Hodgepodge Wednesday

Well, folks, 11 weeks from today is Christmas Eve.  Yea, can you believe that?  Joyce must be thinking about it too because she asked us a "Christmas question" today.  I'm surprised she hasn't asked some "wedding questions" too since she is "knee deep" in planning one right now.  But, some how week in and week out she always comes up with "doozies" for us and we sure do appreciate her.  Now, off to answer this week's questions.

1. What's your favorite time of day? Why?
I think I would have to say the early morning.  I have always gotten up early even though I have nowhere to be.  I am generally up between 5:15-5:30AM and I hit the floor running.  I wake right up and begin my day.  I am very productive in the mornings and find that  by mid-morning I have just about gotten my "to do" list done for the day.  Well, my list that must be done is taken care of and then I work on my continual "to do" list.  ~chuckle~  And, I'm in bed between 10:00 - 10:30 because I generally wear down as the day goes by.

2. Waffle iron, toaster, coffee maker, mixer, blender...which small appliance would you say most needs replacing in your house?
Oh, no doubt about it, my mixer and I intend to do something about that around the time we move into our new house.  I have always thought that I would like to have a Kitchen Aid but they are SO heavy and I have opted not to have one of the "lift shelves" in my kitchen.  The reason is that I already have limited cabinets in my new kitchen and the lift shelf would take one whole cabinet space. I'm thinking I may go with a Krups.  I had one years ago and loved it and it was very lightweight.  

  3. It's National Grouch Day (October 15)...what's something that makes you feel grouchy?
When I get overly tired and keep trying to push myself it often results in my being grouchy.  I'm still blessed with a good bit of energy but if I'm burning the candle at both ends, it will eventually catch up with me.  I try not to let that happen too often. ~smile~

4. Ever been to Canada? Is that a country you'd like to visit? According to Trip Advisor, the top ten best destinations in Canada are-Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Victoria, Calgary, Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Whistler, and Halifax. Which city would you most like to see?
Yes, we have been to Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec City and Victoria.  I would like to go to Whistler sometime.

5. What was your favorite food (or one of your favorites) when you were a child? Is that still a favorite?
Oh, my paternal Grandmother could make the best biscuits in the world and she would make the biggest mess making them.  I remember standing right by her side as she made them pretty much every time we ate with them.  I loved to put syrup on them and eat away.  Once my Grandmother was no longer able to make biscuits I did not enjoy eating them nearly so much and don't to this day.

  6. Do you cry easily?
Yes, but perhaps not as much in recent years, but I've always been brought to tears easily.  And, it can be for happiness as well as sadness.
 
7. Have you started your (gasp!) Christmas shopping? If so when, and how much? If not, when will you even begin thinking about it?
Yes, I generally begin mine the first of Sept and this year was no different and I would say I am about 75% through.  Our kids give me a list for themselves and the Grans and I work from that list.  I enjoy giving them items they want and can use.  And, a lot of the time they forget what they have put on the list and they are often still surprised when Christmas rolls around.

  8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
Do you watch DWTS?  If so, then you have seen our Sadie Robinson dance her way into the hearts of DWTS fans.  Sadie is of the famed Duck Dynasty family about 25 miles from where we live.  If I didn't know better I would say she has been training for this time for years and years.  But, she hasn't and I think she just has a whole lot of natural rhythm. If you have not seen her then you can go here if you would like and see her and Mark do the Cha-Cha.  She  and her family have certainly done their part to put NE Louisiana on the map. ~yea, for us!!!~
 

HELLO Monday..................

Another Monday has rolled around and it seems that last week just sailed right past me.  It was a busy, busy week with lots of house decisions and company and making memories.  Thought it would be nice to share some of the fun and memories with you during my HELLO Monday post.

 HELLO Pumpkin Pound Cake......In preparing for company last week I wanted to make something "pumpkiny" but not a pie or bread.  I figured that there was some kind of pumpkin cake recipe online and I was exactly right.  And, what better than a Pumpkin Pound Cake.  Our whole family loves pumpkin and this did not disappoint.  It has allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon and pecans, so what's not to like with those wonderful ingredients!  There is also a glaze but I opted not to use the glaze and instead used whipped cream.  If you want the recipe you can click right here and I bet you will be glad you did.
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HELLO Birthday Girl......... this past Tuesday was Hanna Beth's 5th birthday and she ended up having a week of birthday celebrations. Tuesday, she celebrated with her school friends, Friday night we celebrated here and she shared the celebration with her Dad, whose birthday was 4 days earlier than hers.  Then on Saturday she celebrated with her friends at a pony farm.  The kids birthday parties and cakes are so extraordinary these days.  The sky is the limit when it comes to ideas for both and of course, the invitations match and are too cute!  I'm pretty sure our Princess felt very celebrated!
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 HELLO Stitch Fix......I received my first ever Stitch Fix this past Wednesday.  I had it delivered to Hubby's office, so I opened it there with his office gals so they could see what had been chosen for me.  First, I will say, Stitch Fix, does it right!  The packaging is to perfection and my stylist did an absolutely amazing job picking out items for me.  If you are not familiar with SF then you might enjoy checking them out by clicking here.  When you sign up you fill out a profile that lets them know your sizes, and your likes and dislikes when it comes to your clothing. There is a $20 styling fee that is deducted from your total if you buy any of the 5 items.  If you buy all 5 items then you get a 25% discount off the total.  While I really did like all the items and only one did not fit, I did not keep any of my "fix."  I do intend to order another fix later when my mind is not consumed with "all things house" and a busy, busy schedule.  You have 3 days to decide on the items and return them in the postage paid envelope that is enclosed with your order.  As I said, I was more than impressed and would highly recommend the service. It is truly a neat concept and especially for women who would rather not shop.
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 HELLO Batman and Batwoman......Is this cute or what?  Clancy attended the Fall Festival at his school this past Saturday evening and shortly after arriving saw that one of his little "friend girls" had dressed as Batwoman.  Bridget snapped this picture and sent it to me and of course, it made me smile from ear to ear.  Just so cute!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

I missed HP last week and so glad to be back with it today.  Joyce always comes up with "dozzie" questions and today is no exception.  Joyce is such a busy woman and likely has more to do than host us each Wednesday, but we sure do appreciate her help in getting our creative juices flowing.

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1. Do you manage your own money or do you have a financial planner who helps in some way? Do those kinds of conversations stress you out? A lot or a little?
Hubby and I have had a Financial Adviser for many years.  Hubby for all practical purposes has owned his own business for 40 years and there is a lot of "i" dotting and "t" crossing that must be done. He doesn't play around with such and our financial adviser oversees all of it. No, these type of conversations do not stress me but, I don't always understand the "whys and where fors" of the discussions.  But, I'm grateful that we have this added direction as it has severed us well.   

2. The second week of October is Pet Peeve Week. Off the top of your head, share TWO of your current pet peeves.
1. Going to Wal-Mart and the only check out lanes open are the self check out.  It aggravates the "daylites" out of me!
2. People sitting through red lights because they are busy texting. I mean, I'm glad they are stopped while they are texting but they need to pay attention to the light and GO when the light turns green. ~really~
   
 3. What is one thing you'd like to learn right now, this very week if you could?
I would love to know ALL the ins and outs of a DSLR camera. I came real close to getting one a few years ago and just decided that I wasn't willing to do what was necessary to learn to use it.  So, me and my Nikkon Coolpix with a 14X zoom get along just fine and it is always with me. 

4. How concerned are you about the recent health related news concerning Ebola? How about Enterovirus D68?
Well, they are both very scary and so are many other health issues but I just do not let them consume my thoughts.  I try to use extra good hygiene and wash my hands more times than the law allows in a given day.  And, I try to take care of myself as best I can and after that, what will be, will be.

5. Garfield, Nemo, or Tigger-your favorite orange cartoon character?

Hands down, it would be Garfield.  He is just so cute and always a bit mischievous.

6. I'm going to see Gone Girl with my neighborhood book club this week. So often books made into film are disappointing. What's a book turned film you thought was well done, in that the casting was 'like you pictured' when you read the book, and the film plot remained mostly true to the book plot?
I have not seen that many movies based on books but the one that immediately came to my mind was "The Bridges of Madison County."  While, in my opinion, it was done well, it did not compare to the book.  When reading a book you get to make your own movie in your thoughts as you read and that type of movie can hardly be beat. ~grin~

7. What is one story your family always tells about you?
Oh, there are several but the best one is when Hubby reminds me of the night, many years ago, that I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and I sat on him.  He had gotten up a minute or two before me and was occupying the "throne" and I had no idea.  Can I just tell you that some "blood curdling" screaming took place by me and our children, who were asleep upstairs, came running downstairs scared too death. They thought we had been attacked by a "booger."   It will never be forgotten I can assure you!  I have never gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night without a flashlight since that time. ~no joke~

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our new house is progressing right along.  You will have to pardon this picture with the intense evening sun, but it does look rather cool doesn't it?   It has been all consuming the past few weeks with lots and lots of decisions.  We are in the process of getting all the cabinetry designed and that is HUGE!  But, we saw some 3-D imagines of some of them today and we were so pleased.  Between us, our decorator and our cabinet designer, we have tried to think of everything.  But, we all know that is impossible, but hopefully we'll come close.~big smile~  We can hardly wait until this time next year when we will be enjoying the fruits of all these decisions.

*Added note: Hubby's sister and her husband arrive this evening for a few days, so we'll be busy and there will likely be no time for blogging until my usual "Hello Monday" post.  See you then!

HELLO Monday!

I was beginning to have blogging withdrawal since I did not get to blog any at all last week.  We were gone to Vegas until Wed. and then trying to get "back on track" consumed the rest of the week.  But, I think I'm "good to go" for the time being and have some "hello Monday's" for you today.

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 HELLO fall......One of our local nurseries always has a spring and fall show and I attended her fall show a couple of weekend's ago.  It was a beautiful fall day and she has the perfect grounds for such an event and I always enjoy seeing folks that I don't generally see any other time. There were vintage clothing, jewelry galore, homemade jams, jellies, breads, pies and cakes and various demonstrations.   It was a fun outing and I did find a few items that I couldn't live without. ~smile~

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 HELLO cookie making......Hanna Beth was out of school a couple of Friday's ago and she spent the day with me.  We made cut out cookies and she decorated them. ~her favorite part~  I ran across this Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough Sheets and grabbed them before "quick could get ready."  To have the cookie dough already rolled out and ready to cut is the "cat's meow."  There are two sheets to a package and they are not all that big, so we were only able to get two pumpkins out of each sheet but they turned out to be HUGE pumpkins.  We used a circular cutter for some and it worked much better and was a better size. ~fyi~  Hanna Beth's favorite part is decorating the cookies and she is so precise with her movements and really does a great job for a 5 year old.  She had a great time!

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We attended a convention in Las Vegas last week for State Farm  and had a good time.  We have traveled with most of these folks for 40+ years and only see a lot of them during convention.  So, it was fun to catch up with a few of them.  The closing night's event was a huge carnival and we acted like kids and went around to all the vendors and won a slew of stuffed animals. ~like we had good sense~  We were so fortunate that both of our flights, going and coming, went without a hitch and were right on schedule.  We felt so fortunate!

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HELLO new house progress..........things seem to be moving at break neck speed right now.  This past week the windows were installed, the sound system, the security system and the central vacuum system.  We are so pleased with the windows!  We labored and labored over the selection of the windows and so far it has been our toughest decision but we are super pleased with our selection now that they are in.  Our decorator and I met this past Friday and did the interior paint selections and fabric selections for the bedrooms.  It was such fun and I will be sharing those at a later time.  I'll leave you in suspense for now.  I couldn't be more pleased with those!!  This week they will begin the plumbing, so things continue to move right along. 
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HELLO our birthday girl........tomorrow our Princess will be 5 years old.  Her birth will long be remembered as such a special day in the life of our family.  And, when she was placed in our son and DIL's arms, I thought my heart would surely burst.  She has brought so much delight into our lives and we thank the Lord for making her a part of our lives.  And, I have no doubt she is going to be a wonderful big sister to our Princess #2 this next February. 

Friday Fragments

It's always fun to join up with Mrs. 4444 on Fridays to share some fragments from the past week.  Most of mine are surrounding the construction of our new house, it's pretty much all consuming right now.
 

It's decisions, decisions and more decisions when it comes to building a house.  This week my decorator and I picked out all the lighting for the house.  And, it really was quite simple as she directed me with her personal suggestions.  I think there was only one fixture that she chose that I didn't care for.  The above photo is the style of the fixtures we will be using and all in an oil rubbed bronze finish.  We are using lots and lots of recessed lighting in the house, so there really are not that many decorative fixtures.  And, we will be using fans (without lights) in almost every room.  I found choosing the lights to be fun because we are getting into the decorative part of the house and I do love that.
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The electricians began their work this week and Hubby literally spent hours on the site making sure that the plugs and switches were all correctly placed.  I met with them (pictured above) for a while putting in my "two cents worth." ~grin~  I'm pretty sure they think we are doing "overkill" when it comes to outlets but as Hubby says, "you can never have too many outlets."  They were the nicest crew.  Again, lots and lots of decisions but so far, none that we haven't been able to handle.
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I bet if Hubby has pulled out his measuring tape once he has pulled it out 100+ times since construction began.  He is doing his very best to avoid any costly mistakes and I really think our contractor appreciates Tommy's attention to detail.  In fact, I "think" he would like to take Tommy on as his assistant. ~chuckle~  

In the top left photo is the octagonal shaped raised ceiling above the small island (there will be a big island too) in my kitchen.  It is one of my favorite things in the house.  It is going to be stained beaded board and a large light fixture will be hanging down from the center of it. 

 In the right top is pictured our eating area and great room.  We are so excited about all the light and view that those windows are going to provide for us.  And, they look out on the pond. The windows should be installed in another couple of weeks.

In the lower right picture is the room above Tommy's shop.  I guess it will be called a storage room for lack of a better term.  But, I don't like the term "storage" (it seems that those kind of places always end up with items that need to be gotten rid of, not stored) and not exactly sure what he will decide to do with that space but I told him it reminded me of a long tunnel right now. 
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And, the hi-lite of my week was reading to Hanna Beth's Pre-K class on Wednesday afternoon.  Each week a different student is VIP and this was Hanna Beth's week.  When they are VIP they can ask a family member to come and read to their class if they want to.  They had a special chair for me to sit in and HB got to sit right beside me.  They were such a cute group of kids and were so attentive as I read Piped Piper Micky.  I enjoyed it so much and HB was thrilled to have her CiCi there. ~sweet memories~
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NOTE:  Hubby and I will fly out Sunday morning headed to a convention in Las Vegas.  So, I'll probably be "out of sight" for a few days but never fear, I'll be back with lots to tell.  ~smile~

Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday and that means that Joyce has been racking her brain coming up with all kinds of questions regarding "fall."  It's amazing to me how she usually centers her questions around a theme of sorts.  I missed the HP last week, just simply ran out of time.  But, made sure that didn't happen this week because it adversely affects my week when I miss the HP.

 ~ just kidding but it sure sounded good~

1. It's fall. Y'all. My favorite season of the year! What's something you love to do this time of year that makes you feel it's officially fall? And unrelated to that, do you ever say-'y'all'?
For the past few years Hubby and I have gone on a trip to see the fall colors but looks like that is not going to happen this year.  Just too much going on  to be gone and while we are going to Las Vegas this next Sunday, I doubt seriously we'll be seeing any fall colors while there.  But, who knows?  I'll let you know.  Our favorite place to go in the fall would be Northwest Arkansas and Branson, MO.  They both strut the fall colors beautifully.

Oh, yes, I do say y'all all the time.  Part of the Southern gal in me I suppose.

2. When did you last have a falling out with someone? Has it been resolved? Hum.....I don't even like the sound of that but realize that sometimes it happens, but all I want is peace with all people and I'll work hard to achieve that.  That doesn't mean it always works but at least I have the satisfaction of knowing I tried. 

3. A song you love with the word 'fall' in it's title?
Hands down, I Fall To Pieces by Patsy Cline.

4. What's something you've recently let 'fall by the wayside?'
I started working on a second designation in my Life Coaching Certification back in June and was so dedicated to finishing it and should have finished the end of July.  But, again, building a new house involves a lot of time and I still lack 4 classes to finish but hopefully before long I'll finish.  

5. When did you last attend an event, read a book, watch a movie, try a new recipe, or visit a shop-town-tourist attraction that fell short of your expectations? In what way?

Oh, I have an answer to all of these but the first one that came to mind was mine and Hubby's visit to Savannah, Ga. two years ago.  I was so excited about our time there and it just really wasn't what either one of us expected ~sorry if you are a big fan of Savannah~  We were there for 3 1/2 days and one day would have been plenty.  But, at least we can say we have "been there, done that."  

6. Describe a time you said or thought, 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Oh, it happens often with our children.  I will see one of them do something that reminds me so much of something that Hubby or I would do or say and I often make that comment in reference to what they did or say.  Sometimes it is almost scary when we see our children remind us so much of ourselves. ~big smile~ 

7. Was today better than yesterday? Why or why not?
Oh, yes indeed!!  Hubby developed an abscessed tooth last Wed. and at one point we did not know if we were going to get to go to our daughter's this past weekend.  But, we were able to get him on some tolerable pain medication and antibiotics and we managed to go.  He was not up to par but at least we were able to go.  He had that sucker pulled yesterday and he has been a "new man."  It is amazing the amount of pain that something as small as a tooth can cause but let me tell you, he was in pure misery.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Did you happen to see on the Facebook news feed that FB will start charging $2.99 a month beginning Oct. 1st?  I just saw it and find it hard to believe since it is Sept. 24th and, to my knowledge, there has not been a formal announcement of such.  AND, I certainly hope it's just a bunch of hype because I LOVE FB but it goes against my grain to think of paying for it.  I remember a few years back that there was all the hype that there was going to be a charge for each email we sent and that never came to pass.  So, hopefully we can just keep right on enjoying FB and let the advertisers endure the cost. ~the way it should be~  Guess time will tell!

HELLO Monday!

It's Monday after a fun-filled weekend spent in Mt. Pleasant, Texas celebrating our Grandson's 6th birthday.  So, it's lots of fun hello's this morning...........

HELLO learning to read.......soon after we arrived at our daughter's, Clancy got his reader, crawled up in my lap and began showing me how well he could read.  I was most impressed and just loved listening to him as he sounded out the words so perfectly.  ~they learn so young these days~
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HELLO learning to ride a bike......in the past few weeks Clancy has learned to ride his bike without the training wheels.  He is so proud of himself and goes about ninety miles an hour and makes his CiCi very nervous.  But, that's what little boys do!
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HELLO Brownie, Hollywood and Shug........these 3 horses reside next door to our daughter and her family and they belong to them.  

And, when our SIL is out of town (as he was this weekend) our grown Princess, turned ranch hand, takes care of these guys.  She does it like she knows what she is doing and handles those big guys with authority.  Never in a million years would we have dreamed!  But, we just never know what our kids may take a liking to when their grown do we? ~chuckle~
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 HELLO birthday boy......

Clancy knew we were coming to celebrate his 6th birthday a little early.  So, we weren't there long until he was ready to "celebrate" and open his gifts.  He was so excited and the child loves Legos as much as any child I have ever seen.  He will play with them for hours and always wants a new set.  He does a great job following the page by page directions too.  I'm very impressed at his ability with them and he was more than thrilled that he got some new sets to add to his collection.
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HELLO Batman.......Clancy is such a super hero fan and when he opened this Batman costume, he immediately had to put it on and show us his super powers.  So, so cute!!!!
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HELLO sweet Clancy!  We had a fun weekend celebrating you and we're so thankful the Lord blessed our lives with you.  We know HE has great and mighty plans for you as HE directs your paths!  We love you to the moon and back!!!!