Creepy Crawlers, Computer Issues and the Cleanest City

I

Okay Company Girls,want you to grab a bottle/glass of water as we visit around today. I made a commitment back in mid-February to start drinking more water. I am doing very well and usually drink between 60 and 70 ounces everyday now.  It has gotten easier and easier and I can really tell a difference in my body. 

  Monday afternoon I was doing our ironing and noticed something moving on the area rug in our family room. I saw that it was  a large salamander and I almost freaked out. I grabbed my flip flop off my foot and knew that I would have a hard time killing him with a rubber flipflop.  But, I couldn't leave the room to go get anything else because he might move.  I rared back with all my might and hit that fella with my flip flop and he went flying through the air but when he hit the floor he took off again. Yes, he was a little addled, but was still going.  He went under a chair and I turned the chair over and took out after him again and I finally knocked the life out of him.  I was so weak when the ordeal was over and my heart was racing out of my chest.   In the course of the 30 years we have lived in this house we have had a flying squirrel, a regular squirrel, lizards and birds in this house.  And, of course, there's always the bugs and spiders.  I get so upset over "creepy crawly things" and really think it's time to get a house cat. ~chuckle~ I'm pretty sure that Hubby would NOT agree to that remedy.

On Wednesday morning I was checking my email about 7:30 and the first thing I opened said it was from UPS. Well, that didn't surprise me because I do business with UPS and send quite a few packages through them.  The email had an attachment that said a package I had sent was undeliverable and the attachment would give me the details.  Well, I clicked on that attachment before "quick could get ready."  As soon as I did, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I had made a huge mistake.  It was a hoax and I filled my computer with bugs, worms and Trojans, whatever all those things are.  I immediately call my "computer guru" and he told me to cut off my computer and he would come by and pick it up and clean it up.  Thank goodness I have my trusty laptop as well as the desktop. He didn't think it was going to be too big of deal, he said it can often look worse than it is.  So, I hope he was right.  It scared me too death and made me sick that there are folks out there that have nothing better to do than mess with other folks computers.  I did call our bank, our credit card companies and such so they could be on the look out for any suspicious activity.  

After calming myself from the computer issue I remembered that I was suppose to drive the judges for the Cleanest City Contest a little after lunch.  I had done this last year and had a lot of fun.  I just pretty much have to drive through a mapped out section of our town and tell the judges little "tid bits" about our city as we ride through.  I brought them back to the local

Vistor's Center where the Garden Club has a very nice reception for the judges and those involved in the contest.  We had some delicious desserts and the tables were adorned with these two gorgeous flower arrangements. We still have not heard whether or not we won, think we're suppose to find out tomorrow.  But, whatever the outcome, our city certainly looks a whole lot cleaner because of the efforts of a lot of folks and businesses.

I'm not sure what the week-end holds, but the forecast is calling for a lot of rain, so likely it will be  fairly uneventful . I do plan to make a huge pot of spaghetti sauce tomorrow and will freeze 3-4 containers for use at a later time.  I do love to have a stash of prepared foods in the freezer!

A happy week-end to all you Company Girls and for more visiting with Company Girls, check out Rachel Anne's Home Sanctuary. 

Wednesday's Random Dozen

1. Have you ever been so lost that you were really afraid? Oh, my, this brings back a memory........Hubby and I were in downtown Atlanta with our then 1 year old son. Hubby had a meeting and while he was at his meeting I decided that I would take baby son for a stroll and do some window shopping. When it came time to go back to the hotel I had no idea which direction to go.  All I could see were tall buildings and they all looked the same.  My heart was racing and I walked into a store and asked them if they could tell me how to get back to the Marriott and they politely told me to just walk across the street.  How embarressing!

2. Have you ever been to an island? While we were in Madrid,Spain in 1975 we visited some island for the day. I guess it didn't make a big impression because I remember very little about it.

3. Are you more of a thinker or feeler? Oh, dear this is a tough one. I think it depends on what it is. In some issues I would definitely be a thinker and in some issues I would be a feeler. Over all I'm probably more of a feeler.

4. Do you tend to see issues or situations in life as black and white or shades of gray? Definitely black and white, I see shades of gray as being indecisive and that drives me crazy!

5. If you were stuck on an island, what book would you hope to have with you (Let's pretend the Bible is already there, so you can't say that.) Well, I think I would want to have a phone book. If I'm stuck, surely I would have my cell phone and I might think of all kinds of folks that I would want to call and I might not have their number stored in my cell phone.

6. What are you most afraid of?  Since I chased a salamander around our den yesterday afternoon and this morning a huge creepy spider was waiting on me in the toilet, I would have to say "critters" of all kinds.  They really do scare me too death and it matters not that I am a million times bigger, they are so quick and I seem to always have to chase and kill them by myself. And, it doesn't help that Hubby thinks I'm over-reacting! ~smile!~

7. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones?  WOW, another toughie! I cannot imagine not being able to make new memories as long as I'm alive because I'm all into "memory making." So, guess I would rather lose all of my old memories. But, as I said this is tough.

8. Pretend I'm looking at a scrapbook page about you. There are three spaces for you to drop in individual pictures. What are those pictures of, and why did you select them?  The first one would be one of me with my "Shirley Temple curls" at the age of 6, the next would be of me with my "Beatle hair cut" at the age of 11 or 12 and the 3rd one would be of my with my "Farah Faucett do" in my 20's.  Guess I should go and scan in pictures of myself with all these, but will save that for another day. ~giggle~

9. If you were re-doing your wedding, what would you do differently? (If you're single, tell me one thing you would do if you were planning a wedding OR huge party.) I was so emotional and cried throughout the entire ceremony and I would do my best to not let that happen again. My Dad performed our ceremony and he made it so special and said such sweet things that I couldn't control the tears. But, I was a mere 18 years old (a month shy of 19). That is so scary looking back 39 years ago.

10. Tell me one thing you know/believe about forgiveness. There are times when we MUST forgive even when forgiveness isn't sought. There's such peace in seeking and accepting forgiveness.

11. You're waiting in a doctor's office. What is your favorite way to pass that time?  Since getting a Blackberry a couple of years ago I enjoy whiling away the time by playing Brickbreaker.  I can't believe I'm saying that at 57 years of age. ~laugh~

12. If there were a clone of you in a parallel universe what is one way you hope she/he would be the same as you and one way you hope she/he would be better?  I would hope she would have my organizational skills and be  more tolerant than I am when unorganized people and businesses cause chaos in my life. ~smile~

Check out more Random Dozen posted by the "one and only" Linda!

The Simple Woman's Daybook............April 27, 2010

Outside my window..........are signs that we had rain this past week-end. The grass needs mowing, and my newly potted plants are thriving, both signs that they got a lot of watering and must have enjoyed it.

I am thinking...........that life really is short and I need to start making more out of my days.  Not that I do not enjoy my days, I do. But, I need to be out, meeting the needs of others more than I currently am.  It might just be visiting with an elderly person, or a young Mom, but in either case, I could probably offer encouragement to them both. This would be something with eternal value and so much of what we can busy ourselves with today has no eternal value.


I am thankful for...........a husband with a "giving heart."  If he hears or knows of a financial need and it is worthy, he will help out in some way.  The need depends on the amount and he is always careful to do his best to know that it is indeed a "real" need.  Just this past Friday evening we were at Lowe's and were loading the items we had bought into the back of our vehicle. While doing so a very loud truck pulled up and stopped right beside us and the driver rolled down his window.  He began to tell us how he needed gas money to get somewhere.  Well, I must tell you, it scared the "be-jibbers" out of me but Hubby carefully asked him a few questions and then handed him a $10 bill.  I left like it was a scam and told Hubby that, but his reply to me was, "that is his problem if it was indeed a scam, but I did what I felt was right in my heart."  If he had been absolutely sure the man wasn't lying he would have given him more.  Who knows, but that is not ours to decide. 

From the kitchen..........tonight will be grilled chicken breasts, a rice dish and some vegetable that hasn't been decided up on at this time.  Then some time this week I hope to try out a recipe I got off of one of my "blogging buddies" site. It is "Chocolate Almond Crunch" (click on name if you would like recipe) and we love almonds around here and of course, chocolate is always good.  The picture she posted of it was yummy looking.


I am wearing..........dark denim knee shorts, a white 3/4 sleeve top with "sparkles" on the front and denim flip flops.

I am creating.........hopefully a warm, inviting, comfortable home for my family and friends to enjoy.  


I am going...........no where important, just likely around our little town this week.

I am reading.........still reading "Her Mother's Hope" and the book of James.  I've been reading certain books of the Bible 3 times each for the past couple of months.  I've chosen books that have profound messages and even after being in the Word my entire life, I'm still learning.


I am hoping...........that a precious older lady friend of mine will get a better report than she is expecting this week when she has a lung biopsy done.  She will be 91 on Friday and until recently has been blessed with unbelievable good health. She's a most inspiring woman!

I am hearing..........the Easy Listening music playing through the cable on our TV.  I am not a daytime TV person at all but I do enjoy pretty instrumental music throughout the day.


Around the house...........are some boxes of new light fixtures that Hubby assures me will be gone by the end of this week. We're updating some of our fixtures that were in this house when we bought it 30 years ago.  Hubby's timetable is generally not the same as mine, but I'll try to be patience and wait for him to get motivated to change them out.  If there were anyway I could do it myself, it would already be done. ~chuckle~

One of my favorite things..........is the feeling of being "caught up."  I know, that's weird, but I can't help it.  I can get in a "tizzy" when I am behind on things.  Of course, I am definitely at a stage in life where it is a whole lot easier to stay caught up than it was when the children were home.  It does still happen, but not often.  So, all you young Moms reading this, just know that you won't turn around twice and you'll be all "caught up" too.


A few plans for the rest of the week.........will do some advance food preparation for our daughter and family's arrival next week for a few days and will be keeping our Granddaughter this Friday and not sure what else, but I'm sure I'll manage to find something.  I always do!


Here is a picture thought I am sharing............

This is my Dad and Mom are their wedding day, April 8, 1950. Aren't they just too cute!  The Lord blessed them with 58 1/2 wonderful years.  My Mom was taken very suddenly, by a massive stroke, on Dec. 1, 2008.  This picture brings a smile to my face and I am so thankful for my Mom's 78+ years and am so thankful to still be enjoying my Dad. 


For more daybook reading check out The Simple Woman's Daybook.

A Poem from My Mom - 40 years later

After my Mom passed away on Dec. 1, 2008, my Dad began keeping a diary to journal the grief that he was experiencing after losing his mate of 59 years.  As he would make an entry he would email it to my 2 brothers and myself.  What a treasure!  In the early months following her death these entries were quite frequent, but as time went on, they grew less . When I got online this morning to check my email, there was a new entry to his diary.  I wanted to share just a "snippet" of it with you.

We thought that we had gone through and found any and everything that Mom had left, but this past week Dad ran across some papers that Mom had kept some of her "secret thoughts" on.  On one of those papers was a poem that she had written to me but had never given to me.  It was written when I was going to my first big "whing ding." I was a Junior in high school and had been invited by a young man to Bluefield College in West Virginia to attend a big May Day celebration. I remember it like it was yesterday.  Mom had made me a beautiful formal dress to wear and I felt just like a queen when I put it on.  I was excited beyond words about this event and following is the poem that she wrote to me concerning that week-end.

You're getting ready for your first big social event,

Did you know my darling daughter, you were heaven sent? 

On this occasion my mind goes back

It seems only yesterday I had diapers to starch.

Now you are so grown up and I feel kinda sad.

I'll try to be understanding and not act so bad.

Be careful my darling, love is certainly grand

But with your heart pounding madly, it can get out of hand.

Remember your creator and the things you've been taught

But the devil's just waiting so please don't get caught.

(By one of his tricks, that is)

We trust you completely and love you dearly,

We'll see you Sunday and hope you'll bring cheers.

I have no idea why my Mom did not give the poem to me at that time, but perhaps it was written just for her to express her feelings.  Perhaps she thought that someday she would give it to me or I would find it after she was gone.  Memories of her are so precious to me and not a day goes by that I do not think of her and miss her.  Below is the last picture taken of me and my precious Mom.

 

Beautiful Days, Decorations and Company

Good Morning Company Girls, what a great week it has been here in N.E.Louisiana. The weather has just been absolutely gorgeous and I've been changing out the Easter decor for something that will likely remain out until time for fall.  As I've stated before, I don't do much decorating anymore except for our Kitchen Island and our Dining Room table. But, I sure do like what I came up for both. 

I'm a big fan of Zinnia's and found these that were sort of paper-like and took them to a local florist and had them placed on a grapevine wreath. I thought the faux lemons, limes and strawberries looked nice with it and it brings a smile to my face every time I see it. ~laugh~  You know it doesn't take much for some folks!

I get a lot of my ideas from magazines that I glance through and that is where this idea for our Dining Table came from.  These are just clear glass cylinders with waded up lime green netting stuffed down in them and a fuzzy green ball placed on top. I have used these cylinders for so many decorating ideas and it tickles me that I only paid $3 a piece for them at TJ Maxx.Talk about a bargin!! I think the mirrored runner just adds to the beauty by reflecting the imagine.  A very nice look for just a little bit of expense (other than the mirrored runner and I've had it for years).  I bet even Martha Stewart would be impressed! ~chuckle~

It helped inspire me to know that we had company coming last week-end.  Hubby's sister and her husband came from Georgia and you know, it's always good to "impress" family. ~giggle~ 

We enjoyed their visit so much. The guys had their time on the golf course, we had our time enjoying a nice lunch and shopping.  And, all 4 of us enjoyed time visiting together.  The weather was perfect and that always makes for more fun. Our son and his family and my Dad and Step Mom joined us for dinner on Friday evening and my Strawberry Cake was a huge hit.  Just a simple recipe I got off the internet but Hubby told me it was the best cake I'd ever made. WOW!  Should you be interested in the recipe, click here.  I will add that it really needs no icing whatsoever, it just melts in your mouth, but if you have to have icing, go easy with it.

As you can see in the pictures, the azalea's were showing their smiling faces last week-end too.  Of course, company left Monday morning and  then it was back to the "real world."  But, it's been a great week without a lot of demands and a lot of time to just "be still and know." 

Blessings to you Company Girls, may His face shine upon you and give you peace.  Happy week-end!

For more great chatter, check out Rachel Anne's Company Girls.  We're a great bunch!

Wednesday's Random Dozen

1. Ever had any run-ins with the "library police?" I have not and it has been several years since I've been to a library.  The internet serves as my library now.


2. Do you have a special organizational plan and place for wrapping paper, gift bags, etc., or do you just purchase whatever you need as you give gifts? Well, until about a year ago I had a gift wrapping and gift basket business.  So, I still have lots and lots of supplies left and it is all very organized in a small room at my husband's office.  I enjoy seeing just how creative I can be with wrapping and packaging.


3. Have you ever been in (first-hand witness) a natural disaster? No, thank goodness!

4. What's your favorite Barry Manilow song? Oh, I do love Barry Manilow and one of my most favorite songs of his is "Can't Smile Without You." 

 5. What's the best costume you've ever worn? I was a "flapper" from the "Roaring 20's"  many years ago and my costume was so cute with all the fringe and the head dress. I still have it!

6. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
I keep both right by my desktop computer but use the dictionary much more often.


7. What's your favorite breakfast food? Well, I love bacon and when you add waffles to that, it's just "plum" good!


8. Have you ever purchased anything from an infomercial?

Not directly off the TV, but Wal-Mart always has a section with a lot of those items in it and I've bought some there.  The last item was those green plastic bags that are suppose to keep fruit fresh longer, I can't remember what they are called.  They have not worked for me.

9. Have you ever crawled through a window? Perhaps when I was a child, but if so, I can't remember it.


10. Do you believe in love at first sight? I'd better since I met my Hubby (he was 19) when I was a mere 13 years old and I went straight home and told my parents that I would marry him one day.  Six years later I did. ~smile~


11. How man pairs of jeans do you own?  I probably own about 8 pair in different styles and different washes and colors.  Every time I put a pair of jeans own I thank the person that started adding that bit of Spandex to them. Y-e-s, it spells commmmforttttable!!!


12. If someone were going to bake a cake to honor/represent you, what would it be? (Think creatively, like Duff and Crew on "Ace of Cakes.") Now, I will have to explain this, but it would be a MOUTH.  Since I love to both talk and laugh, it just seems like the appropriate representation of me.  And, I would love to see Duff and Crew's creation of my mouth. And, they would have to make sure that I had lipstick on my lips. I do love me some lipstick! 

If you would like to join the Random Wednesday fun, check out Linda's 2nd Cup of Coffee.

Simple Woman Daybook 4.20.2010

Outside my window..........I see the "twinkle lights" sparkling on our patio. We have very pain stakingly place them around the canopy over our patio and they add such a nice touch in the evening time.  I've always liked clear "twinkle lights," they remind me of the stars and make me happy.

I am thinking........about what a great week-end we had  with Hubby's sister and her husband. They are from Georgia and we made some fun memories while they were here.


I am thankful for..........the opportunity that I had to hear my Dad preach again yesterday.  At 80 years old he doesn't really have all that many opportunities, but he's had two in the past month and I've gone to hear him both times and received such a rich blessing.  His sermon yesterday is likely one of the  Top 10 sermons I've ever heard.  The "jest" of the sermon was that we as Christians  need to be the best Christian  that we can be all of the time.   Sounds pretty simple, but it was very provoking!


From the kitchen..........I made a batch of Bran Muffins this afternoon.  I found the recipe on the internet. They are called "Kellogg's Best  Bran Muffins" and they are the BEST I've ever eaten and are so, so easy and quick.  Not sure what this week holds in the kitchen, but I'll come up with something. ~smile~ We had leftovers for dinner this evening.     

 I am wearing..........brushed flannel top and matching pants.  I call them my lounging PJ's. It is very cool tonight and I put them on to get warm.  It is suppose to get down to 47 tonight. Ugh!


I am going..........well, no big plans for this week. Of course, I can't go a week without going to Wal-Mart and do have a list of items needed from there.  Tomorrow is "trim and color" day for the hair, so will be going there and quite sure that as the week goes by, there will definitely be other places to go.  Looking like a rather calm week. Yea!


I am reading........."Her Mothers Hope" by Francine Rivers. I'm just getting started, but as usual, Francine's books are marvelous!


I am hoping...........that all of the unrest and "riff raff" going on in our country will somehow resolve itself  and we will be united and all headed in the same direction.


I am hearing.........Fox News on the TV and Hubby filing his fingernails. Interesting combo, uh?


Around the house..........there's clothes to be folded on the couch,but I did all the ironing earlier today.  Also got the linens changed and washed on the guest room bed and bath and things are in pretty good order.  I had a most productive Monday!


One of my favorite things...........organization.  I am an "organizational freck."  I love to keep things in order, in a file, in a container, a ziploc bag, or whatever item can be used for organization.  For me, an organized life is a calmer life.


Here is a picture for thought I am sharing................our side yard with the gorgeous azalea's in full bloom.  I'm so sorry that they do not stay in bloom for a long time, but we certainly do enjoy them while they are wearing their "smiling faces.

For more reading pleasure, check out more Simple Woman Daybooks.

To Virginia and Back

Oh, how I missed you girls last Friday! I was in Virginia visiting my Mom's family and just did not have the time to think about blogging.  But, I did think about you and missed our visits. 

I left last Wednesday (the 7th) headed to Newport News, VA. (my birthplace) All that I have left of my Mom's family is in that area of Virginia. The main person I went to see was my Mom's oldest sister and the only sibling left out of five children.  Can you believe that she (pictured below) will be 88 years old on May 12th?  I can only hope that I have inheirted some of her genetic makeup. She has been a widow for 9 years and is the Mother to 4 sons.  She lives alone, loves to work in her yard, is always doing something for someone, still drives and is as "sharp as a tack."  I love her dearly!

I have several cousins in the area and was able to see 2-3 of them.  I was able to spend the day with one having a good time shopping, visiting and acting silly. I am sure the various shop owners thought we were two crazy

women. ~chuckle~  I carried my camera along and we took pictures as we went about our day, on the streets, in the shops, at the restaurant.  The shop owners were very good natured and allowed us to have fun with the various accessories in their store. I will not bother to post all of our "fun pictures" but thought you would enjoy seeing the"hat pictures" that we captured while

wandering through "Charming Charlies.  Now, if you've never been in a "Charming Charlies," you need to go if you have one nearby.  I don't think I've ever seen anything to compare and it really was a bit overwhelming to me.  But, if there is an accessory that you need, in any color that you need, they WILL have it.

My cousin, Lisa

"Yours Truly"

It was a great 4 days and I have no doubt that my Mom was peering down from heaven enjoying our visit as well.  I could not believe how smoothly and timely my flights were each way.  I arrived 20 minutes early both going and coming.  I was astonded that it cost me $55 to get my two suitcases there and $60 to get them back home.  I had no idea that I would have to pay both ways.  Flying has just gotten "out of control" but it is still the quickest and most convinent means of travel most of the time.  So, guess I'll keep putting up with their "stuff." ~smile~

While it was good to go, it was good to get back home.  Hubby was mighty glad to see me!  And, again, it's good to be back in touch with The Company Girls!  For more great Company Girls, check out Rachel Anne's Home Santuary. You'll be glad you did! I was the first entry today. WOW! what an honor to be first on Rachel Anne's list!

Wednesday's Random Dozen

1. How do you feel about "Gladiator" sandals, also called "Roman" or "Jesus" sandals? A fashion yea or nay?  They are not for me, I don't wear anything quite that flat, but I have seen them on ladies and think they are cute with the right outfit. 

2. What is your favorite pizza? Sweep The Kitchen  We have a locally franchised pizza place here called "Johnny's Pizza" and they have some of the best pizza on the market. We don't indulge very often, but when we do, it is a real treat!


3. There are plans in the works to sell roughly 1,000 items from Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas. This means you could buy Picard's chair for your family room. If not a Star Trek item, what prop, background, set, etc. from what TV or movie would you buy if you could?  Well, well, well, guess it's pitiful, but I can't think of an item right now.  I'm sure if I thought about it for a while I could possibly come up with something, but will just let it go for now. ~smile~


4. Name a local food or restaurant that your area is famous for. Guess I answered that in #2


5. What is your current favorite snack? I love salty snacks and guess if I could or would allow myself to, I would snack on potato chips all day long.  I'd just leave a bag open on the counter and every time I walked by, I'd grab a handful.  Thank goodness I have will power over that or I would be in trouble!


6. Hypothetical: You are required to be a reality show contestant. Which show would you choose based on your probability of success? (You cannot choose "none.")  Well, of these 3 it would have to be Dancing with the Stars.  Now, do know that I have "two left feet" so it would be a real challenge to say the very least.  But, I would give it my best shot and be assured that my outfit would FULLY cover me.  I personally think that there should be rules about just how much the contestants can reveal of their bodies.  Some of them leave nothing to the imagination.

7. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being uninhabitable and 10 being cleanliness that meets the standards of OCD, how clean is your vehicle's interior?  It would be a 9 or a 10. I am "over the top" when it comes to neatness and cleanliness in all areas.  I have always had a small trash can in my vehicle and ALL trash goes in it.  Certainly I get debris and dirt from time to time on my mats, but usually sweep them off immediately.  When my children were home and I was hauling them and their friends, they all knew the "rules" of Miss Lea's vehicle and it was amazing how they they abided by them. ~chuckle~


8. It doesn't feel like Spring until I am wearing flip flops and have our patio is all decked out with plants.


9. Something that made you laugh really hard recently is  I spent a few days last week in Virginia and spent some time with a cousin that is just so funny and full of "one liners."  As usual I can't recall one at this moment, but we laughed and laughed and so enjoyed our time together.  I can never laugh enough, I love it!


10. Tell me about a goal you're working toward. What a great question and I am ashamed to say that I am not sure about that and that is sad!  I think we should always have goals, they help to keep us on track.  I will ponder this today!


11. Share a thought-provoking or inspiring quote this week.  "Nothing is Worth More than This Moment"


12. Name one thing that you do as a parent that you absolutely know will make your kids happy. If you're not a parent, feel free to substitute "friend" or nomenclature that works for you.
Mine and their Dad's encouragement and approval is probably the things that make our children happiest.  This has always been a top priority for us as parents and we continue with it even now that they are grown and have children of their own.

For more Random Dozen check out Linda's Second Cup of Coffee.  Linda brings us so much fun on Wednesday's with her questions and we salute her for taking time to do this for us!

Wednesday's Random Dozen

1. Define a great relationship. One centered around Christ

2. Why is it called a "drive-through" if you have to stop? (Real question: What was the last food/drink you purchased at a drive-through?) Funny you would ask, I had a Chicken Strip sandwich and iced tea from Sonic for lunch today. I do love me some Sonic and their commercials are just the BEST!

3. As I type this, the Butler Bulldogs are getting ready to play in the NCAA championship game. Every Hoosier is hysterical about this except me. So in honor of the Bulldogs ... what is your favorite breed of dog? (I tried.)  Since we have two Labs, guess that would make it pretty obvious that is my favorite.  But, really, until Rosco and Rhett came into our lives, I pretty much disliked dogs very, very much.  That is a long, long story and I will not bore you with that today, but just know, that Rosco and Rhett are "tops" around here.

                                                    

4. If you had to choose another state to live in, where would you choose to move?  Well, that's a "toughie" but I think it would be Florida, strictly for the weather.

       

5. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?  I don't think I would change anything. My parents were awesome, not perfect, but raised me and my two brothers to the best of their ability in the ways of the Lord. Who could ask for anything more?

6. Who's the funniest person you know?  One of the funniest is one of our dear friends,  we do a lot with he and his wife.  He is so funny and so, so quick and he's a Dentist and is always making you want to laugh while he's working in your mouth. Go figure!

7. Did you get enough sleep last night? Definitely! I usually get somewhere between 7 to 7 1/2 hours each night and I almost always feel rested and ready to go when I get up.

8. What's the first thing you thought about this morning? Getting all my "ducks in a row" so that I would be ready to fly to Virginia very early in the morning.

9. Grilled or Fried? --HONESTLY  Well, honestly, I prefer fried, but do not eat it all that much.  First, I refuse to fry in my kitchen, so if I eat fried, it is when we eat out and I try to eat healthier than that most of the time. But, there's not much better than fried chicken, shrimp, or fish. Yummy!

10. Are you afraid of the dark? No, but I prefer to leave an outside light on when we are going to be out after dark, more of a safety issue than fear.  I definitely prefer a dark room to sleep in, that's why I have both lined drapes and a room darkening window shade over our double window.

11.When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? The very first thing I ever remember wanting to be was a Lennon Sister. Yep, that's right! Those of you under 50 reading this probably don't even know who they are, but they were a quartet of sisters that sang on the Lawrence Welk Show and I thought they sang beautiful and looked beautiful and I wanted to be one of them. How funny!

12. If you had one word to describe yourself , what would you choose? LIVELY

For more Random Dozen, check out Linda's Second Cup of Coffee.

The Simple Woman's Daybook............April 6, 2010

Outside my window..........the sun is shining ever so brightly and a few hummingbirds have found their way to my Hubby's feeders.

I am thinking.........about my trip to Virginia on Wednesday. I'll be flying to visit my Mom's sister, who is the only sibling left out of 5.  And, the odd part is that she was the oldest sibling.  She will be 87 in May and acts like she is about 65.  So amazing and so inspiring!  I have other relatives there too that I will get to see.  It is very special to me to go back to my Mom's home, especially since her death 15 months ago.

I am thankful for...........always being able to find something to do. I hear folks at my point in life say they are bored.  I think I can say that I have never been bored in my life.  I like to be busy, not busy, busy, just busy. ~smile~ I have a lot of interests, thus it's pretty easy for me to fill my time here at our home, with my family, at our church or in the community. 

From the kitchen...........we will be enjoying grilled chicken breasts for dinner with seasoned potatoes, lima beans and oven toasted bread.  You may be wondering what the big deal is about oven toasted bread, well, let me tell you. Toasting in the oven is the "Taj Mahal" over a cabinet toaster. I put butter on hamburger buns, hot dog buns, po-boy buns, you name it and then run them under the broiler a few minutes until just lightly browned and it is delicious!  Several years ago I didn't have any rolls to go with our dinner (and my Hubby HAS to have bread with every meal) and decided to just put some butter on some hamburger buns and broil them and that has been his bread "of choice" ever since.  So, so simple!  I've even served it when company came and they have thought that I had some "magic recipe" for it.  ~chuckle~

I am wearing.........rhinestone embellished camoflagued capris with a matching tee shirt.  I'm sure you are shaking your head and wondering, but it really is cute! ~giggle~

I am creating.........some new decorations for our kitchen island and the dining table since Easter is over.  Always hard to come up with something this time of year since there is no big holiday coming up.  I usually just go with something "springy and summery."

I am reading..........mostly blogs right now.  I'll finally be starting a new book while I'm flying this week, but for now, I'm so enjoying reading others blogs. It's so interesting and so much fun! And, most importantly,  I'm reading the book of Philippians through 3 times in succession.  Yes, I've read it many times before, but am taking books of the Bible and reading them over and over so that they become more a part of me and my life.  James will be my next book.

I am hoping........that I do not run into any delays on my flights to and from Virginia.  I really use to love flying, but now, not so much.  All the security measures drive me crazy and it seems delays are more common than uncommon.  But, I'll ask the Lord for an extra measure of patience and I'll be fine.

I am hearing.......the buzz of the upstairs a/c and the hum of the computer. Sort of quiet at this time.

Around the house..........3 loads of clothes laying on the sofa awaiting to be folded, but everything else is in good order. Oh, there is some ironing on the sofa too and I'm just about to take care of that in a few minutes.

One of my favorite things.........is a made up bed. No joke, I love stepping back and looking at our bed every morning after I finish making it and putting the decorative pillows on it. Then I very carefully unmake it at night for us to crawl in and I have a method to that too, so Hubby much prefers that I take care of that because he just throws it back with no "rhyme or reason" and doesn't see that it matters. ~another chuckle~

A picture worth sharing...........this is one of my African Violets that is blooming it's little head off right now.  It's as though it is saying "Welcome Spring!"

Okay, Ladies, do any of you know why my font chooses to randomly decrease about half way through my blog and there seems to be ABSOLUTELY nothing that I can do to change it.  I have switched to the new Blogger Editor, but it did just fine the first couple of times, so can't imagine that is the cause, but any help would be greatly appreciated.  Aggravates me so! ~smile~

For more Daybooks check out  The Simple Woman's Daybook.       

HE Arose - Hallelujah, HE Arose!

What a beautiful Easter week we have enjoyed! The weather has been  absolutely gorgeous, our yard has greened up, the trees are budding and it's all a constant reminder of our great Creator and Risen Lord. Makes me happy all over!!

 

                                            Peter Cottontail with his carrots on the Kitchen Island

I have had a pretty laid back week and those are really good once in a while.  I kept our precious almost 6 month old Granddaughter on Monday and Tuesday and made some sweet memories with her.  On Tuesday I dressed her up in one of her "cutesy" outfits and took her out to show her off.  It was such fun and she performed royally for her CiCi.  I tell you, her 15 pounds, plus the weight of the car seat, is just almost more than I can carry or manage. And, you almost  have to have an Engineering Degree to get them strapped in these car seats today.   Mercy, I don't know how these Moms do it on a daily basis. ~smile~  I see them all the time carrying the babies, plus a huge diaper bag on the other shoulder.  It's scary when I think about the fact that my kids were never in a car seat. (no other child was either) We just laid them on the seat beside us or put them in one of those molded plastic infant carriers, which were totally unsafe!  When they got big enough they usually just stood on the front seat beside me.  Ohhhhhhhh! the Lord certainly had His hand of protection over them.





Easter is possibly my favorite holiday of the year. I love all the cute decorations, especially the bunnies. I do not do a lot of decorating, just the kitchen island and the dining table. Those are the two places that we enjoy them the most.  And, I always have my Easter flag flying outside.  Like you really wanted to know all this, but, we Company Girls, really are into the "details" aren't we? ~giggle~






  We will begin our Easter by attending an Easter Sunrise Service conducted by my 80 year old Dad (he is a retired minister).  Breakfast will be served following the service and then we will head to our church for regular church services.  Then in mid-afternoon my Dad, step Mom and our son and his family will come over.  I'm thinking we'll grill steaks and enjoy some good ole' family time.  Sure wish our daughter and her family could make a quick trip from Oklahoma and join us.  The Easter Bunny has  a few surprises to share too. ~wink~ Do we ever outgrow the Easter Bunny?

                                                                   The Dining Table

I wish for you my Company Girls a most glorious Easter and may He be as real to you this Easter as the day you first met HIM! Blessings galore!

For more Company Girls Coffee check out Rachel's Home Sanctuary, you'll not meet a finer, more fun group of gals!  And, please know that I do not know why Blogger would not post my blog the correct way today. Totally aggravated me!  But, I did not have all the extra space between paragraphs, or the funky font size differences and I've tried for way longer than I should to get it "fixed" and nothing has worked.  So, I will post it "as is."