Value of $$$

Definitely my son! I can't figure out where I went wrong with him. Is it just a 'guy' thing? My daughter, when I take her shopping, goes directly to the clearance racks like radar. She is great about finding a deal. Just recently she went to Walmart to get some scrubs for work (I'll go into that in a bit) and found a pair of pants with just a smudge of dirt on them and got them for 10% off. She is definitely moms girl. On the other hand, I send my son to the store for OJ and a dozen eggs. Eggs were on sale for $0.89 a dozen (Store brand). I didn't specify that those were the eggs I wanted, didn't think I needed to. He comes back with a dozen Egglands Best eggs at $2.55 a dozen! I don't care that they are from vegetarian fed hens and that they are delivered with in 48 hours of being layed, and that they are kosher, and individually certified and stamped. I am NOT going to pay $.21 an egg! He owes me! I can't believe he didn't even buy the store brand, even if they weren't on sale. I need to give this child a lesson in the value of a dollar. Actually, once he's out on his own, I think he'll learn it fairly quickly.

Now back to my daughter. She finished up her dental aide class and is now working OJT at the dentists office. She is absolutely thrilled and loving it! The dentist seems to be quite impressed with her and is already letting her assist on her own during procedures. They have also talked with her about working part time over the summer. I am so very proud of her! She is growing up too quickly!

Till next time....SMILE and be happy!

Pickin' Wildshrooms

As most of you know, I am a southern girl. I love the south dearly and miss it, but I have tried to make the most out of living up here in the north. I really don't mind the snow (just wish winter didn't last so long!), I have witnessed some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets of my life up here. I have enjoyed living out in the country and small town living. Well, I have found another plus to add to my list......mushrooms! I have never been mushroom hunting and I got a chance to do it for a little bit this past weekend. We went out to a friends property and he brought us out and showed us what morels look like. I now know what a black and white morel look like and how to pick them. But honestly those little buggars are hard to see until you get an eye for them. We didn't find very many. Apparently it is just a bit early in the season and it was a bit dry. I would love to go back out and hunt for more. I cooked up the ones we did get this morning. They were awsome! I am going to have to find a closer place to look for them around here. I just hope I don't pick anything that is going to kill me! I'll have my hubby try them first....lol!

Insert Foot Here

Well, I went and did it this time. It's something I've wanted to do for quite a while, but now I'm afraid I'm going to regret it. As most of you know, I am a golfer (if thats what you want to call it) and I golf on a womans league. I've done this for 3 years now. Once a month we have a meeting and eat something. We take turns bringing different dishes. At the beginning of these meetings I have always felt something was missing. Maybe it's my upbringing, or going to church meetings, but I always felt a prayer would be a good way to start before we ate. We have so much to be thankful for - our health that we are able to go out and golf, good friends, good food etc... Well, when the part of the meeting came up for 'new' business, I made a suggestion that we start this. A few people nodded their heads, a few encouraging remarks were heard, so the president asked if I wanted to make it a motion. I said yes, she called for 'all in agreement raise your hands', hands went up, "any objections?" no one said anything, someone 2nd it and now it will be a part of our meetings. Oh, my regret? I forgot to mention this slight detail....before it was finalized, it was a part of the agreement that I be the one to lead everyone in prayer. Agh! I am not good at leading prayer. I know a few people who are very blessed with the ability to do this, my sister especially, but not me. Wish me luck.

Speaking of prayer, I'm not sure if this was her intent, but the video playing is very similar to a prayer written by Mother Teresa. You can read it here.

The picture above is hanging over my mantle. It was painted by my daughter.

Spring Nights

My favorite time of year is finally here. When it is warm enough in the evening to sit out by a nice fire. It was a little breezy but still nice. Upper 60's and clear skies. There's nothing I love more than sitting around a campfire (well, almost nothing).

I also got out on the golf course for the first time this year. My womens league starts this Wed morning and I didn't want to get out to the first tee without having played at all this year. I didn't do that well, but I didn't do as poorly as I thought I would. My partner and I came in 2nd last year, we have a good shot at coming in 1st this year. But who's counting, it's getting out there and having a good time, right? (Who am I fooling, I'm as competitive as they come...lol) I also worked for a few hours at the club house so my boss could get some mowing done. Looking forward to a great summer!

You'll always be my little boy

Hi everyone. I haven't forgotten about you but it's just been a fairly quiet week. Nothing really going on. I had off two days in a row and wouldn't you know it rained both days. Bummer! Weather is slowly improving though. This weekend is supposed to be beautiful! I have Sunday off so maybe I can get in a round of golf.

An opportunity has presented itself to my son. He is 18 and graduating this year. At least I'm crossing my fingers that he does. It will be by the skin of his chinny chin chin. School has never been his strong suit. He was doing well in the private school I had him in down south, so I know he's capable of doing better, but after the move up here and going back into the public school system, his motivation went sliding down. Anyway.....His Grandmother (Karls mom) lives out in upstate NY and works part time at the prison. She and my husband both know the head guy for security there and he has offered Zach a job if he wants it. He would live with his Grandmother to start with and he would be starting at approx $28,000 a year. After taking a 6-8 week training course it would go up to $32,000. Benefits included. He would actually be working for the state, so benefits are good. It's actually a great opportunity and he is considering it. I know he hates the thought of leaving his friends, but he'd make new friends out there. And of course mom hates the thought of her first born leaving the nest, especially so far away, but I think it would be good for him. And he could even look into taking some college classes at the local community college if he wants. Keep him in your prayers that he makes the right decision. Thanks!

Blue ribbon and Git-R-Done

First I have to start by bragging on my daughter. She is going to Vo Tech taking dental assisting. An organization that they are a part of is called HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America). Apparently they have a competition every year with many different events that you can sign up for. Some are directly related to your field, others just general health occupational knowledge. Brit entered in the event for drawing a poster related to the topic they picked for this year, which is Helping Hands, Healing Hearts. She designed a logo for that topic and when she arrived at competition they add another part to the theme which you have to incorporate into your drawing. Anyway, that was a few weeks ago and she won 2nd and also placed for terminology. This advanced her to State, which was this past week. And guess who placed first? You got it! I am so proud of her. She also placed for terminology again. This means she is going to Nationals in Orlando, FL, but she can only compete in one event, so she is going to stick with the poster. She has a God given talent when it comes to art.

Now, can you possibly guess the reasoning for the second part of my title? If not, you've been hiding under a rock. Just kidding, but my son and I went to see Larry the Cable Guy last night. I won tickets from a local radio station. We had a really good time. Some of his humor is a bit crude, but he IS funny! He is also my kind of person when it comes to telling it like it is. No political correctness here.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. Euchre tonight, so let me run. Later y'all!!

Triple Tag

I was tagged by Ches. Yea, she loves me. Well let me get this over with tonight because I have something else I want to write about tomorrow morning....


Three Things That Scare Me
1. Anything that would harm my children
2. Driving in a snow storm
3. Getting tagged with these silly memes

Three People Who Make Me Laugh
1. Ellen Degeneres
2. Doug - Especially his stories about he and Skunky! Check him out!
3. Chesney Girl!

Three Things I Love
1. My family
2. My blog peeps
3. Music

Three Things I Hate
1. Idiot drivers
2. Foul language
3. Wind, especially in Winter

Three Things I Don’t Understand
1. politics
2. how people enjoy watching wrestling
3. how some people get their drivers license

Three Things On My Desk
1. my computer
2. small statue of Mother Mary w/Baby Jesus
3. Coke bottle from 1980 from the GA Bulldog National Championship!

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die
1. Make other people happy
2. visit Germany
3. travel in an RV

Three Things I Can Do
1. Water ski on one ski
2. cook
3. tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue

Three Things I Can’t Do
1. sing
2. grow plants
3. function without coffee in the morning

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1. Your heart
2. Your mom (even if it's the memory of her)
3. nature

Three Things You Should Never Listen To
1. A phone call that starts...."Good evening Mr. /Mrs. X, how are you doing this evening?"
2. Any CD with parental advisory on the cover
3. Gossip

Three Things I’d Like To Learn:
1. to speak German fluently
2. more about computers
3.

Three Favorite Foods:
1. Seafood
2. Mexican
3. Cajun

Three Things I Regret
1. Not sticking with golf when I was a teenager
2. Not being able to put down more things for the previous topic (favorite foods)
3.

Three People I’m Tagging to do this Meme:
1. Libby ~ I know her answers would be a hoot!
2. Pirate ~ Everyone wants to know how a pirate would answer these!
3. Susie ~ Only because I don't have a whole lot of regular readers and she's one of them, but maybe not after this! lol

My apologies

I just realized tonight that my blog layout has not been quite right. Well, at least maybe not for you. For those of you using IE, my side bar was chopped off to the bottom of the screen. I never realized that until tonight. See, I have started using Firefox Mozilla and the layout of the two different browsers can sometimes be a bit different. I was visiting my neighbor this evening and was telling her about my blog. We went and pulled it up on her computer and she uses IE. That's when I noticed it. I have it corrected, kinda sorta, but I'm sure it will happen again. If you ever find that it is a bit messed up please don't hesitate to let me know.

I have to say though that I am going to stay with Mozilla. I absolutely LOVE it! My computer is running so much better and quicker. It takes a little getting used to but it is fairly similar to IE. I recommend you at least try it. You can find the download here - http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

May God Bless Them

I wanted to share a little something from my daily prayer book. It could not be more appropriate after what happened at Virginia Tech yesterday. This is actually from yesterdays readings ~

There is a unique remedy for the ills of todays society. It consists in returning to Christian living and clinging to Christian institutions.
~ Pope Leo XIII

Finally done

I recently decorated my upstairs bath. This is something I have been wanting to do since we have moved in here. I even had the knobs to put on the cabinets for over a year, but never got around to it. I finally painted it and put up all my shell decor. The only part I still have to do is the flooring and some sort of a window dressing. There is carpet in there which I really hate. I just don't like water dripping on carpet. I eventually hope to put in ceramic tile. But that is a project for another day. When I have the $$$. There is also a shower stall behind me that I want to re-calk.

(click on images for a closer look)

The Cup is Half Full

I like to think of myself as an optimist. Looking at the glass half full instead of half empty. So, keeping this in mind, I thought of a few reasons to enjoy this 'extended' Winter. As you know I love soup in cold weather, so this has extended my soup season. I haven't lost the weight I need to to look decent in a bikini, or any of my Summer clothes, so I have a little more time to get ready for that. I don't have to keep my legs shaved. Yes, I do shave them through the Winter, but just not as often. In Summer, with wearing shorts and mini skirts and what not, they need to be shaved much more often! Blazing fires in the fireplace. I know you can do that any time of the year, but it is much more appreciated in the cold weather.

Now it's your turn - You can each think of at least one reason to enjoy this cold weather. Come on, I know you can do it! Makes this weather a little more bearable. *SMILE*

Mother Nature has gone berserk

Ok, I think this is a first....A green Christmas and a white Easter. What is wrong with this picture?!?! I'm up north but I know it has been cold far South also. I am SO ready for warm weather! Sorry for the complaining, but this really has gotten out of hand. I can't change it so at least let me b*tch about it. Thanks for listening to my ranting. Think SUN. Click your heels together...There's no place like warm weather, there's no place like warm weather, there's no place like warm weather..................
....................
.............
.........
.....
Is it warm yet?

Happy Easter

He was crucified and buried,
But today the whole world knows
The Resurrection story
Of how Jesus Christ arose.

Some may question it and doubt it,
But they can't explain or say
Why, after countless centuries,
Men still follow Christ today.

And they miss the peace and comfort
That the Easter story brings,
The promise of eternal life
And the hope for better things.

For just to know the Savior died
To redeem and save all men,
And that because He gave His life,
We, too, shall live again,
Makes all this world's uncertainties,
Its burdens, care, and strife
Seem meaningless when they're compared
To God's eternal life.

And Easter, as it comes each year
To awake the sleeping earth,
Assures mankind that Jesus Christ
Has promised us rebirth.

~ Helen Steiner Rice ~

All Dogs Go To Heaven

At least that's where I like to think my Sophie is now. I came home from work today to have my husband tell me that my dog had died. She was my baby. I found her when she was about a year or two old. She was a Rhodesian Ridgeback. The most loyal dog I have ever had. Stuck by my side all the time. There was no mistaking that she was MY dog. She was about 8. I'm not sure what she died of. She appeared to be healthy, but something caused internal hemeraging I think. I just would have liked to have had her around a little longer. I feel guilty that I didn't spend more time with her. She and my Doby were like brother and sister. They played together all the time. I know he is going to miss her. I wish I had gotten more pictures.

Goodbye my Sophie.....I'm going to miss you.

Get Happy!

I watched a cute movie tonight. It was Happy Feet. A bunch of dancing and singing penguins. Sounds silly I know, but I really enjoyed it. I also rented Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith. I'll watch it tomorrow or this weekend.

I recently decorated my bathroom and I wanted to post some pics, but I can't find the cord that connects my camera to the computer. I have NO idea what happened to it. I am not a happy camper. My kids did something with it. I'm going to have to figure out how to get another one. I'll post about it in the next day or so. So...until then....Don't worry, be HAPPY!

Achieving Calmness

Calmness in our lives ~

I am passing this on to you because I’m told it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished." So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how good I feel.




Thanks to my sister for sharing this with me

Kinda Fun and interesting

Okay, I'm doing this because Libby tagged me. (ok, so she tagged everyone else too, but I wanted to feel special) This is what you do....go to Wikipedia and enter your month and day you were born (mine is may 23) and then hit search and see what comes up. List 3 events, 2 important (or interesting) births, 1 death and 1 holiday or observance. Here is my list:

Events:
1555 - Paul IV becomes Pope.
1934 - American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed by police and killed in Black Lake, Louisiana.
1969 - Rock band The Who release Tommy, the first rock opera.

Births:
1910 - Artie Shaw, American clarinetist and bandleader (d. 2004)
1958 - Drew Carey, American actor and comedian

Deaths:
1701 - Captain Kidd, Scottish pirate (b. 1645)

Holiday/Observance:
World Turtle Day


Now it's your turn. Even if you don't want to post it, it's kinda neat to go take a look. And I expect everyone to celebrate World Turtle Day with me!

Blessed Palm Sunday

I was really bummed that I wasn't going to be able to make it to church this weekend. I had to work yesterday till 7, so that meant I couldn't go to the Sat mass, and then today my manager had scheduled a mandatory meeting for my department at 8:30 a.m. Our store doesn't open till 10 on Sundays so I am always able to make the 8:00 mass. Because of this meeting, and I was scheduled to start work at 10:30, it appeared I was not going to be able to make mass. And here it is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week! I was really bummed, but I missed the last meeting because of church and I was afraid if I missed this one I might be in danger of losing my job. Well, as it turns out, there is a Catholic church just down the road from where I work and they were having a mass at 10. Our meeting let out at 9:45 and I asked if I might be excused from work for 1 hour for church and she had no problem with that, so I was able to make it after all. Started my day off wonderful! Things work out.

I hope everyone else had as blessed a day.

Out of hibernation

Well, I figured I'd better post and let everyone know I'm still alive and well. A lot and not much has gone on since I last posted. (Is that an oxymoron or what??) Medically I have been through a lot but all with good results. Had my 5 yr MRI ck-up for my tumor and that showed all clear, but they saw something else on my pharynx that they wanted me to have checked out by a specialist. I went and had that done and after my appt with him, he was not concerned with that but found a lump on my thyroid. So I had to go have an ultrasound done for that, a biopsy and bloodwork. Ultrasound and biopsy results show negative for any cancer, but I do have an underactive thyroid, so I am now on medication for that. No big deal. Had my mamagram, that came back good. So all in all I'll live for another year or so, God willing.
Still have a personal issue going on here at home. Not quite sure how that is going to turn out. That is what has kept me away. Not that the computer has anything to do with it, but my mind has just been preoccupied. Also had some computer problems that I think I finally have taken care of. I have reformatted my hard drive twice in the last couple months. I am now using Firefox browser and it is proving to be MUCH better than Internet Explorer. I also am using my IP's security program. So hopefully those two things will keep my computer running smoothly.
The end of the winter season is not my favorite time of year. By the time Feb rolls around, if there is no good snow, then I am ready for Spring. Cold, wet, windy. Time for me to go into hibernation. The sun is finally starting to shine and temps are getting above 60. Actually it got into the 80's for a day or two, but rains came and that didn't last. But nice weather is right around the corner and guess what that means?? GOLF!! Yea! I can't wait.
I am looking into going back to school. I took a placement test and have an appt with a counselor next week. I am looking at getting a degree and certification as an ultrasound technician. Not sure if I have the qualifications and exactly all it is going to take, but I'm taking the first steps.

Well, that's a quick update on me. Hope everyone is doing well. I will slowing make it around to check in with each of you. I'm sure it will be a while before many of you make it around here, but I hope to hear from y'all soon. Take care!!!

Happy New Year

I couldn't let today go by without wishing each and everyone of you a happy and healthy New Year! I will try to get around and wish you each personally. My work schedule seems to be letting up with the holidays over and hunting season gone. We are at our slow time of the year so my hours will be cut and I will have a little extra time. This new blogger is driving me nuts! I have tried posting to a number of your sites but then I get switched to the "new" blogger and lose my whole post! Then I get frustrated and quit, thinking I will come back later. I'm sure I'll get the hang of this sooner or later. Any suggestions?

This past year has been quite a year for me. As many of you have probably surmised, I have had a lot going on that I have not shared here, and I thank you for keeping me in your prayers. This year is starting with a lot of uncertainty. I am trying to put it in God's hands and pray that 'His will be done'. That is just so hard to know sometimes.

My Christmas was blessed. I was in a warm home, opening love filled gifts with my family. Food for the table and a beautiful lit tree. A lot more than many had this year. I know of a young boy (23) I work with who was in a coma in critical condition due to a car accident a day before Christmas. He continues to remain unconcious. I pray for him and his family.

New Years Eve I spent with neighbors playing cards and eating WAY too much! This whole holiday season I have eaten too much! But enjoyed every minute of it ;)

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and start the New Year with joy in your heart!