Wednesday, October 27, 2010

A Wee Bit of Me

Before I get started on the questions just wanted to let all my blogging buddies know that I will be gone on my "Girls Getaway" to Las Vegas the next few days and will not be doing any blogging while I'm away.  But, do know that I'll have a great post for you upon my return. ~wink~
 
{one} have you ever seen a ghost?
when I young (much younger) and we girls had pallet parties there were always those girls that swore they saw a ghost. As hard as I would try, I could just never seem to see one ~smile~





{two} when was the last time you dressed up for halloween?
well, I'm really telling my age today but it would be longer than I can remember

{three} what’s your favorite candy?
I'm not much on candy, but if I'm going to eat some I do enjoy a Snickers bar, but only the snack size.  Their calories don't hurt near as much as the full size. ~giggle~
{four} did you have a favorite costume growing up?
I always had a "thing" for clowns and have said if I had a "second life" that I would want to be a clown. I think it would be such fun, but even though I'm not a clown and never will be, I still take great delight in bringing joy and laughter to the lives of others. 



{five} did you carve pumpkins this year?
No and haven't since our children were very small.  It is just so messy and I don't "do messy." ~laugh~  And, they now make such wonderful looking faux pumpkins and they have my name written all over them.


{six} what’s your favorite scary movie?
I do not like nor do I watch scary movie, but when I was about 13 years old my Dad let me watch Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."  He watched it with me and I remember us both enjoying it. ~smile~

{seven} haunted houses or corn mazes?
Oh, me, we have some corn mazes in our area and you could not pay me a million dollars to go through one. I can only imagine all the snakes, rats and other critters roaming in them. I would choose a haunted house but would just as soon miss that too.

{eight} are you superstitious?
not at all

{nine} have you ever owned a black cat?
no, not a black one but our neighbors have a beautiful one that I enjoy when I go to visit them



{ten} what are you plans for this coming halloween?
I will be on a flight headed back home from  Las Vegas.  My daughter cannot believe I'm really going to be flying on Halloween.  

What a fun time and be sure and link up with Ashley for more of A Wee Bit of Me.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Miscellany Monday

1.  My "Girlfriend Getaway" is this Thursday and that means packing. Ugh! I started getting things together yesterday and I am bound and determinded that I am only going to take ONE suitcase.  I mean, we're only going to be gone 4 days and 3 nights.  
I've decided that if I would settle for a very " natural"  look, that would reduce my baggage by 1/3.  No joke! Just my makeup, skin care, and hair "stuff" takes way more room than it should.  But, it's very doubtful that I'm going to settle for a "natural" look at this point, so I'll just keep packing and quit complaining about it.~smile!
2. I love having the  ability to send greeting cards via the internet.(not e-cards, but real "snail mail" cards)  There are some great sites where you pick out your card, add a note to it if you so desire, sign it, address it and then they mail it on the date you request.  I mean, how much easier does it get.  I love that I can sit right here on my computer and pick out a card rather than standing at a card counter in some store forever.  And, I do all my birthday greetings for a particular month all at one time and then do not have to think about it again until the next month.  Now, if I want to send another type card to someone I just go online and do it at that time.  I use Hallmark's website most of the time but there are several to choose from. Yes, there's no more of this for me.


3. I always look forward to filling the shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child at this time of year.  Our church has participated in this ministry for many years and if you do not know what I'm talking about, then you need to check it out here. It does not have to be done through a church, it can be done individually as well.
Knowing this is the only Christmas that these children will receive just adds to the joy, and, to think of the witnessing opportunity it affords those distributing these boxes is awesome.  Franklin Graham is to be commended on such a wonderful ministry that is impacting lives for eternity. I look forward to the day that my Grans will be old enough to help me fill the boxes and  learn the joy of giving.


4.I had such a special privilege this morning. My Dad preached at our church while our pastor was away.  Even if I do say so, my Dad is one of the BEST!  His message this morning was on heaven and 
the special music was "A Heaven Medley." Well, ever since my precious Mom passed away, almost two years ago, I just cannot listen to music about heaven without getting very, very emotional.  It is still  very tender to me, so I was pretty much spent by the time my sweet Dad got up to preach.  His sermon was entitled, "Our Forever Family in our Forever Home."  Oh, my, the best sermon I've ever heard on heaven! What a comfort to know that my Mom and other family members are there in their "forever home" awaiting my arrival to my "forever home."

I love linking up to sweet Carissa at lowercase letters every Monday. It's such a fun way to be random and blog a "tad" about several things.  Thanks Carissa, you're the bomb!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Daddy's Hands

Is it just me, or do the weeks seem to be going by faster and faster.  I cannot believe that Christmas is just around the corner. Whee! I really want to slow things down a bit because for every day that goes by, it means I'm another day older. But, on one hand that's a good thing because it means I'm still vertical.~smile~

Speaking of Christmas, I'm about to show and tell you about some items that would make wonderful Christmas gifts, all made with my Dad's creative hands.

My Dad in his shop
My Dad has some 65 years experience in woodworking. His Dad was a carpenter, so a lot of his talent came by him naturally. But, while Daddy was in high school he also attended trade school for 3 years where he learned woodworking.  And, later, when he was in the Navy he was a wood pattern maker. 
His Woodworking Shop
My Dad is a retired Southern Baptist minister and throughout his 50+ years in the ministry he enjoyed woodworking as a hobby.  Upon his retirement about 10 years ago he has been able to spend much more time in his shop creating beautiful pieces of work.


Over the years he has created different pieces of furniture, wooden spoons, boxes, various designs of crosses and his most recent design the Fleur de Lis.  




It is the Fleur de Lis that he will be featuring at an upcoming Art and Craft Show our city is hosting on Nov. 6th. He has made them in various woods and in various sizes. 


It was my idea for him to do the Fleur de Lis.~smile~ Of course, they are very popular here in Louisiana, but they seem to be popular just about everywhere.  He liked that idea and began working on patterns and soon began making them.  Very few people have any idea the amount of work that goes into this type of woodworking.  Each Fleur de Lis takes about 10 hours to make and goes through a 25 step process before it is finished.  Yea, can you believe that?  He is a perfectionist and his finish proves that.  
 This little beauty (above) is a "first" for my Daddy.  This Fleur de Lis is made from tiny little gold and black ceramic tiles that my Dad has had for over 50 years. And, the gold is 14 caret. He cut the design from plywood, painted the edges and back black and then glued the tiles to the front  and finished it with black grout.  It is a beautiful piece and there's probably a Saints fan out there that would give their "eye teeth" to own it.  Dad is thinking that he may sell this one through a silent auction on the day of the show.


He will also have some of his crosses available as they are always popular. He has both traditional and contemporary.
He uses walnut, cherry, mahogany, oak, maple and old pine as his choice of woods.  So, no matter one's preference, he probably has something anyone would like.

 My Dad will be 81 on Nov. 9th and I am so happy that he is still enjoying extremely good health.  He does have Macular Degeneration  and that does present it's challenges to him. I just pray that the Lord will allow him to always have enough field of vision left that he can enjoy his woodworking because it provides for him an outlet for his amazing creativity. 


I will be assisting Dad in his booth at the upcoming show and I look forward to that. This will only be the 2nd show of this type that he has ever done.  Most of his work is sold through word of mouth, but since this is local, he decided it would be fun to participate.  We are certainly hoping for a beautiful fall day since he opted for an outside booth. ~wink~
   

On another post one day I'll feature some of the other items that he has made over the years, such as the cradle he made for our son, his first grandchild. Yes, the Lord truly blessed my Dad both in the Word and in wood.


Do I not just love our Friday Company Girls! It's such fun sharing a little of our lives with each other and getting to know one another just a little better.  I've been blessed beyond measure by many of your friendships. Thanks Rachel for hosting us each week.


Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Seven Questions


I was browsing blogs today and visited at Mocha with Linda and she posed these questions for any reader that wished to participate and I decided to be a participant. Hope you will enjoy! ~smile~
 
1. Do you prefer to read the book or see the movie?
In almost all cases the book is always better than the movie. Of course, if I haven't read the book, then it doesn't matter. I get to make up my own movie as I read the book and it seems to always be much, much better.

2. What is your favorite holiday and why? I think I would have to say Easter. It's just about the same time as the beginning of Spring. And, there's not the busyness of the Christmas season and it signifies the greatest gift to mankind.......the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

3. Which do you like better - the mountains or the beach? I would have to say both and guess that's not a fair answer.  I'm not a beach person, but I enjoy looking at the beach and hearing the waves come in. Something so calming about the water. But, the mountains are so beautiful and usually offer cozy places to lodge. So, guess it depends on my mood. 

4. If money were no consideration, what vehicle would you drive?  I have seen a few of the Lexus LS 460S and really think they are a sharp looking vehicle, but they are all soooooo overpriced!

5. What is your favorite cold-weather beverage? There's just nothing like a good cup of coffee cold weather, hot weather, inbetween weather. It's the best!


6. How do you communicate most often with your friends: phone, email, text, face-to-face?
Phone and email usually but there's still nothing like face to face communication. But, email and phone calls are the next best thing.

7. How do you receive your mail? Mailbox on the porch, at the end of the driveway, down the street, or post office box?
We receive our mail at the end of our driveway and I do love getting the mail. That may sound silly but getting the mail is one of the "hi-lites" of my day. ~giggle~

I so appreciate Linda posting these 7 questions for us today. I'm down with a terrible, aggravating cold and just did not feel up to posting an entry of my own.  But, knew that my "faithful followers" would be disappointed if I did not have a new post. ~big giggle~ Love you gals!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Miscellany Monday



1. Remember those precious little Corgi puppies........well, the time has now come for them to find new homes. And, only in "small town America" can you just peddle them on the side of a busy road. 
 Yes, that's my sweet little Grandson and his Daddy sitting on the side of the road. All I could say was "mercy me."  But, who wouldn't want one of these little puppies when they pass by and see my Grandson sitting there holding them.  Of course, they are NOT giving them away. They've sold 3 and have 2 more to go. Any takers?


2. Hubby and I were coming home at dusky dark the other night and just before turning in our driveway he noticed a big snake in the middle of the road. He backed up and ran over
it and noticed it was a Copperhead. He saw that it was still moving so he left me to keep an eye on it (from the vehicle) while he went to the shop and got a shovel and came back and took care of that nasty fella. Need I say what kind of dreams I had that night.  I am absolutely scared too death of snakes!!!
3.I can't believe that's it's only a week and a half before I'm Vegas bound and will be seeing Cher in her final concert at Caesar's Palace.  
Now,  know that I do not care for the person Cher, but, you've got to admit, the woman can sing!!  I grew up watching "The Sonny and Cher Show" and loved it. I'm going with two girlfriends and we are so excited about this "girls getaway." I mean, no matter how old we get, there's times we still go by the name "girls" and this is definitely one of those times. "Ladies getaway" just doesn't have much of a "ring" to. ~giggle~


4. Our Women on Mission group met this past Thursday and we made fresh flower arrangements in mugs to take to the nursing home.  This is just the greatest group of ladies 
and  I enjoy being with them. This group consists of ladies ranging in ages from early 50's to mid 80's. Talk about wisdom!  And, I thought my flower arrangement really turned out quite well considering I had no idea about what I was doing.~smile~

5. Our dogs have got the life and I really think they know that.
Rosco and Rhett
They have a big yard to play in (with an electric fence all the way around it) and a very nice kennel that they stay in at night. Hubby keeps that kennel as clean as a whistle and it's a good thing that he does because it not a chore that I care anything about doing. And, he keeps them as clean as a whistle too. Yes, I do believe they are some "spoiled dogs."
6. I went on a day trip this past Tuesday with some friends. In passing through one of the little towns we came across this house. I thought it was some kind of business, but it wasn't. It
is someone's house and obviously they really get "into" decorating. I'll just leave it at that. ~smile~ Certainly caused some conversation for us. But, hey, it's their house and I guess they can do with it what they want to. Right?


As always it's fun to link up with Carissa for Miscellany Monday. I love the randomness and always look forward to reading your random thoughts and thanks for reading mine.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Money Memories

 I had been thinking about my post for today and had it all planned out until I saw Linda's questions from Mocha with Linda. They stirred such memories for me that I changed my plans and decided that maybe the Company Girls would enjoy my answers to these as well as any other entry I might post.  So, today I'm teaming up with both. You can visit Rachel at Company Girls. Both are two of my favorite ladies. Okay, now to the topic at hand.
 How was money handled in your family when you were growing up? What little money we had was handled very conservatively. We lived by a budget and certainly never spent what we did not have. And, to my knowledge, credit cards were unheard of (at least at our house). 
Were your parents savers or spenders? For many, many years they had little to save, but I am quite certain that they saved what they could and they always knew that the Lord would bless their efforts.
Who paid the bills? My Dad was always in charge of the bills, wrote most all the checks and I think that was probably the way it was in most households during that era. Men just took care of the money in the home.  Times have certainly changed haven't they?  I don't know that my husband has written one check since we married 39 years ago. ~smile~
What, if anything, did they teach you about money? First, that it did not grow on a tree!  And, to spend it very wisely. My parents both did an excellent job of setting an example for us in wise decision making regarding money.
Did you have an allowance? Oh, I remember this like it was yesterday and it was probably 50 years ago. ~Yikes!~ My first allowance amount was $1.00 and I was told how 10% of that belonged to the Lord and each Sunday I was to tithe 1/10 of my allowance.  Of course, I just didn't get that at all.  I mean, that left me only 90 cents. But, it is because of that teaching that I am a tither to this day.
 Whether received as an allowance or through other means such as gifts, when you had your " own"  money, were there restrictions on how you spent it ? No, not that I recall.  I would usually use any money that I had to buy myself something that my parents could not afford to buy for me. When I was young it was likely some type of toy, when I was older, it was almost always some type of clothing.
Were you paid for making certain grades on your report card? No, I don't think that my parents thought too much of that philosophy and used other incentives for  our making good grades.
Did your parents tithe or give money to the church on a regular basis? Well, since my Dad was a Minister, he had pretty deep convictions about tithing and no matter how tough times were, the tithe was always given first. Our needs were always met with whatever was left, no matter how great or how small the amount.  I well remember both my Dad and Mom explaining to us  that if we were faithful to God with our tithes and offerings, He would always provide for our needs. And, He did! They would often say to us, "  you can't out give God."   What truth!
What about other charities? I don't remember anything about our giving to any charities, but I well remember mission offerings being of the utmost importance to my parents. There was never a mission offering emphasis that my parents did not give something to and each offering was explained to us and we were told the importance of each one. And, we were taught that this type of giving was always over and above our tithes.
How old were you when you got your first checking account or credit card? I opened my first checking account just a few months before I married.  I was working at a Kroger Grocery Store and used the money I was making from that job to open the account. And, I remember thinking that I had most definitely "  arrived "  because I had a checking account.  I did not have a credit card until my husband and I got married and our first credit card was from Sears and we used it to buy our first TV. ~chuckle~
 How has the way you were raised impacted your handling of financial issues today? Well, to be quite honest, it has made me often feel very guilty because I do not use near as much wisdom as I was taught to use in the handling of money today.  My husband and I have been blessed with more finances than my parents ever had and to me, that is all the more reason to be a good steward of what the Lord  blessed us with.  Not that we have not been good stewards, but we  could have given more thought to some of our financial decisions these past 39 years. I'm reminded of Luke 12:48, "  to whom much is given, much is required."  

This "  Flashback"   has brought back so many precious memories to me of my "  growing up"   years and the wonderful example my parents set before me and my brothers in money management.  They always assured us of God's provision and then always gave Him the glory for those provisions.  It just doesn't get much better than that! 

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Wednesdays Random Dozen

 1. Is there a word which you initially mispronounced? Were the circumstances in which you made the faux pas embarrassing? By the way, that's not "foax pass." Okay girls, I've spent way too much time thinking on this one and cannot come up with an answer, so will just move on.  Sorry!

2. How do you feel about the use of texting shortcuts and trends? (ex: "I've got ur notes. Get them 2 u 2morow.") 
I think it is just fine, the quicker I can get through a text the happier I am. I have a hard time remembering all the short cuts and end up being all proper with mine. ~smile~

3. Tell me about your high school senior picture. Please feel free to post.

 Well, I could hardly wait to have mine taken and put on that "drape thing" that we wore back then.  And, I had just gotten contact lenses and it was the first picture I had taken without glasses, so I was very excited.


5. Share a high school or college homecoming memory.
To the best of my knowledge homecoming was not that big of a deal to me. I never remember having a date to homecoming. I do remember going to the football game, being with friends and probably going home afterwards.  Sounds really exciting doesn't it?  But, I don't remember feeling as though I had missed anything either.

6. Linda at Mocha with Linda wants to know: "Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?"
Oh, there's just something about the sunrise that says, "welcome to a new day, a new opportunity" and I love that and I am a "morning person."


7. Lea at Cici's Corner asks, "What is something you have not done that you desire to do?" I went to college one semester after high school , then married and went to work. I have always wished that I had stayed in college, but when our children were home there just never seemed to be a good time to undertake it.  And, once the kids left the nest I just couldn't seem to muster up the commitment. But, I still think about it.

8. Carol at Wanderings of an Elusive Mind ponders, "If you could come back [in another life] as an animal, which would it be?"
I think it would be fun to be a zebra.  Folks seem to really like them, they seem to be a pretty laid back animal and they're just as cute as they can be. ~laugh~ And, I like their black and white coat.
  
9. Joyce from The Other Side of the Pond is curious: "Where were you 10 years ago?" Please feel free to elaborate more than just your physical location. Oh, my these past ten years have brought a lot of changes into my life for sure.  Ten years ago neither one of our children were married, not even thinking of marriage and we had no Grandchildren. Both my mother in law and my Mom were still living. It's just proof that we never know what a day holds.  Our daughter has been married 8 years in Dec., our son got married 6 years ago this past July, we have two grandchildren, my MIL died this coming January 3 years ago and my Mom died 2 years ago on Dec. 1.  As far as our physical location, we were in the same exact place and home as we were then.  God has certainly proven Himself faithful to us during these past 10 years! 

10. When you are proven to be correct in any contentious discussion, do you gloat? No, I really do not but I'm not in that many type discussions either.  There's so much to be said for humility.

11. What is your favorite food which includes the ingredient "caramel?"
I don't eat a lot of candy, but a candy bar with caramel and chocolate is what I want when I do "treat" myself to some candy.

12. From my 17 year-old daughter to you: "If you could be part of any fictional family, which family would you choose and why?" 

Well, I grew up during The Waltons and I always wanted to be a part of their family.  I stayed glued to every episode and thought they were the neatest family I had ever seen.  I especially like how they all said good night to each other at the close of the show.  I remember it like it was yesterday.
What a fun Random Dozen and we invite you to check out more answers by clicking here.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Miscellany Monday

  
It's time for Miscellany Monday and lovely Carissa.  She always makes it easy on our brain by hosting us on Mondays with our random thoughts. It's fun to just be random sometimes.  Thanks Carissa!
1. Today is the 27th anniversary of our son being diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes.  Yes, that's right, he was 7 years old.  He had just turned 7 eight days before.  We had noticed that he appeared to be losing weight, was thirsty all the time and was pretty much living in the bathroom.  My Mom had a diabetic brother and sister so I was very familiar with the symptoms and just could not bring myself to really think that he could possibly be a diabetic.  But, as he finally got to a point that he needed to be seen by his Pediatrician to see what was going on, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was diabetes.  And, the Dr. confirmed my thoughts. My husband and I were devastated to say the least, but soon realized that it would be up to us to not allow this diagnosis to cripple him for life.  We would do everything in our power to educate our family and especially our son. We would emphasize to him the extreme importance of taking good care of himself because that would determine how well he would do for the rest of his life.  And, we made sure that he knew he could live a perfectly normal life if he did take care of himself.  We realized very quickly that it could have been a much worse diagnosis and that changed our total outlook.  I am pleased to share that our son continues to do well after these 27 years, he takes his condition very seriously and you would think he was a perfect specimen of health if you saw him. He is blessed to have been on the insulin pump for 12 years, and has excellent medical care. The statistics for diabetics is very frightening but that is mainly due to the fact that there are so many (both Type 1 and Type II) that do not take care of themselves and the result is, well, you get my drift.  I imagine if they just had statistics for those that did their best in caring for themselves that the statistics would be much different and much more encouraging.


2. We celebrated our precious Granddaughter's 1st birthday this past week-end. I look forward to the day that I can share pictures of this precious little girl with you, but for now, you will just have to believe me! ~smile~ I took her to the Build A Bear Store on Friday (assisted by her Mom) and she got a Birthday Bunny and seemed to really enjoy her visit. Her Mom used it to decorate for her party on Sat. Isn't she cute?






3. Speaking of little girls, meet Tina.......


Tina is the daughter of the couple that works at the nail salon where I go. She is 2 1/2 and just a little doll.


4.  If you follow my blog then you are likely well aware that I have little Oklahoma cowboy for a grandson.  I just could not resist sharing this collage with you.
These are shots from his 2 year old portrait session. How about that cute little hiney? ~chuckle~


4. I have started my Christmas shopping via the internet. It's just so convenient and I would guess that I'll probably do 75% of my shopping online. 


5. I have several things that need my attention right now so I'm going to cut this short. It's a busy week ahead and I need to get my "ducks in a row" so that things will go as smooth as possible.
A most wonderful week is wished to each of you!