Welcome Fall.......

Today is the "official" first day of fall, BUT.......It feels like anything but fall here in NE Louisiana. It appears that this week is going to be in the low 90's and that is a nice drop from the 100+ degrees we've endured the past 2-3 weeks.  So, if those temps will keep right on falling then perhaps we'll be "officially" into fall before too much longer.

In spite of the high temps I put out my fall touches a couple of weeks ago.  I was more than ready for "all things fall."  I found these jeweled place mats at Homegoods when we were in Atlanta a few weeks ago and they work so well as the surface for some of my touches.  And, I got my jeweled pumpkin table runner at Pier 1 about 3 years ago and just love it.

I had a good time getting my tiered tray decked out with all things fall.  Between Amazon, Hobby Lobby and Etsy, I thought it turned out really cute.

Over the past few years I have picked up these touches at Homegoods, Tuesday Morning and this year I ordered the beautiful bronze leaf bowl (lower left hand picture) for the sideboard from Wayfair and the decorative pumpkins from Amazon.  Their all very simple but make a nice fall statement.

This little antique children's bench always looks nice with a decorative pillow(s) for the various seasons or holidays. Homegoods has the most wonderful selection of decorative pillows.

I am so proud of this new arrangement for our dining table.  Since moving in our new house 4 years ago I've  used the same arrangement pretty much all year long.  But, I decided that I wanted to change and use something that would be appropriate from now until spring.  The other arrangement will be perfect for spring until fall.  I do remove them if we use the dining table and I generally use something different at Christmas.  These arrangement are so big and tall that storage for them can be very challenging.  Thus, the reason I only want two of them. 

And, that is my "fall touches" that await falls arrival. 

And, I leave you with this sweet picture of Bridget and her boys.  This was one of the many pictures taken during Case' newborn photo session. When I saw this it made my heart smile really BIG!!!

Happy Fall Y'all!!!!!

Inquiring Minds Want to Know!

I have been "missing in action" lately and I do apologize but I just have not been in a "blogging" state of mind.  And, as I've stated before, blogging is purely fun for me and  if I feel that I "have" to, it ceases to be enjoyable.  So, hang in there, I'll at least try to make my posts enjoyable for you when I do blog.

Today's entry was another "FaceBook find" and I thought it would make a great blog entry. And, I always enjoy reading this type entries from others as it's a way to get to know them better.  

▪️First job - Well, as a teenager I babysat, cleaned houses and did a couple of neighbor's ironing.  My first job at an established business at the age of 16 was for Kroger's as a checker.  And, my first job as a young married was a teacher's aide.  I've done a little bit of everything over the years.

▪️Current job -Domestic Engineer, keeping the "home fires" burning and CFO of my husband's insurance business.  That means I pay the bills for him and make sure payroll info gets to proper authorities. 

 ▪️Dream Job - I have always thought I'd love to be a nurse and in all my years of care giving I have often thought that I had earned that degree. ~smile~  But, I'm pretty content with my life just as it is.

▪️Favorite food - Bacon and anything with bacon in it.  Love me some bacon!

▪️Favorite dog - Hands down, a Golden Doodle.  I'm not really a "pet" person but if I were, I would have a miniature doodle.  I'm pretty sure they think they are human.

▪️Favorite footwear-I'm a big fan of Michael Kors shoes, they are very stylish and comfortable.

▪️Favorite Candy - The ooey, gooey Turtle candy. I never, ever eat them but they have just the right amount of everything I like, chocolate, pecans, and caramel. And, they have just come out with "Turtle bites" and I did buy a bag of those the other day but have only eaten one.  Shucks, even the bites have 55 calories in them and they are just that, a bite.  But, ever so often, just a bite will do. 

▪️Favorite Ice Cream- Blue Bell Vanilla and slivered almonds make it all the better.

▪️Your Vehicle color - Pearl white and I'm pretty sure it is the most popular color of vehicles on planet earth.  There's sure nothing unique about it.

▪️Night owl or early bird - Early bird, I've always loved the early morning and am most productive in the early hours of the day. 

▪️Favorite day of the week- Even though I do not work outside the home, I still seem to really enjoy Saturdays. But, it really depends on the week.

▪️Tattoos - Well, not unless you count permanent makeup.  I've had my eyeliner, eyebrows, and lips all tattooed and, might I add, the eyebrows and eyeliner were bearable but the lips, Oh, my goodness, NOT worth the pain I endured. ~just sayin'~

▪️Like to cook -Well, I don't mind cooking and am definitely not a gourmet cook, just plain and ordinary.  I LOVE to bake and feel I'm a much better baker than cook.

▪️Can you drive a stick shift- Indeed I can, it's what I learned to drive on and it was in the hills of Virginia.  Oh, my, it was an experience to say the least.

▪️Favorite color - A blue gray but my closet screams black and white. ~chuckle~

▪️Do you like vegetables -There's few if any vegetables that I do not like.  I could live off veggies for sure!

▪️Do you wear glasses- Only readers and sunglasses.  I can't make it without either of them.

▪️Favorite season- It's a tie between Fall and Spring.  I'm always excited for both of them to arrive.

I'm betting you found out something about me that you didn't know.  And, I can't close without sharing a picture of our little Case.

Indeed, he is one very LOVED little boy.  He'll be a month old Thursday.

August Prime Purchases

And, it's the first Tuesday of September.  My goodness, we won't turn around twice and it will be Christmas.  Speaking of Christmas, perhaps you will see something here today that would make a good gift for someone on your list.  This is always a favorite post for me as I do love shopping Amazon.  It doesn't get any easier, that's for sure!


I have a lot of  4 X 6 frames as that is the size that I prefer to have sitting around.  Most of them are several years old the easels on many of them are just about worn out.  I decided to replace the oldest ones and I found the greatest selection on Amazon.  I love the vintage look and I've had a good time filling them with pictures.  I never lack for pictures with 5 Grans. ~chuckle~


AMAZON


AMAZON

If you are in the market for a comfortable, yet stylish pair of shoes then these may be for you.  They are by Softt.  It seems that all of the "comfort" shoe manufactures have really gotten on board with very stylish looks along with their comfort.  I got these in this platinum color and also black and they come in 5 other colors as well.  They can be dressed up or be worn with jeans.  Suit yourself but I promise you that they are comfortable and I feel very secure walking in them.  








AMAZON

I've shared with you before pillows that I have gotten off Amazon.  This is a zippered heavy cotton and linen 18 x 18 pillow cover.  I ordered the pillow inserts as well and I am using them on the benches on our front porch for fall.  They are so colorful and perfect to welcome fall.  Amazon has pillows, pillows and more pillows for any and all decorative purpose you may need/want them for.

AMAZON

And, my last item are these fabulous bags!  They are a silver heavy duty plastic bag that can be used as a tote, gifts, shopping or you name it.  They are around 15" x 14".  You can ask my daughter or DIL and they will tell you that I.love.BAGS!  Bags of all shapes, designs and size.  If they need a bag they know who to call.  I seem to use them all the time for one thing or the other.  So, thought I might not be the only person that loves pretty bags.  And, these are ONLY $19.99 for a package of 50.  Can't beat that! 

AMAZON

That's it for this month's Prime shopping post.  Hope you found something you can't live without.  ~chuckle~  Always a fun post for me.  

Wishing all of you a wonderful week and thinking of and praying for all our dear friends in the path of hurricane Dorian.

Whee!!!!!

Well, if you know me well or have been reading my blog for a while, then you know that I am a very scheduled and structured gal.  I thrive on it but, as we all know, life can't always be scheduled or structured.  And, such was the case August 19th at 6:30PM.  My cell phone rang and it was our daughter telling us that her water had broken and she was being admitted to the hospital to likely have their 3rd little boy.  Now, you must know, that just 30 minutes earlier she had called me after she left the Dr. for her regular visit and all was well.  He told her he would see her the following week.  So, that helps you to understand the extreme shock when she called back in 30 minutes to say she was in the hospital.

And, the doctors had told her over a month ago that, given her history and high risk, that they would plan to put her in on Sept. 10th (her due date was Sept. 28th) and induce her labor.  So, our plans were to go to Oklahoma on the 8th.  Well, those plans just went flying right out the window.

Hubby and I were kicked back in our recliners to enjoy the evening and we jumped up and collected our thoughts and began preparing to leave early the following morning.  We just do not drive overnight anymore so we knew that we would not make it for the birth, but we did manage to get there just a few hours afterwards.

And, this my friends was our "first view" of little Case Harrison.

Just a very minutes after his birth he had to be moved to the NICU due to breathing issues.

  Since he was about 6 weeks early this wasn't too big of a surprise.  But, it doesn't make it any easier to see your precious baby with all those tubes attached to him.  

Bridget stayed with little Case every day and we would take the big brothers by to see him after we picked them up from school.  We all even managed to hold him with the tubes attached.  We had to be very careful but at least we could hold him.

Every day he improved and soon was able to nurse a little and had a feeding tube to supplement.

These two guys kept us on our toes and we were so glad that we could be there to help out.  We picked them up from school, made sure they had dinner, kept the laundry caught up (and they have lots of it).  I did some cooking and put it in the freezer for "one of those days."  Poppa managed to mow and weed eat the yard and when we left they were in good shape.  Of course, baby brother had not come home at that time.

But, yesterday morning around 10:00 AM this little guy was allowed to go home after being in the hospital for 9 days.  He looks like a little peanut in that big car seat.

Shortly after arriving home he got to try out his new swing.  Bless him, he's swaddled so tightly he couldn't move if he wanted to.  Things have sure changed from when his Momma was a baby.  All we mothers did at that time was put a blanket over them and somehow they all survived .  Guess someone figured out that swaddling was the "new way."  ~laugh~

And, when big brothers got home from school, they could not love on him enough.  They were so excited to all be home together and began this new journey with baby Case.

Meanwhile, back at home, our little Andi Kate was starting school for the very first time in Pre-K4.  She was beside herself with excitement!

And, her big sister was starting 4th grade.  Seems it was just yesterday that she was 4 years old.

And, this is what they look like each morning as big sister walks little sister into school.  So, so sweet!

Yes, it's been "whee" but thankfully the Lord always gives us what we need, when we need it and He definitely came through for us.  He granted us safety in travel and then supplied the energy we needed to go and be of help in this time of need for our daughter and her family. And, as the old saying goes, "man's best made plans mean nothing."  And, that's definitely true when it comes to a baby's birth.  But, we survived!

Have a great weekend!

Sunday Stealing's Questions

It's been quite a while since I linked up with the Sunday Stealing gals but thought today's questions were fun and decided to participate.

1) What do you enjoy about summer?

Well, summer is NOT my favorite time of year due to the heat and humidity but I do endure it.  I suppose I enjoy it because my Grans and daughter and DIL enjoy a nice break from school.  Otherwise I'm anxiously awaiting fall. ~grin~ 

2) Do you like snow? Why?


I am not a fan of snow.  A light dusting is okay and, thankfully, that's about all we get here in NE Louisiana.  If we got heavy snows it would completely paralyze us as we are definitely not use to big snows and in no way are we ever prepared for them.

3) What do you think about dogs?

Well, truth be told, I am not really a dog person.  But, Roscoe, our chocolate lab did get as close to my heart as any dog we've ever had.  The above photo was taken in 2008 and he wasn't much more than a puppy.  Sadly, 3 weeks ago we had to have him put down.  He had sooo many health issues and we had waited as long as we could for his well being.  It was a sad day.

4) Have you ever gotten lost?
Oh, indeed I have, more times than I care to remember.  GPS systems were made for folks like me.

5) What are your favorite type of socks?

I do love all the new designs on socks, both men and women's.  But, on the rare occasion that I wear socks, they are generally pretty basic.  I only wear them in the cold winter with boots and we don't usually have many cold days.

6) What is your favorite style of shoes?
I prefer open toe shoes and rarely wear heels over 2" - 2 1/2".  I am big fan of Vince Cumuto shoes.

7) What would you name your boat if you had one?
"The Bayou Belle"

8) What common misconception do you hate to hear repeated as fact?
I've heard so many times folks say, "The Lord won't put more on you than you can bear."  And, they say it as though it is scripture and it is NOT.  It is not in the Bible but what is  in the Bible is that the Lord will see us through whatever we may face if we are His child.

9) What was the last shop you went into and what did you buy?
I went into a cute little boutique here in our town on Friday afternoon with our 2 gran girls.  I bought one of them a cute pair of booties.  She was so cute in them and she wanted them so what else was I to do? ~big laugh~

10) What's your favorite thing to do to pass the time?
I enjoy trying my hand at design work on the computer, baking, making "no sew" throws and organizing anything that may need organizing.

11) What is a way to die that scares you the most?
Any illness or death that involves suffering. I've seen enough suffering in my life to know that I would like to escape it.  As far as death goes, I am not afraid of dying because I am certain of my future with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  A most comforting thought in these perilous times. 

12) Travel or home body?
I LOVE home and the older I get, the more I love it.  I have certainly done my share of traveling and hope to do more but anything over a  4-5 hour car drive is too long for me.  I've never been a really happy car traveler but, again, the older I get, the worse that gets. But, our daughter and other family members live between 8-9 hours away and, as long as we can, we'll continue driving to see them. Any further and we'll be flying.  And, we all know the joys that flying can be. 

13) Have you ever gone to a Bingo hall?
Well, as a matter of fact, I have not and don't imagine that I ever will.

14) What is the longest plane trip you have taken?
Many moons ago Tommy won a trip to Spain through his work and that was a very LONG plane ride.  We've also been to Hawaii and Acapulco and they are pretty long as well.

15) Do you text more or call more? Why?

Text, for sure.  I would have never in a million years dreamed that I would become such a "texter."  But, it is such an easy means of communicating without really bothering someone with a phone call. They can respond at their convenience without having to stop and answer their phone.  I do think that texting can be a bother at times but, for the most part, I think it is most convenient.  And, love that you can text several folks at one time.

Have a wonderful Lord's Day!

Saturday 9

I've missed participating in the Saturday 9 for a few weeks so I'm glad to be linking up this morning. Although, I am totally unfamiliar with this song from the Gilmore girls.



Where You Lead (1971)

1) This is the theme of The Gilmore Girls, a TV show that ran  from 2000 to 2007. It recently enjoyed renewed popularity as a reboot. Were you a fan?
No I was not a fan. I've  never, ever even seen one episode.  I'm not a fan of sitcoms and if I remember correctly, this was a sitcom.

2) The show is about thirtysomething Lorelai Gilmore, her teenage daughter Rory, and her parents, Richard and Emily. The four of them had dinner together every Friday night. Who did you have dinner with on Friday? What was on the menu?
We enjoyed dinner with some friends at The Fish House.  It's hard to beat for a good, casual meal of either fried catfish,grilled or fried shrimp or crayfish (in season). 

3) Lorelai is outgoing and talkative. How about you? Are you seldom at a loss for words?
Yes, I would describe myself as outgoing and talkative.  While I seldom find myself at a loss for words, I do try to remember that the Lord gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason.  Sometimes it really is BEST if we listen and not try to think of the next word we're going to say. Folks can tire easily of incessant talking  but they seem to really appreciate a listening ear.

4) Rory dreamed of going to an Ivy League school and then becoming a broadcast journalist. When you were in high school, what were your ambitions?
Well, if I am totally truthful, it was to get married and have a family.  Going to college was rarely even discussed in our home and I am sorry about that.  I think college CAN play a real important part in kids lives.  Not that I think it is imperative, I do not.  But, I do wish that I had gone to college and had some of the wonderful experiences it can afford.  I have done just fine without it and I have done just fine in a 48 year marriage.  I didn't marry the year I graduated, but the following year.  I was still just a child but, of course, I thought I was grown.  Thankfully I married a very patient man that hung on and stood by my side as I grew up and matured. It certainly helped that he was 5 1/2 years older. ~grin~ 


5) Rory's grandfather (and Lorelai's dad) went to Yale and performed with the Whiffenpoofs, Yale's famous a cappella group. Have you ever sung in front of an audience?
More times than I can count.  My brother, that is 3 years younger than me, and I sang together for several years in our teen years.  He was quite the guitarist and we even sang for special events at times.  Then, until about 12 years ago I was known to sing solos and so enjoyed that.  I have sort of a Karen Carpenter type voice or perhaps I should say, I did have.  Acid reflux pretty much took my singing voice but thankfully it hasn't taken my talking voice. ~chuckle~

6) Rory's grandmother (and Lorelai's mother) Emily was very active in civic organizations and worked hard on the Hartford Zoological Society's Annual Silent Auction. Have you ever attended an auction? 
Yes, I have attended several silent auctions and just a very few regular auctions.  Regular auctions make me nervous. ~chuckle~

7) Alexis Bledel, who played Rory, went on to appear in Mad Men and The Handmaid's Tale. Of these three shows -- Gilmore Girls, Mad Men andThe Handmaid's Tale -- which would you prefer to binge watch?
Well, I've never heard of any of these, so I don't have a desire to binge watch any of them.  Besides, the only show I have ever binged watched and Hubby watched it with me, is Longmire.  What a show!!!!

8) Carole King originally wrote this week's song, "Where You Lead," for her Tapestry album. Do you have a favorite Carole King song?
I love Carole King and one of my favorites is "You've Got a Friend."  She has such a great voice and I enjoy listening to all of her songs. 
 
9) Random question: If zoo animals could talk, which animal do you imagine would be the rudest?

What an interesting question............I think I would say the monkey.  They are so all over the place and if they are behind glass they will come right up and press their face to the glass right in front of the guests.  I think they would not care whose business they got into and that they would bother me greatly.

A Bit of This and That

And, summer is winding down.  Schools are starting and everyone is getting back into their routines.  In our area, just about all the school systems start at a different time.  It sure makes it difficult if teacher's teach in one system and their children attend school in another.  In  Oklahoma, where our daughter and family live, ALL schools in the state start on the same day and have all the same breaks.  It sure makes sense to me but I don't get a vote. ~what a shame~

About once a year I will go to the deer woods with Hubby.  Tommy doesn't really hunt anymore but he still gets his stands ready and generally puts feeders out for the deer.  About 3 weekends ago he was going to check his stands and set off "bug bombs" to kill wasps and any other creepy critter that might have found a home in them.  I do.not.like for him to climb the ladders to his stands any more but he still does but very, very carefully.  It was an extremely hot day, mosquito's were awful and the only time we were comfortable was when we were  riding the ATV and the breeze was hitting out faces.  I just prayed the entire time that the ATV would make it back out without any mechanical troubles as it seemed to me that we were at the ends of the earth and no one would ever be able to find us.  Thankfully we made it safely back home.

Last week found us in the Atlanta area visiting Tommy's two sisters and their husbands.  We always have such fun together  and this time was certainly no exception.   "The sisters" and I are "die hard" shoppers and the sky is the limit and the possibilities endless in the area.  And, it didn't hurt that the sales were abundant since it's the end of summer. It was a win win situation.
While we busied ourselves with shopping, the guys  enjoyed hitting the little white ball around the golf course.  Everyone was happy and making memories.

These little sweethearts have been hanging with their CiCi the past few days and will be with me next week.  Their Mom's school started last week and they don't start until the 23rd and 26th.  We went to Wal-Mart the other morning and as I was picking up some groceries, Hanna Beth spotted these animal print dresses in the little girls department.  I thought they were so cute and they had sizes for both of them and I couldn't resist getting them.  AND, they were a whopping $5.88 each.  I mean, could they have cost any less.  They wore them all day the day we got them and if they never wear them again it was worth the fun they had in them that one day.  I thought they were so adorable!

Yesterday morning we enjoyed a big breakfast at our local Huddle House.  Other than it taking an extremely long time to get our food (which is very unusual in our experience) all was good.  I think they had some cooks that were just not on top of their game.  The girls love pancakes and enjoyed our time there.  

These big guys started to school on Tuesday.  Coleman was absolutely beside himself with excitement but that's really nothing new, he's pretty much excited about all of life.  Clancy is a big 5th grader and will have the privilege of having his Mom as his Math teacher this year.  She's a great Math teacher and he's a whiz in Math so they will make a great combination.  

And, this gal, well, she's hanging right in there and hoping to get about 4 weeks of school "under her belt" before baby boy #3 makes his arrival.  Her first day with students the a/c decided to quit working and it was only 100+ degrees outside.  It was not a good start but, bless her, she survived.

This little guy is "snug as a bug in a rug" and is scheduled to make his entrance into the world on Sept. 10th through  induction.  We're just hoping he doesn't decide to come earlier as that's about 2 1/2 weeks before his actual due date.  But, her Drs. did not want to take any chances and decided the 10th would be a good day for his planned arrival.  We certainly like the plan as that allows us to plan on being there for this big day.  The ultrasounds are so detail today that you pretty much know what they are going to look like before their arrival.  Amazing!  Of course, no hints as to his name but we do know it starts with a C.  They have always been very secretive about their babies names as they say it's the only surprise left since we know the sex.  So, there's no monogramming of initials before the birth. Again, I didn't get a vote on this decision. ~it's really fine, I just like to tease them about it~

And, that's the big news from here as we wind down our summer and await the arrival of our
 "icing on the cake."