piece of art.  My Daddy bought this from a street artist in Italy in 1950 while he was in the Navy.  It is an oil on canvas and it stayed rolled up in a tube for almost 20 years.  Daddy made a frame for it and stretched it across a wooden frame to put inside the frame.  It hung in our house for many years.  About 20 years ago Daddy took the outer frame off of it and just hung it as a stretched canvas.  He gave the piece to my youngest brother and Joel thought  that it would go in my house better than his.  So, he took it to a framing shop that specializes in heirloom pieces.  It was in such a fragile state and Joel knew it had to be handled very carefully.  Well, this is the finished product!  It turned out just beautiful.  Joel brought it when he came about 3 weeks ago and while I had planned for it to be in another location, the foyer wall just seemed the BEST place for it. It is truly an heirloom that has found it's home for now.  I am thrilled with the piece and love that it has such history.

I took a new bouquet of silk flowers to place on my Mom's grave this past week.  I take flowers each season and it really makes me happy to see how pretty it makes the grave.  I do not go to her grave any other time but I do enjoy the few times a year that I go to place flowers  And, I think that this is fast becoming a "thing of the past."  I don't think my kids generation will ever have the desire to visit or take flowers to our graves.  And, that's just fine, things change.  And, Hubby and I are even discussing being cremated and having our remains put in a mausoleum.  There is a mausoleum 20+ miles from us that has an area for vessels of cremated remains to be placed and it is so lovely.  Once placed, there is no maintenance to be done or no need for flowers and it's always neat and dry inside the mausoleum.  It's very appealing to me but decisions such as this are very individual.  I hope that Hubby and I will have all our plans made and paid for by the time our last breath is taken.  It will sure make it so much easier on our children.



The week between Palm Sunday and Easter is referred to as Holy Week.  I hope that you will reflect on the difference the resurrection has made in your life as you prepare for your Easter celebration.  And, if the resurrection has not made a difference in your life then I pray that you will change that and accept Jesus as your Savior and experience the difference the resurrection makes in your life.  May this week be extra special as we all prepare for Easter. 

Saturday 9 - April Love

April Love (1957). Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here. 

1) In this song, Pat Boone sings that April love is a wonder reserved for the very young. Do you think the sensation of falling in love changes as we grow older?

Oh, indeed!  But, I fell in love with my husband at a very, very young age and we married when I was a mere 18 years old (he was 24).  Truth be told, I had no idea what "real" love was and I'd say that rarely does any 18 year old.  Now, that doesn't mean that it can't work out.  We've been married for almost 48 years so I'm living proof that you don't have to have love all figured out for it to work.  I figured it out as we went along and at the age of 66 I definitely view love differently than I did at 18.  And, that's a good thing. ~smile~

2) "April Love" reached #1 on the charts. Between this song and "Love Letters in the Sand," Pat Boone had a career year. Only one artist sold more records in 1957: Elvis Presley. When you think of Elvis, what's the first song that comes to mind?

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I was a HUGE Elvis fan.  I saw him in concert twice, once in early 70's and again in a couple of years.  One of the tickets was $7.50 and one was $10.00 and I could not believe that I actually paid that much to go to a concert.  Funny how times have changed!  The song that immediately comes to mind is, "Can't Help Falling In Love."

3) Pat was extremely busy in high school. He wrote for the school paper, ran track, and acted in school plays. Share a memory of your extracurricular activities during high school.

I cannot think of one extracurricular activity I did in high school.  And, I don't remember ever thinking anything about that. Extra curricular activities were the exception rather than the rule at that time. 

4) It was his track coach who introduced Pat to the new girl in school, Shirley Foley. Three years later Pat and Shirley married, and remained man and wife for 65 years, until her death earlier this year. Who is the longest married couple you know?

  Hummm, I do not know.  I know so many folks that have been married 50+ years.  The 50th anniversary doesn't seem to be near the big deal that is was back in my childhood.  I so well remember my Grandparents making that milestone and a huge affair was given in their honor.  I do believe there is a couple in our church that is very close to celebrating 70 years of marriage, but I can't remember who it is.

5) Pat has lived in the same house for more than 60 years. He once received an offer to sell it for $18,000,000 but turned it down because it's the Boone family home and he simply doesn't want to leave. Do you plan on moving in the foreseeable future?

Well, I imagine that we will move at some point.  We had said when we built this house that we felt like we would likely live here about 10 years and then sell and downsize.  We've lived here 3 1/2 years, so who knows?  All I can say is that if someone came along and offered us the right amount of money, we'd sell in a heartbeat. Otherwise,  we love our home and thoroughly enjoy it, so we'll likely be here as long as our health permits. NOTE: the bad spots in our grass have been caused by the excessive rain.  Hubby has treated them and says they are all going to be okay in a few weeks.  Hubby is so particular about our grass and this has been most bothersome to him. ~chuckle~

6) Pat has a warm friendship with his neighbors, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. Pat has mentioned in interviews that he has enjoyed bike rides around Beverly Hills with Sharon. Tell us about one of your neighbors. 

Nancy and I have been friends for 40+ years and we would have never guessed that we would one day be neighbors.  She lived most of her life in the country, but, after her husband passed away, she decided to move to town.  She has lived here on "the hill" about 2 years longer than we have and she is as happy here in our quiet little neighborhood as we are.  Nancy is a dear treasured friend and we so enjoy now being neighbors.  We may go a while and not actually see each other but we do know that we'd do whatever we could for the other one should a need arise.  I've known Nancy longer than any of our other neighbors but I've known others for quite a long time.  There are only 10 houses and likely will only be a couple of others at some point.  It's a lovely neighborhood, high up on a hill with two beautiful ponds.

7) Mr. Boone was very critical of Barack Obama, enthusiastically supports Donald Trump, and has appeared on Fox News to express his views. How do you feel about celebrities talking politics?

I have about decided that NO ONE needs to talk politics.  I get so sick and tired of all of it and I pretty much don't watch much more than our local news.  So, in general, I think celebrities should stick with their "calling" and keep their political thoughts and comments to themselves. 

8) In 1957, the year this song was popular, Dr. Ian Donald pioneered the use of ultrasound technology. Today ultrasounds are commonly used by doctors in diagnosing conditions affecting the eyes, blood vessels, kidneys, gall bladder and more. Have you ever had an ultrasound?

Yes, way back in 1979 when I was pregnant with our daughter.  That's the only one I've ever had and I assure you it was not nearly as clear as the one shown above.  I could never even tell it was a baby by the imagine it showed.  And, they sure couldn't tell you what the sex was.  In 1976 when I was pregnant with our son ultrasound was not even available.  I am so amazed by ultrasound today.  You can pretty much see exactly what the baby is going to look like they are so clear, and you can definitely tell the sex.  

9) Random question: You're sitting alone in a restaurant, waiting for a friend. The waiter brings you a drink and the compliments of a member of the opposite sex seated at the bar. What's your reaction? Are you flattered, shocked, embarrassed, intrigued or annoyed?

What a question!! First, I would not be at a bar but if I were, I would be flattered, and annoyed and would send a message back that I was a happily married woman and I walk the straight and narrow when it comes to my marriage. ~shoot straight~
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We are experiencing horrible weather here in NE Louisiana today.  Lots of fun events had to be cancelled and we're praying that it doesn't get as bad as they are predicting.  I hope you all are enjoying a beautiful weekend!

Wednesday Medley - Siblings

And, today's questions are about siblings since it is National Siblings Day.  Who knew?  I really figure that there is likely a Hallmark card commemorating today but I haven't browsed through cards lately so I don't know.  But, I do know that greeting card companies capitalize on any and every day that they possibly can.  Now, one to the questions...............

.

1.   How many siblings do you have? Are you rivals or do you support each other in all you do?

I have two brothers and we support each other in all we do, especially my younger brother and me.  

This is me with my brother that is 3 years younger than me.  This is the last picture I have of us and it was taken in 2008.  We were extremely close growing up but, sadly, we haven't seen each other much over the past 40+ years.  He's a great guy and I would love to see him more.

This is my younger brother and me with our Dad last November on Daddy's 89th birthday.  Joel was born just before I turned 13, so when I say younger, he really is YOUNGER.  I adored him as a baby and he's really more like my 3rd child.  He is a special man and I can count on him at any time.  Thankfully, we usually see each other 4-5 times a year.  He currently lives in Iowa.

2.  Have you heard of the Birth Order Book?  What are your thoughts on the premise that your birth order affects everything you do in life?

Oh, yes, I've not only heard of The Birth Order book but I have read it.  I pretty much fit Dr. Leman's description of the oldest child.  It makes sense to me that our birth order does indeed play a pretty important part in who we are.  But, as in most things, that is not always the case.

3.  Is there something that you still do that drives your siblings crazy?
Perhaps if we lived near each other and were more involved in each other's day to day lives there might be something.  But, I can't think of a thing.

4.  Are you closer to your siblings now than you were when you were younger?

As previously stated, I was much closer to my brother that is 3 years younger than me when we were growing up and now my youngest brother and I are much, much closer than when we were younger.  One reason would be that I married when he was a mere 5 years old and moved 1000 miles away.

5.  Would you dare to tell us an embarrassing story about a sibling?

Well, I would love to if I knew one.  But, I've racked my brain and can't think of a single story.

6.  Tell us something random about your week.

Folks, I just had to share this!  Yesterday my daughter, who lives near Oklahoma City, sent me a text of this picture.  I thought it was a joke.  But, oh, no, a car pulled up beside her at a red light with these little guys/gals staring out the window.  Bridget had to snap a picture and it really appears that they knew as they are certainly posing.  I'm guessing they had just left the groomers and it appears they have fluffy bows on their tails as well. ~mercy me~ Talk about prissy dogs!  I'm pretty sure these two qualify. ~chuckle~ And, these are unedited photos, these colors are that vivid in the photo without editing.  I'm also betting they could be siblings as well. ~just sayin' ~

Prime Purchases

It's Prime Purchase Tuesday!  I'll share some of my favorite  purchases, which all happen to be from Amazon. .

Are you in need of a watch?  If so, this one is beautiful.  I love this style of Fossil watches and have 3 of them.  I have the gold, the gold/silver combo and the one above, rose gold.  They are a big watch and a tad heavy so that may not appeal to you.  But, if it does, click the link below and go check it out.  They really are a most stylish watch and the rhinestone embellishment is the "icing on the cake."

AMAZON

This is a mini flat iron.  Who knew?  I sure didn't but ran across this and thought it might be perfect for my back neck hair that is just too short to comfortably use a regular flat iron.  It works like a charm and is so, so easy to use.  You can thank me later. ~smile!

AMAZON



Okay ladies, how many of you color your hair?  I'm betting a whole bunch of you.  You either color it yourself or have it professionally done and afterwards, you have to deal with the aggravating stain around your hair line.  Well, these little pads take care of that aggravating stain in short order.  I never knew of these until a friend introduced me to them just a few weeks ago.

AMAZON


Okay, now don't laugh, you know you need to have a stash of these disposable shoe covers.  I mean, do you ever come in from outside and not want to stop to take your shoes off but neither do you want to track debris into your house.  Well, these can be lifesavers. Just slip them on over your shoes and slip them off when you head back out.  Their awesome when you are outside a lot.  And, if a repairman comes to your house and has dirty shoes, you can pull a pair of these out and hand them to him.  No joke, I have gotten so aggravated over this in the past.  We have dark wood floors that show tracks terribly and every other thing.  I decided to see if I could find these and of course, I should have known that Amazon would have them.  50 pair for $9.39, you can't beat it.  And, depending, you might get more than one use out of them.  

AMAZON

I am always looking for attractive seasonal pillows to go on our front porch benches.  I found these and many other seasonal choices.  These are only covers, so I had to buy the pillows to put into these covers but they are on Amazon as well.  There are so many cute choices for such reasonable prices and they are made of quality fabric.  These are 18X18 square.

AMAZON





If you have not tried Mrs. Meyers products then you should give them a try.  I was given some as a gift a few months ago and liked it so well that I have continued using it.  I have the hand lotion, the dish soap and the dishwasher tabs.  The prices are most affordable and the smell is out of this world.  I suggest you give it a try. 

AMAZON

Okay, that's it for this edition of Prime Purchases.  I hope you saw something that you are anxious to give a try.  Just click the button and it can be yours. ~chuckle~

Saturday 9 - The Fool on the Hill

Saturday 9: The Fool on the Hill (1968)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

Chosen because Monday is April Fool's Day. 

1) As an April Fool's prank, Taco Bell once announced they had purchased The Liberty Bell and renamed it The Taco Liberty Bell. Describe your perfect taco.



I want mine pretty plain, just meat, lettuce and shredded cheese.

2) Similarly, as an April Fool's prank, the Ford Motor Co. was supposed to wipe out the national deficit by purchasing the naming rites to a beloved monument, renaming it the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial. What model car do you drive? 


I drive a 2018 white Tahoe.  It's big, roomy, has a great ride and I love it.

3) In 1998, Burger King got in on the April Fool's Day fun by promoting a special "Left-Handed Whopper," designed to be easier for a leftie to hold. Describe your perfect burger.


I want Chipolte mayo, lettuce, purple onions, dill pickles and sometimes cheese but NEVER, EVER  tomatoes. ~I know, weird~

4) In 1962, when color TV was still new, a Swedish station pranked viewers by telling them they could convert their black/white sets to color by cutting up a nylon stocking and stretching it across the screen. Of course, in 1962, more women wore nylons and screens were smaller. How big is your TV? Are there any nylon stockings in your home?


The TV in our fireplace room is 60" and it is a wall mount as are all TV's in our home. Yes, there are definitely nylon stockings in our house.  I still wear them whenever more than just a little bit of my legs will be seen. I have always thought that legs with hose look a whole lot better than bare legs. ~just my opinion~  It's sort of like makeup, most women's faces look better with it than without it. ~chuckle~

5) In 1957, the BBC ran an April Fool's story about how the Swiss were enjoying a "bumper spaghetti crop," with spaghetti literally growing on trees. Viewers who called the station, asking how to grow a spaghetti tree of their own, were told to place a sprig of spaghetti in a can of tomato sauce and hope for the best. Have you ever fallen for an April Fool's prank?

If I have it's been so long ago that I can't remember.

6) When Crazy Sam was growing up, her mother would surprise her on April Fool's Day by slipping a rubber worm or plastic spider in her lunch box. When you were in school, did you more frequently brown bag it or buy your lunch in the cafeteria line?

I generally bought the cafeteria lunch and I have such fond memories of the delicious hot rolls and we could always have two if we wanted them.  I would eat my lunch and then eat my roll with good ole sticky, sugary sweet honey.  I don't think the school lunches today include a hot roll. ~such a shame~

7) This week's song was an international hit for Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66. Because of the song's bossa nova arrangement, everyone assumed the lead singer, Lani Hall, was Brazilian. She was a folk singer from Chicago. Sergio Mendes discovered her at a charity benefit. Can you think of a time when doing good really paid off for you?
Well, not in the form of a job but I'm pretty sure in other areas that "doing good" has definitely paid off for me.

8) In 1968, when this record was popular, Pierre Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada. Today his son holds that office. When did you most recently visit our neighbor to the north?

We live in the Northern section of Louisiana so I guess pretty much all my neighbors are to my North.  ~that may not make sense but I've never been good with north, south, east or west~ Just sayin' ~

9) Random question: Name three websites you visit every day.

My blog
Facebook
Amazon
AND, more than once a day too. ~smile~

NOTE: If you are bothered by Acid Reflux and did not read my blog post yesterday then you definitely need to.  You can find it here.

Bothered by Acid Reflux?

I know, I know, what an odd subject for a blog post.  But, I'm betting over half of the folks that are reading this suffer from Acid Reflux. If you don't suffer with it, I bet you know someone who does.   It seems that it has been rampant for the past 12-15 years and before that time, I had never even heard of it.  I was diagnosed with Acid Reflux about 7-8 years ago and in the past 2-3 years it has been awful.  I've had it so bad that I have almost lost my voice at times and I have had periods of time that I needed to clear my throat almost continually. (Yes, AF can and does cause those types of aggravating responses)  And, that along with the gurgling feeling in my throat and general discomfort in my upper abdomen.  My Gastroenterologist started me on Nexium, one to two a day, about 6 years ago and I've been taking it pretty much ever since until about a month ago.  I have not liked taking it but I couldn't live with all the issues it was causing, so like a million others, I just continued taking it.  The long term effects of PPI's (Proton Pump Inhibitors) is not something I wanted to risk, so, in the past couple of months  I began searching for a way to get off of them.  Plus, the cost was insane, almost $500 a month taking 2 per day.  That's what I call "highway robbery." 

I have a friend that is also bothered, rather severely, with AF too and I knew that a couple of years ago she started using an Essential Oil formula with much success.  We have the same EO rep and health coach, so I called her and discussed the situation with her.  I have been using EO for about 3 years and have had much success in other areas with them so I was more than willing to give them a try for my AF.

For the formula, I needed Veggie Caps and Fractionated Coconut Oil and I had both of these items on hand.  I use mainly Doterra oils but any pure therapeutic oil will work.

I also needed Fennel and Lemongrass oils for the formula and did not have them in my stash so I ordered them immediately.  I ordered them from Eden's Garden, another reputable EO online company.  Once they arrived I was able to concoct the formula.

I had a supply of dropper bottles and  big droppers which make dropping a whole bunch of drops a whole lot easier.  These items can be found on Amazon.  Here's the formula:
3 drops of Fractionated Coconut Oil
2 drops of Lemongrass
2 drops of Fennel
Drop these into one of the gel caps and then swallow it, just as you would any other pill.  I am taking one in the morning and one before dinner at this time.  You cannot make these capsules up ahead of time as the oil will eat thru the capsule, so they have to be made up just before you take them.  But, I do make up a lot of the formula in one of the dropper bottles and that makes it very easy.  It's also easy to travel with.  I just put a few of the gel caps in a tiny ziploc bag and that bag with the dropper bottle in another ziploc and you are ready to go. 

In addition to the capsules my rep told me to put two drops of Lemon oil in water at some point of the day.  I drink water all day long so that was not a big deal at all.

Within 48 hours I could not believe the relief I was feeling.  I was not clearing my throat, and the discomfort in my upper abdomen had subsided.  After 3 weeks the only issue I was still having was the gurgling in my throat.  My rep told me that after 2-3 weeks if I was still having any issues to give her a call and she would tell me some other things to try.  So, that's exactly what I did. 

She told me to add to my regime,  6-8oz of room temperature water with 2 drops of lemon oil in it the first thing in the morning.  BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE!!!  Of course, the first thing I drink in the mornings is a cup of half and half coffee but I knew that I could drink the lemon water while I was waiting on my cup to brew and have it over with.  She told me that it would normalize the acid level in my stomach for the day and then when I drank my coffee it would neutralize it.  That makes perfect sense to me. She also told me to add up to 10 drops of lemon oil to the water I drink throughout the day but no more than 10 to keep the acid neutralized.  (And, if you do not suffer from severe AF then you should not have that much lemon oil in one day.)  Well, I am thrilled to report that almost immediately the gurgling feeling in my throat was gone and I am symptom free!  

After a few weeks I will not be as careful with my diet and as I add such things as pepperoni, tomato products, soda, etc. I will see how it goes.  Of course, I will be on the regime for a long while before I try to stop it and see how I do.  I will cut the evening capsule out in another week or two and see if just one per day does the trick.  

As I said, I wanted to share this via my blog so that others who deal with this might know that there is a more natural, safer and much less expensive way to deal with AF.  I promise, it is not that big of a deal.  After a couple of days of doing the regime, you will get the hang of it and dropping those 7 drops into a capsule from the dropper bottle is "easy peasy."  I  make the formula about every 2-3 weeks and that doesn't take but just a few minutes.  The hardest part of that is paying attention to counting the drops.  I generally put 240 drops of the fractionated coconut oil , 160 drops of the Fennel and Lemongrass for that 2-3 week period.  

I am so glad that I was introduced to essential oils and I so wish that Doctors would recommend their use, but that is not going to happen.  I do intend to share my relief with my Gastro Doctor the next time I see him.  And, the oil and supplies for the formula cost less than $75 and I have no idea how long these two bottles of oil may last but it will be a very long time. 

If you have any questions or didn't understand something, just email me or ask in the comments and I'll sure answer.  I want any and everyone to experience this natural remedy for AF.

Wednesday Medley - National Joe Day,

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Well, Terri has found another good one for us today.  I have never, ever heard of National Joe Day. I have decided there is a day for absolutely everything. I assumed it was referring to a "cup of Joe" but obviously, I was wrong.  It's referring to the name, Joe. Meanwhile I'll get on with the questions regarding this "special" day.

1.  Who is your favorite "Joe/Jo" and what can you tell us about him or her? 

This is my sweet mother in law whose name was Billie Jo.  She was definitely a favorite of mine.  She passed away 11 years ago but will always be remembered as a true Southern lady and I loved her dearly.

2.  Who were you named for and do you or did you know that person?
I was named after Leah in the Bible, Leah and Rachel, the sisters.  But, somehow with all the excitement my parents forgot to put the "h" on the end of it and I've been called "Lee" a lot.  It's okay, I learned early on to answer to either one. ~smile~

3.  Do you have a middle name and do you like it/use it?

Lea Beth

I do have a middle name, it's Beth.  I went by Lea Beth until I married and for some reason the Beth was dropped and I began going by Lea.  I like it fine.  I've never, ever heard of another Lea Beth in my life but I'm pretty sure there is bound to be another one across this big ole world. 

4.  Have you ever named your car?  Tell us about it, please!


Tommy and I have never named a car but my Daddy always did and the one I most remember was named Lizzie.  It was a Rambler Station Wagon and he talked to that car just like it was a human.  Remembering that brings back a lot of fond childhood memories.

5.  Tell us the name of a fictional character you have never forgotten and why you remember it so well.




Paddington Bear - what's not to love about a bear in a duffle coat and a floppy hat. When our son was a little tike this was his favorite stuffed animal.  Paddington had a lot of wear and tear by the time Brandon was about 5 years old.  I have no idea where Paddington ended up but I will always hold dear the images of him and our son's early years. 

6.  Share something random with us about your week.

Today is Hubby's 72nd birthday.  This picture depicts him perfectly!  This picture was taken on our Alaskan Cruise 12 years ago. He loves the outdoors and was once an avid hunter.  He enjoys feeding and watching the birds and loves sitting outside and enjoying our beautiful landscape and pond.  He's all about the journey!  He's been my "main squeeze" for almost 48 years.  We'll celebrate on Friday.