Monday's Musings

Well, Happy Halloween!  I don't expect that we will have more than 4-5 trick or treaters this evening.  We live off the "beating trail" and we'll probably only have the neighbor kiddos and, at this point in my life, that's just fine.  I know that many have totally stopped any trick or treating and go to school and church events rather than going door to door.  And, that's a good idea!

 Speaking of Halloween.........Hanna Beth was out of school on Friday and spent the day with me.  We went to visit Daddy and she enjoyed seeing all the Halloween decorations at the assisted living facility.  The gal that does the decorating leaves no stone unturned.  These witches were automated and did all kinds of movements and made their "witchy" noises.
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Earlier that day HB decorated funfetti  cupcakes ~thanks, Pillsbury~  She has gotten quite good at the technique, but her most favorite part is licking the icing off of her fingers. ~too cute~
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One evening last week we joined our friends for a boat ride, a little fishing and a picnic.  They have a pretty lake behind their house so that made it a whole lot easier.  We just walked down to the dock and off we went.  And, Ares (a German Shepherd) and Allie (a Lab) went along for the ride.  They behaved fairly well.  ~grin~  The Blackeyed Susan's  were in abundance and were just beautiful lining the banks of the lake.  It was a fun outing.
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On Thursday of last week I was a VIP for my little adopted Grandson, Cody.  Each week a different student in his Kindergartner class gets to have someone come and read or do some type of presentation for the class.  I talked to them about all things concerning the season of fall, read them a book and then Cody passed out some Halloween treats I had gotten for them.  I have to hand it to teachers of little ones, well, any teacher for that matter.  These little 5 year old's were so cute but it is absolutely impossible for the majority of them to be still or be quite.  They remind me of Mexican jumping beans but, they were sooooo excited to have me visit them. A sweet memory for sure! 
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Our little Sweetheart was Pebbles for their Halloween gathering last evening and the Princess was a beautiful butterfly.  I well remember what fun it was to come up with costumes for our two "back in the day."  
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I'll end with this "funny"...........While on our trip to Oklahoma Hubby went in to a Braum's and ordered himself a hamburger and fries to go.  He told the lady taking his order that he wanted a hamburger with mayo, tomato and lettuce only.  Well, when he got the hamburger out of the bag and ready to eat it, it was a bun with mayo, tomato and lettuce on it, no meat.  He has ordered hamburgers like this a bazillion times and never has this happened.  Guess this lady took him very literally.  We got a good laugh out it and he enjoyed his meatless burger. ~grin~ 

Wishing you a great new week!! 

Catching up....

Okay, let's see where did I last leave off?  The last week and a half has been a busy and fun few days.  We left early last week headed towards Oklahoma to see Bridget and family.  We went by way of NW Arkansas and stopped and spent some time with our dear friends, Dwight and Diane.  We thought that we might see some pretty fall colors on the way, but it was still a little early.  But, the drive is still a lovely one.

Tommy and I Dwight spent most of their day together sporting around in Dwight's red Corvette.  They were wearing their state university shirts and got several comments from folks about it.  Tommy was wearing his LSU shirt and Dwight was wearing his Razorback shirt.  Men will be men or should I say, you can't take the boy out of the man. ~grin~ They had a fun day!

While the guys sported around, Diane and I had our share of fun as well.  We hit many of the fabulous shops in their area and found a few things we couldn't live without.  We saw these Halloween hats in one of the shops and couldn't resist playing around with them.  Guess you could say, girls will be girls. ~another grin~

We went in one shop that was completely saturated in Christmas.  I don't know that I have ever seen so much Christmas in one store in my life.  It was a bit overwhelming to say the least and especially when we've still got Halloween and Thanksgiving to celebrate.  But, I'm pretty sure if there is anything you are looking for in the Christmas decor area, it's likely here in this shop.

These little guys were anxiously awaiting our arrival last Thursday.  We took Clancy his very own Yeti type cup and he was beside himself with excitement.  Coleman is not walking just yet but it doesn't slow him down one bit.  He is a busy, busy little guy!  There is never a dull moment around their house for sure! 

Poppa with two of his favorite things.......his baby boy and a Sonic drink.  Who could ask for more?

Around the first of September Bridget became a LuLaRoe consultant.  You may or may not be familiar with LuLaRoe.  It is a relatively new clothing line that is known for it's buttery softness and comfort with sizes ranging from XXSmall to 3XLarge.  As a consultant she had to make an initial investment in inventory and then had quite a wait for it's arrival.  We were both hoping and praying that it would arrive in time for me to be able to help her get it all set up.  And, would you believe, we arrived last Thursday around noon and her inventory arrived Friday at noon.  Could not have been better timing! ~God is so good~

Bridget had spent the weeks waiting for her inventory preparing for it to arrive.  She ordered racks, hangers and other needed items.  There were 7 rather large boxes with a total of some 400-500 pieces of clothing.  We dug in and worked and worked and worked until we had every piece hung and organized by style and size and ready for her "live" launch on Sunday evening.

She twisted my arm and got me to model a couple of outfits for her to post on her Facebook business page. 

And, Bridget modeled some outfits as well.  On Sunday evening she launched her business live on Facebook.  I was not all that familiar with the "live" process but agreed to assist her.  Well, can I just tell you that we had more fun than a barrel of monkey's.  Ladies joined in from all over and enjoyed an online shopping experience and they got free entertainment too. ~we laughed a whole lot~  Most of Bridget's sales will be done through FB, either through her doing shows herself or other ladies hosting for her. (and of course, earning hostess benefits)  It's a whole new world out there and apparently ladies,including myself,  love shopping from their computer, phone or Ipad. She had a great launch and I was a tired Momma once it was over but I was so thrilled that I got to assist and share in her start up.  If you want to check out her LuLaRoe  FB page, click here.  And, no, she has not quit her day job, teaching 3rd grade, and has no intention of doing so.  This is just a little side line for her.  Need I say, she is an industrious gal!

Okay, I think that's "the latest" on this end.  Have yourself a great weekend and we are sooooo ready for fall to come and stay.  It continues to tease us here in NE Louisiana and has really been warm this past week and no real cooler temps any time soon.  Ugh!

AND, I voted this past Wednesday and wish I could say that I felt relieved, but I did not.  But, I did my part and now will continue to pray, pray, pray!!!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

And, Joyce is about to move in that beautiful new house and all her Hodgepodgers are so happy for her.  I'm thinking she needs to invite us all over for afternoon pie and coffee once she is settled in.  That does sound like  a whole lot of fun but a few hundred miles might interfere with that. ~smile~ Meanwhile, I'll get on with the questions at hand.

1. Besides your very own house, describe a place where you feel most 'at home'? 

When I am over visiting with my Dad in his assisted living apartment,  I feel I am very "at home."  I even have a special chair I sit in each time I'm there.  I am so blessed to still have him and his amazing wisdom is  such a blessing to me.  

2. When did you last 'hit a home run' with something? Explain. 
While we were visiting our daughter and family in Oklahoma last week I helped her in launching her new business. (more about this in another post)  I'm pretty sure she thinks having me there to assist her was definitely a home run. ~that's what Momma's do~

3. Tell us about something you love in your house or kitchen that is 'homemade'. 

Oh, I am fortunate to have lots of homemade items in our home.  My Dad was quite the wood craftsman until his health and eyesight prevented him from doing it anymore. Each piece is special but the queen size  pencil post mahogany bed, step stools and night stands are a big favorite of mine. It is in one of our guest bedrooms and is quite the conversation piece.

4. 'A man's home is his castle'...which of the world's ten most captivating castles (according to The Travel Channel) would you most like to visit and why-

Mont Saint-Michel (France), Edinburgh Castle (Scotland), Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany), Glamis Castle (Scotland), Windsor Castle (England), Chateau de Chambord (France), Hampton Court Palace (England), Prague Castle (Prague), St. Michael's Mount (England), Leeds Castle (England), and Swallow's Nest (Ukraine)

I'm going to say Edinburg Castle in Scotland.  Since I have a little Scottish in my blood I might as well go to Scotland, even though the chances are slim to none that I ever will.

5. What's a recent or upcoming plan or project that's required you do a little homework before getting started? Did the homework cause you to abandon your plan or adjust it in some way?
I've had plenty over my lifetime but can't think of anything recently.  But, Google sure makes the homework and research unbelievably easy for most any project or plan.

6. In your opinion, is homework an unnecessary evil or a valuable practice? Should schools be done with homework? Why or why not? 

I would say both.  I do not see the need in giving an overload of homework to any student.  I mean, they go to school all day long and they need some time away from school work.  I do understand the need for homework to re-enforce.  I say keep it in a healthy balance. ~whatever that is~

7. Share a favorite memory of your childhood hometown. 
Well, I had so many childhood hometowns since my Dad was in the ministry.  But, I do remember a favorite of a little fishing village where we once lived in Virginia.  The village had an oyster house and whenever the oyster boat would come in, loaded down with oysters, several of the towns people would go to meet it.  And, often many would grab an oyster straight off the boat, crack it open, drop it in their mouth and enjoy away.  Now, mind you, I enjoyed watching but I was NEVER a participant and, to this day, I have never eaten an oyster nor do I plan to!!!!  Its definitely a favorite memory. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Bridget and Clint took the boys to their church's Trunk or Treat last night and I'm just certain that Coleman was the cutest little puppy dog there.  Don't you agree?  I love all the neat ideas the churches and schools have come up with to celebrate Halloween with the kids.  Trick or Treating is just not a safe bet any longer. ~sad to say~

Monday Musings

Oh, my, if my calculations are correct there are only 10 more Monday's until Christmas.  It truly does seem that it was just Valentine's Day.  I say it all the time but truly time is just flying by and at 64 years of age, I'm really wishing it would slow down, just a little.  All the more reason to make every day count!  Meanwhile...............

I had to chuckle yesterday morning as I was getting dressed to go to church.  Yes, I wore hose!!! I thought of both my daughter and DIL and how it amazes them that I am still a "hose wearing gal." Now, I don't wear them like I once did, but can I just say that my lily white bare legs are not that pretty of a sight and most especially in dressier clothes.  So, since it's fall and there was a good portion of my legs showing in this outfit, I went for the hose.  And, I'm still so "old school," old fashioned or whatever you want to call it that I actually  enjoy wearing hose.  They make me feel so much like a lady.  Okay, I know some one of you are enjoying a belly laugh right now and that's quite alright. ~the laugh's on me~

Some of you reading this know this precious young lady and those of you that don't, well, you should.  I have known Caitlin since the day she was born and have had the privilege of  watching her blossom and bloom into one of the finest young ladies I know.  She recently graduated from college and is now beginning her search for that "just right" job.  She was a communications major and I have no doubt that the Lord already has the perfect position awaiting her.  Caitlin has always been a shining example in her Christian walk and it has been a blessing to watch her grow and mature in the Lord.  There are some other exciting things going on in Caitlin's life and I can hardly wait to see how it all comes together in God's timing.

Big sis and little sis, are they not the cutest!!!!  Hanna Beth just turned 7 and our Andi Kate is 20 months old going on 6.  She thinks she is every bit as big as her older sister and  goes full force. Hanna Beth just got her first report card for first grade and she made us all very proud.  I'm astonished at what kids are learning at such early ages.  It seems that I was surely in 3rd grade before I was learning some of the academic things she is being taught.

I snapped this picture of these cypress knees last weekend.  Cypress knees are everywhere here in the Bayou State and they are used by crafty folks for almost everything.  If you are not familiar with them, they are structures that form above the roots of cypress trees and serve no purpose other than their unusual beauty. There were literally hundreds of them in this swampy area that we rode by. And, I guess I thought you might be interested in this. ~one never knows~

This little guy had his first horse ride this past weekend.  His Dad and Mom thought he might be afraid but he was quite taken by the experience.  He may well end up loving the horses as much as his big brother.  Time will tell.  We are sure looking forward to seeing he and his big brother this Thursday.

Clancy recently celebrated his 8th birthday. Yes, we have 3 immediate family birthdays within the first 7 days of October. Anyway, he invited 3 of his friends to come out this weekend and ride horses and celebrate his birthday.  It was a huge success as none of the other little boys had ever ridden a horse.  Afterwards they enjoyed pizza and cookies.  A perfect 8th birthday for a little cowboy.

We will be headed out tomorrow to Oklahoma by way of NW Arkansas.  We'll stop and see dear friends for a couple of days and then head on to Ok. City Thursday to enjoy fall break with our daughter and her family.  We're hoping to see some pretty fall foliage along the way.  I'll be MIA for a few days but should have lots to share when we return.  See ya then!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday and that means the HP.  It's all about moving today.  I'm sure Joyce has "moving on the brain" right now and I understand completely.

1. What would you say is the best and worst thing about moving house?Oh this is still so fresh on my mind as we have only lived in our new house 14 months.  The worst thing is going through all the stuff and we had 35 years worth of stuff.  Goodness, I was just glad that I had plenty of time for the process and not sure I could have handled it otherwise.  And, the best part, for me, of moving was moving into a brand new house.  Brand new and CLEAN!!!

2. What's moved you recently?
I was dropping our little Princess off the other evening after she had gone somewhere with us and I was walking out the door she said, "CiCi, I love you."  It is something she says every time we say good bye and it moves me like nothing else.  ~precious moments~

3. Do you feel your life is moving forward, backward, or is on hold? How so?
Oh, I think it's moving forward.  After 14 months of our old house being empty, we now have it leased.  It is being leased by a company here in our town for four of the men on their staff.  We had not planned to lease it,but this is a new company in our town and our house seemed to fit the  needs for some of their staff perfectly.  AND, one of the best parts is that they wanted to keep Rosco and Rhett (our two labs) there.  We are hoping this works out as well as it appears to be.

4. On the move, move mountains, get a move on, it's your move, or bust a move...which phrase best applies to some aspect of your life right now? Explain.
Well, I think "on the move" best describes me most of the time.  I enjoy having something going on, not overload, just enough to keep me busy.  I am well aware that the day may come, that I may not be able to be "on the move", so I'm going to keep moving while I can and hopefully that will be for many more years.

5. What song makes you want to get up and move?
Your the One that I Want from the movie GREASE.  I mean, if that doesn't make you want  to move then nothing will.

6. Your favorite snack to grab when you're 'on the move'?
I am more into salty snacks than sweet snacks, so give me some dry roasted peanuts, toasted pecans, or salted toasted almonds.  But, I'm eating less and less of these due to my teeth. ~ugh~ Guess I need to find another "on the move" snack.

7. What one accessory makes your house feel like home?
My fuzzy afghan.  When I am sitting I have to have an afghan across my legs.  It doesn't matter if it's the middle of summer, I still want my afghan.  It makes me feel all secure, warm and cozy! ~smile~ And, isn't that what home should feel like. ~I think so~

8. Insert your own random thought here.

As many of you know, I had a tooth extraction yesterday and a bone graft done in preparation for an implant.  I went with conscious sedation and it was wonderful.  I have a vague memory of the procedure but when it was over I was only mildly loopy.  I came home with pain meds and antibiotics but the pain has been very tolerable so I'm only taking a half pill with occasional Advil and it is keeping the pain at bay.  I am on a soft diet for several days and I'm not enjoying that but since I don't entitle myself to ice cream very often, I'm taking advantage of eating that right now.  These early days are quite critical to the bone graft adhering, so I will definitely be abiding by the rules for success.

Additional note: I decided to take a whole pain pill before bed last night as I was in quite a bit of discomfort.  I woke up at 2:00 AM in a good deal of pain and took another one. That.was.a.bad.idea!!! It is a medium strength pain medication but I DO NOT handle pain meds well at all!  I felt like I had been run over by a freight train when I went to get out of bed this morning.  My jaw is uncomfortable but nothing too much to handle with Advil!!  I got out of bed about 30 minutes ago and am now in the recliner.  I'm going to drink some tomato soup, eat some pudding and think that will likely give me some strength.  Thus, the reason for my HP post being put up later.  Days like this remind me of how thankful I need to be of my good health.  I don't handle sickness well at all.  

52 Lists - What's on your Heart

This week's list is "What's on your Heart."  Well, that's easy enough as I have a whole lotta stuff on my heart..........

1. I'm pretty sure I am one of millions with the Presidential election on their heart.  Good grief, how on earth did this happen?  I am sure George Washington has turned over in his grave multiple times and I'm sure our dear Lord above is shaking His head in disbelief.  May God be merciful!

2. I went to the mailbox this past Saturday and had a big white envelope from the Veterans Administration awaiting me.  I was so shocked and, from the look of the envelope, I was afraid they were sending back the application I had sent in for my Dad about a month ago due to some lack of information.  Well, imagine my surprise when I opened it and the first page was informing me that my Daddy was entitled to the maximum monthly benefit beginning immediately.  I almost shouted!!! I expected him to receive some benefit but I certainly did not expect him to receive the maximum.  And, neither did I expect to hear so quickly.  It was exactly 31 days from the day I sent in the application.  I went by to see the VA rep here today to tell him the good news and he was just as shocked as I was.  I am so happy for my Daddy as this is what he is entitled to for his service to our country.

3. I am a bit nervous as I head to the oral surgeon later today.  I will have a tooth extracted and the pre-work done for an implant.  The receptionist asked me if I would like to have conscious sedation and, after pondering that for a few seconds, I decided that was a great idea.  I mean, why should I fret and stew over it when I don't have to.  I did a little research on conscious sedation and it sounds very safe, so hopefully this procedure will only be a vague memory for me. And, hopefully the recovery will be a piece of cake! ~chuckle~

4. I am so looking forward to seeing our Oklahoma family next week.  Our daughter and grandson will be enjoying a few days out of school for Fall Break, so we will share some of that time with them.  We have not seen them since July and little Coleman has changed so much and has celebrated his 1st birthday since that time.  

5. I have been privileged to get to know several of the young ladies involved in our local Teen Challenge program the past year.  I have heard of the program for years but getting to know these girls, hear their stories, and see God's transforming power at work in their lives, has blessed me beyond words.  I can't say enough good about the program! Where would any of us be without God's redemptive grace and mercy?  What a gift!

6. Our church hosted a picnic this past Sunday afternoon at a lovely state park  nearby.  I really wasn't all that excited about it but it was such an enjoyable time.  We took our little Princess with us and one of her best friends came and they had such a good time.  It was so refreshing to be with a group of Christians enjoying good fellowship, good food on a gorgeous fall afternoon.  It was a time to forget all the heaviness and we all need more times such as this.

Catching up...........

I really prefer to blog 3 times a week, that's my goal.  But, sometimes that just is not possible and this week was one of those times.  And, I decided some time ago that I would not get "my panties in a wad" when I was unable to post.  I mean, that takes too much joy out of something that I enjoy very much.  So, here's what's been going on in my exciting life...............

I have had fun putting out some touches of fall and Halloween the past few days.  I don't do witches and ghosts but I do love Jack-o-Lanterns.  And, I love the mercury glass pumpkins and gourds that I found to go with my candle sticks on the dining table. 

We had dear friends come for a visit this past weekend.  Diane and Dwight are sweet folks and we always enjoy our time with them.  It was a gorgeous fall weekend and we made the most of that.  We all attended a 60's reunion on Sat. evening.  It is a reunion of our local high school of all the graduating classes of the 1960's.  It was such fun!  It was a top notch weekend for sure!

I am not one that goes to visit my Mom's grave often but I do always make sure her grave is tidy and neat and I change out the flowers each season.  It makes me feel good to do it and I know she would be thrilled.  I just placed these orange silk mums and thought they looked so pretty on her grave.

My Daddy is such a mess!  I am not all that fond of this mustache that he has decided to sport.  He had a regular mustache and then decided that he wanted a walrus mustache.  Good grief, what a perfect name for it.  He loves it and as I told him, if he likes it, that's all that matters and especially since he is almost 87 years old.  He can pretty much do whatever makes him happy at this point. ~don't you agree~

And, once again, I am having tooth issues.  I have a bottom back jaw tooth that has been giving me issues for well over a year.  The issues only started becoming bothersome last week and I knew I had to see about it.  I headed to my regular Dentist, he then sent me to my Endodonist.  I had had a root canal on the tooth some years ago but just figured it needed replacing or redoing.  But, my Endodonist had other news for me.  He found, through some kind of special x-ray, that the tooth was cracked and the only treatment is extraction.  Ugh!!!!  I did not want to hear that because I have lost too many teeth and it will be imperative that I have an implant done in the place of this tooth that I will loose.  I have one other implant and they aren't a big deal except that it does take a long time to complete them.  There are just so many stages you go through in getting them.  I wish they could just be put in as soon as the other tooth was pulled and that would be that.  But, that's not the way it is and I will live over it.  I will see an oral surgeon next week to begin this process. ~I can't wait~

And, that's the latest in my corner of the world...............