Friday, June 28, 2013

Friday Fragments

Unknown Mami
Thanks to Claudya over at Unknown Mami for subing for Mrs. 4444 and Friday Fragments this summer.  I love this format and sharing bits and pieces of my, oh, so exciting, week!
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The Princess has been taking private swimming lessons this week.  She loves the water but she isn't too fond of putting her precious little face under water and guess what?  You gotta put your face under the water to swim.  But, hey, she's only 3 1/2 years old, she'll get this figured out soon enough. She does, however, enjoy riding on the back of her instructor while she swims her around the pool.
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I had a late Father's Day dinner last night for my Dad, my Hubby and our Son.  We were gone on Father's Day, but, it's important that they are celebrated, doesn't matter if I missed the actual day.  Right?  
I fixed Pulled Pork with the seasoning mix shown in the picture above.  If you have not tried it, then I suggest that you do.  So, so good and it's especially good if you put some Sweet Baby Ray's bar-b-que sauce on it too. Good enough to almost make you "slap your pappy."  Yummy!!!  I fixed baked beans and a potato casserole and then for dessert we had..........
this!  Pillsbury has come out with these neat new cake mixes that are very "summery."  I decided to try the Orangesicle and we were not disappointed.  It was quick and easy and the perfect ending to a tasty meal.  I baked it in my bundt pan, so it even looked a bit fancy. ~smile~ 
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I received this picture with a text on Tuesday from our daughter.  Seems that Clancy had just plum tuckered out from a big day of swimming and playing and NO nap.  This child has always been able to sleep anywhere at anytime.  Check out those rosey cheeks! 
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Hubby has been busy fishing this week and this was the result of yesterday's catch.  How 'bout them apples ~ excuse me, fish!!  That ice chest is holding 33 really big fish and Hubby had the best time. It was pretty much every time he and his buddy dropped a line, they caught a fish.  Now, that's fun fishing folks!!
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And, a happy weekend to all of you!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Joyce said she has been on a hiatus and I'm so glad that she was on a  hiatus the same time as me.  I don't like to miss Hodgepodge and I was secretly glad that she didn't do one last week as I could not have participated in it.  I know, that's selfish.  But, I don't want all of you having all that fun with her questions if I can't. ~big grin~  Seriously, if you are a blogger and haven't joined up with Joyce for HP, then you need to click on the button above and join in.

 1. Summertime is a season of reunions, weddings, and other family celebrations and gatherings...are any of the above on your calendar in the next two months?
My niece, Ashley, who was married on June 15th
 Well, funny you would ask.........we just returned a week ago today from a family wedding and if you missed my post about it this past Friday, then you can read it here

 Then, in August, we'll be going to Gig Harbor, WA where we will be spending time with Hubby's two sisters and their husbands.  One of his sisters live in Tacoma, and she will be assisting us in making sure we see all the sites.  We are all looking forward to a good time.


2. June is National Iced Tea Month...are you an iced tea drinker? If so, how do you like yours (sweet, flavored, etc)? 

I do enjoy iced tea with just a little sugar or sweetner.  I can't do syrupy, sweet tea! ~Ugh!~  My Hubby says that my vehicle has a magnet on it that attracts it to every Sonic it passes by. ~smile~ This time of year I pretty much have Sonic tea everyday and ever so often I like a little Cranberry flavoring in it.


3. When were you last nervous?  Looking back, was the 'event' actually nerve-worthy?

Due to the nature of the happening, I am not at liberty to share the event, but let me assure you, it was more than "nerve-worthy" and I was literally scared too death.   Now, that's got your curiousity aroused doesn't it??? ~wink~


4. The bristle toothbrush was invented in China on June 26, 1498...not sure how that date was pinned down so precisely but, on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being sick to your stomach and 1 being not at all, how nervous do you feel when you're headed to the dentist?  Do you see your dentist twice a year?

Oh, my goodness, YES, I see my dentist at least twice a year. I'm afraid not to.  I have more $$$$ invested in my mouth than the law allows.  I have had 12 root canals and a host of other procedures and I do not get the least bit nervous.  I'm "old hat" at this now.


5. What's making news in your town this week?

Humm........we're small town America and someone's  nose is usually up in someone else' business, so that can make for interesting news most any day of any week. ~grimace~ Truthfully, I don't know what may be making the news in our fair town this week.

6. Curtains, drapes, blinds...your window treatment of choice? Are there any bare windows in your house? Is that by choice or because you haven't gotten around to covering them? 

On most of our windows I have drapes with box pleated top treatments to match.  But, if I ever do window treatments again, I will use Plantation Shutters.  I love them and I might add a little fabric treatment to some of them.


7. Summertime is officially here (in the Northern hemisphere anyway)...what one song is a must-have on your summer playlist?

Oh, I'll take any song by The Beach Boys.  But,Good Vibrations is the first one that came to mind.  All of their songs seem to sound "summery" to me and they bring back such fond memories for me.  Thanks to Pandora, I get to listen to them any time, any day I want to. 


8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
First, I don't know if you watched Nik Wallenda walk across the Grand Canyon or not this past Sunday evening.  I watched the last couple of minutes and truly cannot imagine why anyone would want to do anything like that, especially with his wife and children watching.  But, none the less, he is a dynamic Christian and did quite the interview on The View yesterday morning.  He spoke of his belief in God and His calling on his life and of course, Barbara Walters, Whoopi and Joy Behar just did not "get" it.  If you did not see the interview you can click here and watch it.  I just love it when someone stands their ground with the liberal ladies on The View. ~Amen~

Monday, June 24, 2013

Miscellany Monday

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I love Miscellany Monday because it allows me the chance to share little snippets of several things at a time, and it keeps me from telling you more than you really want to know about things. ~smile~  So, it works for me and I thank Carissa for being such a gracious host each Monday.

BFF......
Taken a couple of weeks ago during our visit
Yes, I guess that once you have been friends with someone for 48 years that you qualify to call yourselves, Best Friends Forever.  Lynette and I became friends in the 8th grade and with only about 10 months into our friendship, my family moved to Virginia.  We were living in Louisiana, so that was a far, far distance for two 13 year old girls.  But, we have managed to keep the friendship alive all these many years, even though she lives in Florida and I live in Louisiana.  She happened to be in my area a couple of weeks ago and we were able to spend the morning together.  We had not seen each other in two years, but we somehow always pick right back up where we left off.  I think that's what best friends do.  
Enjoying a little retail therapy together
 I have to share with you that Lynette is a Stage 4 colon cancer survivor.  Yep, that's right!  Her cancer was found in a routine colonoscopy 10 years ago this past January.  She had very serious surgery where nodes where also found on her liver.  But, after many long months of chemotherapy and healing, she made a full recovery and has not missed a beat!  She gives all the credit to the Lord and knows that He was not finished with her and gave her a second chance at life.  I could write a book about our friendship over the years, but as I said earlier, this post is about snippets, not long stories. I'm thankful for Lynette and the special bond that we share!

Spring Rolls..........
Oh, my goodness, can I just tell you that love Spring Rolls and my adopted Vietnamese daughter can make the best.  She made some for me a couple of weeks ago and sent them over by her daughter (pictured above).  The sauce she made to dip them in is almost as good as the roll itself.  Added NOTE:  Amy, my adopted Vietnamese daughter began doing my nails about 13 years ago.  I immediately fell in love with her and her family (husband and 3 children) and we share a very special bond and I'm blessed by their friendship.

CWS Bound............
A week ago this past Sunday morning we left DesMoines, Iowa heading to Omaha, Nebraska to take in a little of the College World Series.  We all went to the afternoon game on Sunday and can I just tell you that I thought I was going to die a literal death in the boiling sun.  It was only 83 degrees and not much humidity, so I figured it would be "a piece of cake."  Well, not the case!!!  This gal was so hot that I had to find relieve.  So, the Princess and I found our way to a breezeway, sat ourselves down on the concrete and had a popcorn and lemonade picnic and cooled off.  It was wonderful!!!  
Even though our Tigers were not playing until that evening, we all wore our purple and gold in support of them to the afternoon game.  And, our poor Tigers just could not pull it off, so Hubby and son witnessed a sad loss.  But, it's was fun just being in the stands and sharing in the fun of the games and they did get to see the victory of Mississippi State in Monday night's game.  So, they were happy with that.

To the zoo,zoo,zoo........
While in Omaha we went to the "famed" Henry Doorly Zoo.  It is the 2nd largest zoo in the US (San Diego is the largest).  We arrived shortly after it opened and were there about 5 hours.  It is definitely HUGE and has any kind of animal (other than a Panda), bird, reptile and butterfly that you can imagine.  Due to the heat a lot of the larger animals were hiding out and not very sociable and that was a disappointment, but we couldn't blame them, we were hot too.

Blogger verses Google+........
Okay, fellow bloggers, have you changed over to Google+?  I did about 6 months ago and I am NOT happy with it at all.  I am going to give it about another month to see what is going to happen with some of the changes that are coming down the pike, but I'm probably going back to regular Blogger.  Any thoughts you might have to share would be appreciated.  One of the most aggravating things is that I can't seem to get my blog to stay off of "No reply comment."  I'll set it to allow replies by email and it will revert back of its own accord.  Ughhhhhhhhhh! so, so aggravating! 

And, I leave you with this.......
    
    

Friday, June 21, 2013

The Tying of the Knot

Well, I don't know about you, but I've missed all of you.  It's been two weeks since I've posted and I'm so g-l-a-d to be back. 

We returned Wednesday afternoon from an 8 day trip that began in DesMoines, Iowa attending my nieces wedding.  The first "person" to greet us upon our arrival, was sweet "Tater."
If you've been reading my blog very long then you know how much I love Tater.  He's a Goldendoodle and the BEST dog in the world and truly, he does not know he is a dog. ~giggle~ Oh, in case you didn't know, Tater belongs to my brother and his family.

I hosted a Bridesmaid Luncheon for Ashley the day before the wedding.  I enjoyed all the preparations and it came off without a hitch, even though my planning was done from 800 miles away.  But, you know we Southern gals can pull it off, no matter what!
We ate, had delicious Red Velvet Cake for dessert (the bride's favorite) and then had a fun photo shoot.  It was a good time for all.

Friday evening the groom's parents were hosts to the Rehearsal Dinner.  A lovely meal was served, the groom and brides Dad's made some really great remarks, which made for a nice ending to the dinner.
Bride enjoying some special moments with her Dad and Mom at the Rehearsal Dinner
Preparations began early for the bride on the day of the wedding.  She had her hair styled and then her makeup done and it was such fun for me to watch and photograph the entire process.
Her bridesmaid were the sweetest gals and they were at Ashley's ever beckoning call to assist in making it the best day possible.


 
The photographer began at 1:00 (the wedding was at 4:00) and of course, I had to be respectful and make sure that I was not snapping when she was snapping.  I certainly did not want to mess up any of the professional photos, but I sure did want to be right up in the big middle of it with my camera, but I restrained myself. ~laugh~ So, I snapped as I could and as a result, some of mine are not what I would have wished they had been.  But...........sometimes you just gotta settle for less than the best and be happy. ~grin~

This photograph does not do our pretty bride justice because of the lighting from this huge window.  But, as I said, I just had to sneak in a picture when I could and this was the best I could do under the circumstances.  I promise to post a professional picture of her when I can get my hands on one in a few weeks.  Can I just say that Ashley's dress was gorgeous!
About an hour and a half before the ceremony

Yep! these were the brides shoes - doesn't it just pain you to look at that heel........but she handled it like a champ!
Ashley and her brother doing their "dorky" pose -  I LOVE it! They are too cute!
The lovely Father and Mother of the bride (my brother and SIL)

Joel and me before the wedding - I love having a baby brother!

 Following the sweet ceremony a reception was held in the church's activity center.  A sit down dinner was enjoyed and then the bride shared a special dance with her new husband, her Dad and her brother.
The table scape's and the cake all carried out the peacock theme of the wedding.  They were perfectly beautiful!  I have no idea how the cake designer got those realistic peacock feathers on that cake.  It was so, so pretty. 

Now, the lovely couple is off enjoying a honeymoon in Jamaica and will return to the "real world" this next Sunday evening.  It was an enjoyable time for our family to share in this special event and we wish nothing but the best for this sweet couple.

Now, just a few random photos from the day............

Me and my "main squeeze" decked out for the occasion

Hubby and I with our son and daughter
My pride and joy - Brandon and Bridget

Our son and DIL - aren't they the cutest!

Me with my girls - DIL and daughter
The morning after the wedding,  Hubby, myself, our son, DIL and the princess all headed to Omaha to enjoy the College World Series.  Stay tuned, there'll be another blog about all that fun!


Friday, June 7, 2013

Friday Fragments

Goodness, it's Friday already.  Where has the week gone?  But, it's time for Friday Fragments, so thought I'd use my fragments to share snippets of our time with our daughter and grandson last week and fun experience my SIL and I had in Ozark, MO.
Half-Past Kissin' Time

While we were in Branson with Hubby's sister and her husband, we drove over to Ozark, Mo. to check out the town square.  We came upon a little shop, walked in and my SIL saw that they had wigs and hair pieces.  Well, can I just say, that peeked our interest and we jumped right in with both feet.

 The gal that ran the shop, appropriately called High Falootin', was so nice and we had more fun trying on wigs and both left with one.  Yep, we wore them right out of the shop! 
I have worn my once since we got home and got "rave reviews" from everyone that saw me.  But, I am not quite as confident with it on as I need to be and I'm sure that it just takes wearing it to feel totally comfortable.  And, it's doubtful that I will ever wear it a lot, so I just need to get over the whole "comfort issue" and go with it every once in a while.  It was a fun, fun time and apparently wigs have made a major comeback.
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As most of you know, our daughter and grandson gave us a very surprise visit on Sunday, May 26th.  Since she lives in Dodge City, Kansas and we do not get to see them near enough, we're thankful for any and every opportunity to spend time with them. 
 We took the kiddos fishing one morning and as fast as they dropped their line in the water, they caught a fish.  It kept Hubby and our son busy just keeping fish taken off and baits put back on.  As the Queen Mother, I just sat and watched and took pictures.  Isn't that what Queen Mothers are suppose to do???~big laugh~


 We took them swimming, had a photo shoot, rode the Bad Boy and made a whole bunch of memories.  Clancy and Hanna Beth are 1 year and 5 days apart and they play so well together.  I so wish that they were given the opportunity more often.  But, it is what it is and we just have to cram in all the fun we can when they do get to be together.  
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Well, it's time to pack our bags again.  It seems our middle names have been "go" for the past few months, but this trip will be a most exciting one indeed.
We are headed to Des Moines to see this sweet couple get married.  This is my niece and her fiancee and they will become Mr. and Mrs. on June 15th.  I'll be hosting a Bridesmaid Luncheon for Ashley and her attendants and I've been busy getting things lined out for that.  It's a bit challenging when planning from a far, but have no doubt, this gal has hopefully gotten it together and it will be a special time.  
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I'm not sure I will have time to post again before we leave this next Tuesday, but be assured, I'll have more to share than the law allows when I return.  We will head to the College World Series in Omaha the day after the wedding and we are sure hoping that our dear LSU Tigers will be playing.  I've got my purple and gold ready to go. We should be returning home on the 19th, so until then, hang in there!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Wednesday Hodgepodge



1. Have you learned more from success or failure? Explain.

Hummmmm.......leave it to Joyce to make us think. ~grin~  I have learned from both, but likely have learned more from failure.  Success has taught me what works and failure has taught me what definitely doesn't work.  For me, most of my failures have been my own fault or of my own doing.  My husband says there are no mistakes, just bad decisions.  Well, whatever, I've made some bad decisions and am so, so thankful that none of them carried with them lifelong consequences.  And, any success that I have experienced would likely not even by viewed as successes by the general population.  But, again, thankfully, the general population is not who matters.............~I'll leave it at that~

2.  What did you call your grandparents when you were growing up? If you have children, what do they call your parents? If you have grandchildren, what do they call you?
My paternal Grandparents in about 1990
Now, I love this question............I called both of my Grandmothers, Grandma and my only Grandfather (my Mom's Dad was deceased before I was born) Grandpa.  Their names were never discussed, they were just always Grandpa and Grandma.  
My children called my parents, Grandpa and Grandma too and they called Hubby's parents, Papaw and Mamaw. I don't remember their names being discussed either.
But, things changed by the time that Hubby and I became Grandparents.  It seemed that every Grandparent had a "cute" name and I certainly wanted a cute and sassy name.  So, when we found out we were going to be Grandparents the thought process began.  What would be called?  My precious Momma was still living and she just did not "get" what the big deal was of having anything other than Grandpa and Grandma. She loved that name and even though I tried to explain to her my thoughts, she never understood.  After much thought, I came up with "CiCi."  You may be wondering how on earth I came up with that.  Well, one of my neighbors who had grandchildren long before me, had a last name that began with a G and she just added an "i" to that and her Grans called her GiGi.  I thought it was so cute and thought that was a great idea.  So, that was what I did and thus, the name CiCi.  Now, for Tommy it seemed that Poppa was the most endearing term for him, so we are Poppa and CiCi. ~sorry that was such a long answer~

3.  You're invited to a luau.  In keeping with that theme, what dish will you bring to share?

The first thing that came to my mind was Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  And, I do NOT even like that kind of cake, but hey, you don't have to take what you like to an event.  So, Pineapple Upside Down Cake it would be.

4. Besides Jesus, what one person's life story do you think everyone should know about?
I have always enjoyed reading biographies and while The Hole in the Gospel is not a biography, it is the story of how Richard Stearns became the President and CEO of World Vision. I found it so amazing how the Lord led him out of corporate America into this position and all that took place in his life leading up to this change in his career. A great book and a great story.

5. "Don't sweat the small stuff." Agree or Disagree? Why?

100% agree!!!!  Oh, if I could live my life over I would do so much better in this area.  There is enough "big stuff" in our lives to sweat over that we need to learn to let the small stuff go.  I think part of the issue is that we don't fully realize that it is "small stuff" until afterwards.  I'm trying, at this point in my life, to realize what is big and what is little beforehand and to save my time and energy for the big stuff. ~much easier said than done~

6.  June is National Rivers Month. When were you last on a river? What's the prettiest river you've ever seen? What's a river you'd like to see?
Well, little did we know when we went boat riding Monday, on a local river, that June was National Rivers Month.  But, how convenient that I had taken my camera along. Hubby, myself and another couple decided to go for a boat ride and picnic late Monday afternoon.  Aside of the dorky picture of myself above, you can see that there were some interesting sites along the way.  It is a pretty river, but some of the dwellings left us wondering if folks really do stay in them.  But, to each his own!  Our time on the river was filled with lots of laughter and fun enjoying God's creation.
In our travels we have seen many beautiful rivers and I'm not sure which one I would say was the prettiest.
I'd like to see the Snake River, located near The Rockies.  Hubby and I have talked of traveling to this area, but guess we'd better start planning rather than talking if we're ever going to get there.

7.  Speaking of rivers-paddling, fishing, swimming, or bird watching safely from the shore? Which activity would you choose? Yes-you have to choose.
Well, I don't think I would survive paddling very long, I'm not much of a fisherman and sure don't swim.  So, guess that leaves bird watching from the shore.  And, I likely would not be too content doing that for long. ~chuckle~

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 



 Tomorrow will mark mine and Hubby's 42nd wedding anniversary.  He certainly looks delightfully happy in the above picture doesn't he?  He's probably standing there thinking, "what have I just done." ~laugh~
But, this man took me, a mere almost 19 year old, for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and promised to cleave only unto me, until death do us part. And, that he has done. 
 What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.


Monday, June 3, 2013

Miscellany Monday

Ah! good morning my friends! I have missed you these past couple of weeks.  I did manage to squeeze one blog post in last week, but other than that, it has been "all hands on deck" around here.  But, it's good to be back and I'll use this miscellaneous post to catch you up with the past couple weeks events in my life.  Thanks to Carissa for being such a lovely host each Monday.

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Hard work............
 
We spent a few days in Branson, Mo week before last and while there, we drove over to The College of the Ozarks.  I have heard about this college for years and knew that it was a place worth visiting.  So, we took the time to do that while in Branson.  It is no more than a 10 minute drive from Branson in Point Lookout, Mo.  It is called the University of Hard Work because every student (their enrollment is around 1500 students) pays their way through college by working on the campus.  They may work in the green houses, the kitchen where jellies and fruitcakes are made, the restaurant on campus, the gift shop, the lodging on campus, the regular kitchen where meals are provided for the students or any number of other jobs.  If you want to know more check out their website here.   
We had the most delicious lunch in the restaurant and celebrated my SIL's birthday.  They sang to her and provided a lovely dessert for her.  The food presentation, the wait staff and linens are all to perfection.
It was a lovely way to spend 3-4 hours and I highly recommend that you pay it a visit if you are in the area.  I don't think you will be disappointed. 

 Crystal Springs.......
From Branson we headed to Northern Arkansas where we went to The Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville.  This museum was founded by Alice Walton, the daughter of Sam Walton as a tribute to American Artists.  It sets on 120 acres that is surrounded by two creek-fed ponds.  It is a lovely complex and you can go here for more info.
My favorite two displays are the two men shown above.  Are they not the most realistic!  The man sitting on the bench was as real as real could be and all of us wanted so badly to touch him, but of course, it is "hands off."  The other man mounted on the wall was every bit as realistic except that he was so very large, like maybe a giant. They even had whiskers, and hair on their arms.  I have no idea how they were created or by what means they were created. But, they were captivating to say the least!!
  Memory Lane........
Our ultimate reason for this little getaway was to attend what was called a "Memory Lane Reunion" in Rogers.  It involved about 18 years of graduating classes from our local high school, from about 1955-1972.  They have a Facebook page and a couple of the gals took the lead in pulling this reunion together.  The couple, dear friends of ours, shown in the picture above, hosted the group at their lovely home on Friday evening.  As you can see, everything was to absolute perfection. There were about 35 in attendance.


Then on Saturday evening that same couple hosted us in their pizza restaurant. It was good food, good fellowship and  a whole lotta fun. There were about 55 in attendance that evening. I did not graduate from high school here, but I have been adopted by the "Class of 71" and feel very much a part of it.

 This was my "hot date" for the evening! ~big smile~

And then........
 We headed towards home on Sunday morning and arrived here around 2:00 PM.  Pulling in right behind us (literally) was our daughter and Grandson from Dodge City, Kansas.  Yep, I knew absolutely nothing about it (Hubby did)!  She had been in Ok. attending a family reunion with her inlaws and decided that since she was half way here that she would just come on and spend a few days with us.  And, once I got over the shock and surprise, I got into gear and we had a wonderful time.  I'll be sharing more about that in another post.

I leave you with this..........