Yes, a Christmas post before a Thanksgiving post.
I'm just a lil rebel like that, ya know. :) Most kids today have an abundance of toys and when Christmas time rolls around, you're racking your brains trying to decide on WHAT you can possibly get them, that they don't already HAVE. Don't get me wrong, toys are wonderful and all kids need'em and deserve'em. But I remember what my son's room used to look like when he was little STILL does come to think of it. Toys were everywhere! He had toys in a huge walk-in closet that was literally piled high with toys and that's not counting what was in the toy box, on the shelves and of course...on the floor and stuffed under the bed. People would ask what they could get him for a birthday or Christmas gift and I'd just look at them helplessly because honestly, he didn't NEED anything and certainly didn't have the room. Each year, before Christmas, we'd go through his room and have a "purge session"...getting rid of all the broken toys, the toys that he never played with anymore, JUST to make room for the new toys that would soon be flooding his room again. But kids DO love to get toys, so if you have an amazing idea of what to get YOUR child, grandchild, niece..nephew..etc..then that's GREAT. They will definitely love it of course. But here are a few ideas if you're looking for something different to do this year and I think they'll still enjoy their "gift" just as much. The good thing about a lot of these ideas is that they require "FAMILY TIME" together, which we all need more of and I think the child will appreciate it, even if they may not REALIZE it. I'm sure there are a few parents who would appreciate the fact that they have a few less toys to have to clean up! :) I was actually reading an article this morning and seen these ideas and HAD to share them. These ideas were so cool for kids...there were even a few that would work great for adults too! Some of these ideas would be expensive but, I'm assuming that most people aren't as BROKE as I am and could possibly afford them, I sure hope so cuz I think the kids would love these ideas! FUN ACTIVITIES...SEASONAL PASSES OR TICKETS: Amusement park Zoo Trip to the museum A movie A concert Family bowling night of fun An upcoming sporting event Ice skating, roller skating Kits for the child to build or make: Craft kits ( for the "future Martha Stewarts" of the world) Model airplanes and ships (for the "future engineers") Science kits ( for the lil' Einsteins) Journal ( for that budding "writer" ) Art supplies ( for the artists) I never learned how to swim, so maybe YOUR recipient would enjoy lessons for something that's tailored just for THEM, such as: Swimming lessons karate horseback riding gymnastics (if you choose something like the swimming lessons, maybe buy a pair of goggles to wrap up so they'll have something to unwrap to make it even MORE exciting.) and last, of course, there are: Books DVD's Cd's and a PIGGY BANK...to help teach them how to SAVE their money. The holiday seasons are a'coming and if you're like me, the worst part is trying to figure out WHAT to get for the kids you have to buy for. I hope this helps a little or maybe gives you a great idea of something else entirely to get the child on your list. Thanks for stopping by! Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ Have you ever just sat down and wondered whatever happened to someone from your childhood or past? Someone who, unknowingly, made an impact on your life, even it was just in some small way?
I read something early this morning that had ME reflecting on the people in my past, wondering where they were, what they were doing and then wondering if they even remembered me at all. I wonder whatever happened to the girl named Cassaundra. For the life of me I can't remember her last name. We went to middle school together in the 7th grade at Burns Middle. We had a few classes together and became GOOD friends. My BEST friend (Sandy) and I had NO classes together at all because we were in different "departments"....Oh how I hated that year!! Cassaundra was truly a life~saver for me, simply because I was so shy and it was hard for me to talk to people and make new friends. I'm still trying to figure out which one of us struck up the conversation first because she was shy too. She was tall, with long, thick, dark hair. (I was so jealous!) And always seemed to have a tan. She talked a lot about her mom and dad. I think she had a brother named Robbie, but I probably have that part mixed up with someone else cuz I'm pretty sure my memory's not that good. Cassaundra hated her smile, cuz she had a little gap between her 2 front teeth but I thought it was adorable and she was one of those kids who didn't even have to study for a test, she already knew it. And then one day she came to school and told me she was moving away. When she left, I missed her so bad. I never seen her again, but I never forgot her (except her last name, I DID forgot that). I've always wondered what happened to her, where she's at. Is she married with kids now?? And if she even remembers the shy, blond~hair, blue~ eyed girl that sat beside her in English Class. I really don't think I want to know the answer to that question. I'd like to think that she would. And then I wonder whatever happened to Charlie Ambs?? We rode the school bus together. He was quite a bit older than I was. Charlie kept pretty much to himself. He was always writing or drawing. He could draw some of the prettiest and coolest things! Unbelievably talented! My brother and I were one of the last kids that got picked up on the bus route and by then, the bus was always so crowded. Couldn't hardly find a seat and quite a few times, I'd have to stand up all the way to school. If there was a seat available with only 1 or 2 people sitting in it and I asked if I could sit down, most times I knew the answer even before they said it. Why is rejection and the word no, such a soul~shattering thing? It's not that the kids were being mean but 3 people in a seat was way too crowded and uncomfortable, so I DO understand why they said no. But one day, I got on the bus and Charlie had his books laying in the seat, which "back in the day" usually meant that the seat was "saved" for someone. When I got on the bus and walked down the isle to try to find a seat, he picked up his books and said, "You can sit by me." He will never KNOW just how much that one simple gesture meant to me. I'm crying now even as I'm remembering it. After that, we became good friends. He was just so kind and goodhearted and often misunderstood in many ways, I think. One day, someone teased us cuz we were always sitting together (it was NOT that kind of friendship) and the next day when I got on the bus, he didn't save a seat for me. But I understood though. After a few days, he let me sit with him again. I still remember how much I missed talking to him. It felt like an eternity and I felt like I had lost my best friend. I'd like to think that he missed me too. He and I both shared a love for music. He's the one that introduced me to those magazines that had all the popular songs and the WORDS to those songs in them. (Do they even make those anymore??) Charlie knew I had a hearing problem and I had told him that even though I loved a song, that most times I couldn't understand the words in the songs because I couldn't hear them well enough. The next day, he gave me all of his old song magazines. I treasured them and at night, I lay in bed reading all the words to all the songs I loved... I kept those magazine for years. We both loved poetry and I was like a girl dying of thirst whenever he'd give me the newest poems that he had written. A person could get lost in his world of words and never want to come back. He was such a gifted and talented writer. I always kinda figured he would've been a songwriter or a famous author. I'd give anything if I had his old poems to read again now. But then he graduated....Did he remember me after he graduated? Did he ever miss me?? Did he ever make it as the songwriter that he was aspiring to be? He gave me so much. Much more than just magazines and saving me a seat on the bus. From him, I learned that friendship was worth "fighting" for, worth holding onto, no matter what other people thought. He was the first person that built up my confidence a little, to think that someone could be interested in what I had to say, and truly LISTEN. He gave so much and never even knew it and I can't help but wonder if I gave anything ??? Hubby woke up as I was writing this blog and I went in the kitchen to have my morning coffee with him. I told him what I was writing about and I bet we sat at the table talking for an hour about old friends...where they were now and the impact they made in our lives and as I type, he's now looking up old friends on Facebook to see if he can find out what happened to HIS friends. :) Thanks for stopping by and listening to me ramble. Be good and be pretty and as always..... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I was doing my usual browsing around on Facebook ( I don't call it being nosy) and seen this on a friend's wall and thought it was cool. It was called, "25 Random things about me." So I had to come up with one for myself. The only problem with mine is, I'm an open~book, so most people already know my "randoms." But it gave me something to write about..so here they are. :) 25 Random Things About me: 1. I have a deep~rooted, Baptist upbringing... although I don't go to church like I "should". I love the Lord and nothing could ever sway me from that. 2. As with most people, my family is my life. 3. I have a phobia of cotton balls...just the FEEL of it. eckkk!! I'll go out of my way NOT to touch them. 4. I have 3 "besties", each one totally different and unique and can't imagine my life without them. 5. I am an animal lover...except snakes and frogs but I respect their usefulness in the world. Although I wasn't feelin' too much respect for the snake we found under our couch a few years ago. 6. My fave foods are pizza and potato chips...yummy! 7. Hate anything that's good for me, broccoli, brussel sprouts, peas, asparagus... the list is just way too long to continue. 8. I'm a tad bit OCD...not a lot but it IS there. I hate stuff on the sinks in the bathroom. Guest towels have to be so~so and plate mats are the death of me because they get moved off their "mark" and I'm constantly straightening them up, which is why I finally threw'em away...life is much simpler without plate mats! 9. I never go bare~footed, I keep my shoes on until I go to bed. It never fails, if I don't have my shoes on...I'm gonna stump a toe, EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. 10. Hate violence of any kind but unfortunately sometimes it's needed?? 11. In home decor, I love vintage, rusty stuff but also love the ultra~modern sleek look..love it all, so I'm not TOO picky. 12. LOVE to read anything I can get my hands on...love to learn. 13. my FAVE reads are Harlequin books with cowboys and ranchers...sighhhhhhhhhhh 14. I hate clutter (I've gotten better at TRYING to keep things clean, as I get older) which is why I hate my bedroom full of Christmas decorations. 15. I hate being touched on the face...so don't EVEN think~about~it!! 16. I like having things organized but not all things ARE organized...I keep Hubby's sock and underwear drawers and t~shirt drawers, all neat and organized, all items folded a certain way...but mine?? I just cram'em in there however they'll fit and get my daily exercise from trying to get the over~crowded drawers to shut. 17. Love karaoke and find it quite funny that some days I think I could rival any country star but most days it's more like Tiny Tim. 18. love photography...whether it's taking pics or looking at other people's photos 19. I have a strong dislike for cooking. I get so tired of that dang smoke alarm! Which is why I'm so thankful Hubby loves to cook. (just wish Pizza on the menu more often) 20. I am a list~maker...I'm one of those people who have a list of their lists and a desk full of notebooks for all those lists :) 21. I save all those lil bread ties that come from a loaf of bread. I know it's crazy but I really DO use'em, especially at Christmas time when I need wire for my decorations, like wreaths and stuff. I keep them in a lil soup can that I decorated with scrap~book paper, it sits on my bookshelf. Oh and same for those plastic bags you bring home your groceries in from Walmart. I have a bag....of...u know..bags. 22. My heroes are/were..my grandparents, my mom, my brother, Princess Di, Mother Theresa, my ex~in laws...this list could go on forever. 23. Dislike being around racist or closed~minded people. However, I DO respect that everyone has their own opinions and beliefs. 24. I'd make a good diplomat...I can honestly see "both sides" of a story or situation. 25. And for my last bit of randomness, I wanted something that was so deep and profound that it could possibly change the world from the course that it's now on.... the toilet paper HAS to roll OVER the top of the roll...NOT under :) Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my "randoms" and silliness with ya! Woke up to a beautiful, foggy Tuesday morning here in Kentucky. Looks like it's gonna be another beautiful day! Hope your day is a good one! Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ My mom and I made some some of these a few years ago around Christmas and I thought they were so cute. She put them in her living room and they looked so pretty mingled in with all of her other Christmas decorations that I didn't have the heart to take mine home, so I left the 2 I had made and thought I'd get them next year. But when "next year" arrived, we couldn't find where she had stored them. She found them while cleaning out her garage a few days ago. A little dusty.... a few cobwebs...the artificial pine branches were a tad bit smashed but nothing a little "makeover" couldn't cure. So I brought them home and today I re~did one of them. It turned out ok I guess, not spectacular but good enough for me. :) I REALLY had my heart set on using white feathers for the angel wings but didn't have any and Hubby had told me, "you are NOT tearing up all the pillows in this house just to get FEATHERS" Men!! But he knows me so well though. Our pillows have "stuffing" and NOT feathers. It's a good thing I reckon or we'd be sleeping with no pillows tonight. A little sacrificing never hurt anyone, right??! The rustic~ look isn't everyone's taste of course but I LOVE it. For the Angel I made today, I used things I already had in my craft supplies. I'm saving my other spindle angel for when I can get some feathers. :) What I Used: 1) old wooden spindle chair leg for the angel's body... ( bracket still attached to help it stand up) 2) wooden heart cut~out... you can use anything you want, such as wire and I also love those cute swirly wooden decals they use on furniture, you can get them at Lowe's, Hobby Lobby or Home Depot) 3) strands of pearl beads 4) gold piping for the halo 5) gold twigs I found in the flower section at Hobby Lobby (not shown in the pic below but they're on the wings in the "after" pic. 6) glue gun 7) band~aid and burn cream from USING the glue gun! First I glued on the wooden heart as the "wings" and held it in place for a few minutes to make sure it was going to stay glued, then I started wrapping one side of the heart with the strand of pearls, hot gluing each "line" of pearls. ** helpful hint when using a hot glue gun, I use a pair of old scissors to guide the pearls into place to minimize touching the hot glue. And my Spindle Angel is complete!
Thanks for stopping by! Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ Hubby and I decided to take a walk down to the creek and I thought I'd take you with me...so, go put on your boots and grab a jacket and let's go! I was kind of surprised and a little disappointed that it didn't have very much water in it, considering all the rain we had a few days before. Hubby and I SURE it would be overflowing. Still beautiful to me though. I hope I didn't tire you out TOO much from our little walk this morning! Thanks for letting me share it with you!
Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I thought I'd share with you a family~fave cake recipe. It's a simple but delicious recipe called "Holy Cow" cake. A cousin made this a few years ago and it was such a big hit that it's often requested now as the "birthday cake" of choice whenever anyone in the family has a birthday. What you'll need: 1 chocolate cake mix 14 oz can of Eagle Brand milk 14 oz jar of caramel sauce 8 oz. container of Cool Whip / Whipped Topping 8 oz. bag of Heath milk chocolate toffee bits (you can also substitute the Heath toffee bits for a different "candy bar" option, such as Reese bits, Butterfingers, etc.) ** We made TWO cakes and divided the eagle brand milk, caramel and Heath bits between the 2 cakes. Directions: * Pre~heat oven according to the directions on the back of your cake mix box * Grease and flour a 9 x 13~inch pan * Make the chocolate cake mix according to the directions on the box. * When the cake is done, poke numerous holes in the cake using a fork or a straw. * Pour the Eagle Brand milk and the caramel over the warm cake and using a spatula, smooth the mixture into the holes. You can mix the 2 together or you can pour each separately. (We poured the milk and caramel onto the cake separately) * Allow the cake to cool 30 minutes to an hour. * After the cake has cooled, spread the Cool Whip over the cake. * Sprinkle the toffee bits over the Cool Whip... Yummy!! And now...enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by! Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I usually write my weekly "weigh~in" on Thursdays, but we had an unexpected death in the family. so the routine was shaken up a bit. The week has been a bad one. Both emotionally and "diet~wise". All I can say about this week is good riddance! It seems like every waking moment is consumed by FOOD. I'm either eating or thinking about eating or planning what I can eat, the next time I CAN eat. I don't want my days to be controlled by food. Wanna know what else is frustrating?? A day after my weigh~in last week, I stepped on the scales and and it was already 1 pound more than the day before. I really didn't think anything about it. But within a few days I had a THREE POUND GAIN and went into a deep panic mode. What was happening??!! To gain 3 pounds, I would have had to have eaten, what??..10,500 ADDITIONAL calories?! And that just did NOT happen. I was exercising more than I had been and I was definitely eating less than before. I just couldn't understand what was happening and why. Since I didn't have a great week last week, I thought maybe THIS week, would be a GOOD one. I just couldn't wait to see what I'd weigh at this week's weigh~in. Because honestly, I was hoping for a monthly goal of at least 10 pounds. It didn't happen. After going into panic mode with the 3 pound gain, I exercised MORE and I wrote down every single thing I ate. I'm allowing myself 1500 calories and only went over that 1500 calorie limit one time during this week. I ended up eating a lil over 1600 calories one day. Which I didn't think was TOO bad. (It was still less than I HAD been eating before the diet). I set my caloric intake at 1500 so I wouldn't feel like I was STARVING when I first started the diet. I know me, and a 1200 calorie a day, would NOT have worked. I would have been off that diet after the first week. For me, 1500 calories was more "manageable". A couple of weeks ago, I decided to add in a little light jogging to my "routine" and THEN ran across the "Couch to 5k" plan last week while searching online for tips for joggers and as a result of the jogging, my right knee has swollen so much that it made even walking difficult. The swelling would seem to go down during the day but then it would come back. So I eased up the on the jogging part of my routine. I think for me right now, it's just too much weight to be putting on the knee. I'm going to TRY to lose some more weight THEN add the jogging back into my exercise. I had to go the the doctor to renew my blood pressure meds, so while I was there I talked to her about my diet and exercise AND the weight gain I had for the week. She said the same thing basically about the 3 pounds, that there was probably no way I could have eaten 10,500 additional calories. When I told her about the walking and jogging, and the knee swelling up, she said the water retention within the knee and probably OTHER areas was the "probable" cause of the weight gain. A friend had actually told me the same thing, so Brenda, you know your stuff, girl!! :) My doctor had even mentioned the "Couch to 5k" plan before I did. She's also going to start the program after she gets clearance from HER doctor, because she had broken her foot last year. I thought it was kind of cool that she was going to be doing it too. Maybe she and I can compare notes at my next Dr. visit! :) It made me FEEL better....a little bit. But I was still disappointed...depressed...aggravated...disgusted...I think I covered them all. I was able to get SOME of those extra pounds off but not all of them. Lord knows I tried because I did NOT wanna have to come and tell y'all that I GAINED. So I weighed in and this was the final number...unfortunately. I gained 1.6 pounds.
However, as with anything in life, I'm going to try to look at the positive side of things and think about the GOOD changes I've noticed this month. Here are some of the benefits I've noticed: * I can climb stairs easier than I could a month ago. Before, my knees just would not bend and I'd have to hold on the the railing as I went up or down. But now it's like "LOOK MA!! NO HANDS!!" * When I started doing the floor exercises, after I was done, I'd have to literally grab onto the coffee table to help get me get up off the floor. (SO humiliating!) But now, I'm able to get up WITHOUT my old friend, the coffee table's, help. Now, I ain't saying I can just jump right up but I CAN slowly get up without the coffee table now. It may not seem like a big deal to someone else, but I tell ya, at my age and weight, it's HARD getting up off the floor! :) * When I started the exercises, I was doing 10 of each exercise. I do the basic stuff like leg lifts, sit~ups, push ups, jumping jacks, "butt tucks", stuff like that. The first time I did them, I thought I'd die before I was done! But now, depending on which exercise it is, I'm up to 25 and 50 on each exercise. I'm slowly able to DO more. * I've noticed a HUGE difference in how I feel when I'm out walking now. Again, I was SO out of shape (and still am) that when I first started the "serious" walking, I felt like my lungs would collapse. It's not a pleasant feeling, but it IS getting better. So, while I DID have a GAIN this week I can also see and recognize the benefits that are slowly coming about with all of this. I didn't hit my "goal" of 10 pounds for the month, but it's not the end of the world. Better days WILL be ahead! And THAT is my "Light at the end of the tunnel". That there will be better days ahead. My monthly weight loss total was only 6 pounds but over a month ago I would have given ANYTHING to be able to say, "I lost 6 lbs!!". I'm in between feeling happy that I've stuck with it this long but wishing I'd lost more. This blog helps me to WANT to stay on task with it. Even if no one else is reading it, the blog helps hold me accountable and I want to do better and it helps to remind me, in my darkest moments, what I wanted to achieve when I first set out on this "grand adventure". But even I know that I'm still not giving this diet that 100% that it deserves. I need to work on that. THAT will be my "project" this week! I was proud of the fact that I helped Ma make TWO "Holy Cow" cakes yesterday and I DID NOT eat a piece, even though she offered. I DID lick the Cool Whip spoon though and...no regrets! :) (I'll post the recipe mid~week sometime) Speaking of Ma, she lost 1 pound...YAY for Ma!! That put her monthly total at 5 pounds. It's like she and I were talking, if we just keep losing 3-5 pounds a month, we'll eventually get there. I hope YOUR week was a great one and if you've started a diet or fitness plan, I wish you the best of luck! Thanks for stopping by.... Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I was sitting at the kitchen table a few mornings ago, drinking coffee and glanced out the window and it seemed like overnight, the leaves had made such a transformation. There were just so many pops of brighter reds and yellows nestled in the trees now. I've been watching the changes for a few weeks now, but that morning Autumn was showing off her true colors. Here are just a few pics I took around the homestead that day, just trying to catch all the deeper shades of red that are out now. My absolute fave are the Dogwood trees. I LOVE the Dogwood trees in the Fall! OOhhhhh those lil red berries!! I like going out and getting huge "bouquets" of them and just filling a vase full of the branches and berries. They make the prettiest arrangement of "flowers"! The other leaves, I have no clue what they are...Ma keeps telling me the names of all this stuff (she even gave me a book but to me they all look the same after a while) but my brain just will not retain info at all. Although I think the red "viney"~ looking leaves in the 4th row of pics may be poison ivy or poison oak??..I stay away from'em anyway, just in case. :) My Hydrangeas have always bloomed around May or June. But this year, I didn't have one single bloom on either of my 3 plants. So I was very pleasantly surprised one morning when I got back home from spending a couple of days with Ma and I seen THIS!....(same flower but the pics were taken a few days apart until it reached full bloom) I also had a few more roses to bloom out again and thought I'd better enjoy'em while I can because they'll soon be gone. LOVE my roses. And of course, I saved one of my faves for last... a mushroom! To me, it looks like someone has taken a serge machine to the edges of the mushroom and hemmed around it to keep it from "raveling" out... :) I hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday and thank you for stopping by!
Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I was online looking for tips on walking, jogging and all that good stuff when I ran across this great site called "From Couch to 5k." ( http://www.fromcouchto5k.com/articles/training/the-couch-to-5k-training-plan/ ) It gives, in detail, exactly how many minutes for walking and jogging to help get your body ready for that 5k you may have been dreaming about. I know I HAVE! I'm going to start using this plan to help me reach the goals I've set for myself and I'm so excited! But I will admit that I'll probably have to set my own minutes for each week. It's sad to say but I seriously doubt that I can keep up to "The Plan's" schedule and they do encourage you to change it up a bit to suit YOU. But it's definitely a start and I can't wait! SO....today was weigh~in day and I was NOT looking forward to it. (Do I ever??) Our family had a get~together last Saturday and I think I ate way too much stuff I shouldn't have. But, I'd do it all over again because I seen some WONDERFUL and AMAZING family members I haven't seen in YEARS, so I regret nothing :) Also, I was completely shocked and absolutely thrilled when "M" (a family member) shared with me that SHE was also thinking about doing a marathon next year! It probably sounds silly but I was kind of relieved that I wasn't the only one with "the dream" to do a 5k. She's also had an incredible weight~loss of her own and was she was just such an inspiration for me. I gave me the hope that maybe I CAN do this. I'm still struggling with my addiction to soda. I'm beginning to think I always WILL. Sometimes I even think they need a place to "dry out" soda addicts like myself BUT when I think about it, I honestly would be, and all joking aside, I'd be just like the drug addicts who get "intervened" by family members on TV who try and get them help. OH the fit I would THROW and it wouldn't be pretty! It's sad to think that I've allowed something like soda, to have such control over me. I'm trying to do better, it's a work~in~progress with me and that soda of mine. I'm still struggling with that Hubby of mine cooking up ALL this DELICIOUS stuff...gawww he's gonna be the death of me yet....If I don't wring HIS neck first. Take for instance last night, I hear him banging and clanging pots in the kitchen and immediately of course, I know he's at it again. Soooo..what does he make?? Donuts....and not just a FEW donuts either, but 2 1/2 cookie sheets FULL of BIG donuts!! Oh the pangs of a dieter!! Did I mention they were delicious??? Anyway, I weighed this morning and............ I lost 1 . 4 pounds...I'll take it :)
Those donuts didn't help any but THAT week is over and I'm starting a new one that will include the "Couch to 5k" plan. It starts tomorrow! Super excited! I hope YOUR week was a good one! Thanks for stopping by... Be good and be pretty and as always, ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I have done horrible on my diet this week. I have no idea what happened or why but I slacked big time. I always seem to do this when I start a diet. I'll do really good for maybe a couple of weeks and then...POOF, all the motivation I had in the beginning seems to taper off. I did however, start "running" in the early mornings a couple of days ago. If you can even call it running. I was so hoping no one was hiding in the woods near our long, rutted, half~graveled driveway with a video cam, ready to share it on YOUTUBE with the whole world. But hey, I gotta start somewhere, right?! Speaking of that driveway of ours. It's gonna be the death of me yet, I just know it. We're talking deep ruts here. The "break a leg" type of ruts...you could probably see the lights from China down there if you looked hard enough. And before I got started, I TOLD those 2 hounds of mine to stay out of my way when I started my running/walking. They were lagging behind, on the hunt for a frog no doubt, when all of a sudden they decided to catch up with me....at a dead run, as always and then right as they get along side of me, it happened... OOooommphhhh! POW!! #$%^#!!! Completely broadsided by those 2 running hyenas as they decided to cross over in front of me. Dang dogs..but I love 'em anyway. I THINK. While I'm disappointed that I'm probably not going to see any weight loss this week, I'm SO glad I started with the "running" again. I've ALWAYS loved running. I always loved gym class in elementary school when our gym teacher would have us all to "race" and then when I got to high school and seen the track behind the school, I was in heaven. When I was older, before I got married, I lived with my grandparents for a while and where they lived, it was on a nice, quiet country road, where everyone knows EVERYONE, so I'd get up in the mornings and just run. It's kind of like a sense of "freedom". Oh to be that young again! I loved the feeling it gave me and I want to get that back. But before I can, I have to get rid of these extra pounds and if I have TOO many more weeks like this one....I'm in trouble. But I will admit that "mother nature" set me back a bit this week. All the food cravings I get, and too often give in to...the "pain" and then not walking at all for ANY type of exercise and just having that total blahhhh feeling we women get. But still, other women do it, so surely I can too. I mentioned in a previous post that I've always wanted to run a marathon. So, I was very pleasantly surprised when my ex~daughter~in~law said that she would be my "marathon buddy"....YAY!!! We've tentatively scheduled it for next spring. We're looking at running schedules to see what is out there. I just know that I want it to be in the spring...I'm such a wuss, I don't want my first 5K to be in the dead heat of summer! So a couple of days ago, I was in need of some serious motivation again and I found this photo on Facebook of a little boy...and I cried when I seen it. It was just what I needed. I told myself when I started this blog that I wasn't going to post any photos that weren't mine because of all the copyrights out there...but I HAVE to show this one. This little guy was my angel that day when I seen him. After I seen it, I got up, did my stretches and warm~ups... and I ran. Well ...walk...run...walk...gasp...walk ...run a little more...gasp...then crawled the rest of the way back home. You get the picture I'm sure. The photo below is NOT mine...just one I found on Facebook and wanted to share with all of you. He's my inspiration and my motivation and I hope he becomes YOURS too....God bless him! None of my excuses could ever equal the ones this little boy COULD have used...but didn't.
My weigh~in is only 2 more days away and I already know it's not going to be good. And I accept that. But like this little boy, I won't give up just because I had a "bad week"...I have some dreams I want to see happen and I'm not ready to give up on them .....again. I hope your week was a LOT better than mine was! Thanks for stopping by! Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I sure wish losing weight was as easy as it was to put it on in the first place. I want to fast~forward to a year from now and see what the results are going to look like or if there are any results! I hate waiting...always have. I want instant gratification, to be able to skip all the hard work it takes to arrive at my destination, so I can see the end results! Along with healthier eating choices, patience is exactly what this journey is going to teach me! To be patient with the amount of time this is going to take. It's also kind of ironic that patience is one of the things I pray for daily. I just can't help but feel that I was meant to take this journey for many reasons. MY GOALS: I have a lot of goals I want to reach and I know that as I move along farther into this, those goals will probably change and shift a little. But for right now, my goals are: 1. Get healthy 2. Lose weight 3. Learn patience 4. learn to accept myself 5. run a marathon 6. goal weight of 130-150 lbs (probably NEEDS to be lower but I'll take that!) #4 and #5 will be the hardest of all for me. Number 4 being one of the hardest, for the simple reason it seems there is always something I'm wishing I was...I wish I was healthy, I wish I was thinner, I wish I was an outgoing person, I wish I could hear better, I wish I was comfortable being around people....the list goes on and on. I need to try to learn to accept what I AM. Some things maybe I can change but a lot of things, I know aren't possible to change. I need to remember that a number on the scale does NOT measure a person's self~worth. Number 5 is going to be another hard one because at the weight and "health level" I'm currently at, I just can't imagine running a marathon. I've always enjoyed running, loved the feeling it gave me and I'd like to get that "feeling" back. But first, I need to be able to walk a little distance without getting out of breath . To be able to go up and down a flight of stairs without my lungs feeling like they're going to explode. But one day, I will get healthier, I will climb stairs without being out of breath...and I WILL run a marathon. MY "WEEK 2" RESULTS: I weighed in this morning for my 2nd week results of this "journey"...... I weighed 188.4 lbs..... I lost 2.8 lbs. Of course I wanted and hoped for more but honestly, if I had lost 10 lbs this week, I'd still wish I had lost 11! I have to learn to be happy with the results I get, well, maybe happy is too strong of a word, ACCEPT may be a better word. To take it and learn from it and do better for the next week. SO, I'll take those 2.8 lbs. gladly and move on! What could I have done better this week: Drink more water! For some reason, I slacked off on the water, I don't know why, not sure if it was because of the "menopausal stuff" going on or what...but really no excuses, I just didn't drink as much as I should have, which means I drank a few more sodas than I should have. Next week will definitely be better! My total weight loss: This brings my total weight loss for 2 weeks to a grand total of 5.8 lbs. I'm ready to start working on my next week's results! I just wish I could just get Hubby to quit cooking all this YUMMY foods I don't need. He made a DELICIOUS pear cobbler this week, but I did good, only had about 3 bites and stopped at that. I'm going to start writing down everything I eat. You'd think I would have already been doing this..but noooooo. Anyway, a "food journal" will help me I think. I'd post what I write in it but I still eat wayyyyyy to unhealthy to be sharing all my bad habits with others! But hopefully the food journal will make me more accountable for what I eat, when I eat and WHY I ate it in the first place (if it's a bad food choice). I've also found that having 2 dogs while dieting seems to help a little bit too cuz no matter what I'm eating, they always want some too...so split 3 ways, that ain't a bad deal ...well, except for chips or pizza, I'm greedy with those, so they ain't getting any of that! Hubby lost 4 lbs. Which is beyond me because he ate what was left of the pear cobbler. HOW can men eat what they want almost and still lose weight. MEN!!...but seriously though, he did good and I'm proud of him and hope he keeps losing!
Ma had her weigh~in today too. She didn't lose anything this week BUT she didn't gain anything either which is wonderful! She struggles more with eating out and Mondays are hard for her because that's when she and my aunt have their "girl's night", which is when my aunt stays all night with her. Ma enjoys that time with sister and to have to worry about WHAT she can eat does kind of put a damper on things and I can totally understand that. All in all I think we had a pretty good week. I'm anxious to see what this new week is going bring..and dreading to see what Hubby is gonna cook up next..dang his hide! If you're going through your own journey with weight loss, I hope the week was good to you! Don't beat yourself up if you didn't get the results you were hoping for, there's always next week! The main thing is to pick yourself up and move on. If you know you NEED to make some changes, when the time is right, your body will let you know. Mine was screaming at me that it was TIME to do something...now. Wish me luck for next week. I'll probably need it :) Let me know how you did on YOUR weight loss this week or if you have your own success story, I'd love to hear it. We all need a little inspiration in our life. Thanks for stopping by! Be good and be pretty and as always......... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ Being an agoraphobic, I rarely "get out" anymore and join in with the rest of the world. But a few months back, I received the annual invitation to an "end of summer" BBQ. I tucked away the invitation in my mind, honored but knowing in my heart that I'd probably do the same as in the previous years and not attend. I WANTED to go, but I just couldn't "make" myself go. Friday rolls around and I FINALLY told Hubby about the BBQ and that we MIGHT go. Of course he was skeptical. He of all people, knows me only too well. However, he went ahead and made a dish to take, just in case. Since starting this blog, from the very beginning, I got the feeling that this little blog of mine, silly though it may seem to others, would help me in a lot of ways. I'm not a "people" person, I'm not one where the conversation can just flow freely from me. When I'm talking with someone, the thoughts running through my mind are in the nature of " they must think I"m so stupid" or they wish they were anywhere but talking with ME. Writing this blogs MAKES me want to get out and take pics, see people, so I can get ideas on things to write about. I enjoy it. With writing, I can express how I feel. I can say what I want without worrying about how I sound to the other person or deal with the feelings of insecurity and inadequacy that I'm faced with when I'm around people. So....Saturday, the day of the BBQ arrives and I was completely surprised because for once, I was so excited about actually GOING somewhere and THAT just never happens to me at all. I couldn't wait for 5:30 to get here quick enough!! Shoot, I even shaved my legs and put on new panties :) When we got there, we lugged our food and lawn chairs (and my camera, of course), up the hill and found us a huge shade tree to park ourselves under to start enjoying the night. Linda and John have hosted this annual summer event since around 2000. For 14 years they've invited family and friends to come out and help them celebrate the end of summer and the start of a glorious Autumn. Their beautiful home sits on top of a massive hill and as I stood up there looking out across the land, the views from every direction was nothing short of breathtaking. The blue sky had lingering traces of white, wispy, ribbon~streaked clouds, evidence that a plane had recently roared overhead, leaving in its wake, an almost child~like drawing of the letter "A" in an otherwise, clear blue sky. Cattle grazed in the distant fields....totally undisturbed at all these strange people who were invading their nearby space. They seemed perfectly content to go on doing what they were doing....chewing! As Linda gave her welcoming speech to the crowd over the microphone to get the evening going. I couldn't help but think that this woman is a born entertainer. She could give ANY comedian out there a run for their money. She's quicker with a comeback and one-liner that would put even Roseanne Barr to shame (and she's prettier too!). She's a wonderful, warm woman who loves to laugh. I grew up thinking of her as "one of the family". My step~dad, who was never overly~fond of TOO many people, thought the world of Linda, so that should tell ya something right there! Linda and my great~aunt Carolyn used to work together, both were/are beauticians and my step~dad would go there for a haircut and he just LOVED it cuz they always talked about how pretty his hair was and he got such a "kick" out of them trying to find a gray hair. They have a knack for making people feel special. John, who I still refer to as MR. because he was a teacher at my high school "wayyyyy back in the day". It's a title of respect that even years later I can not and will not break. He was without a doubt, one of THE best teachers that school ever had. He made each student feel special and was such a great role model for the guys who took his class. My brother, Dean, had him in Ag class and in FFA and I know that he looked to him for guidance AND thought of him as a good friend. You'll never see him without a smile and a kind word, definitely a TRUE southern gentleman. As the "shindig" got under way, Hubby and I decided to just walk around. Linda and I both have the same passion for "junk stuff" and breathing new life into it. Only SHE makes it look GOOD! We walked around to the back of the house, and there were numerous plants and gorgeous flowers.... I would have been content just to have stayed behind the house with all those flowers! The landscaping was out of this world... Take for instance this old iron gate with a happy little yellow mum...my heart melted and I was in heaven! There was just sooooo much to look at...another favorite (and there were many!!)...was this piano, covered in Sweet Potato vines...absolutely gorgeous!! Another fave....This old dinner bell on top of an old fence post. Everywhere you looked you could see kids smiling, laughing and playing. For just a few hours, there was no TV, no video games...just pure, innocent fun. I loved watching the kids play. Some were running around with glow sticks, finding delight with the oncoming dark of the night... Some held races to see who could run the fastest.... Many were fascinated by the little playhouse ....oh be still my heart!! It was amazing! What child OR grown~up, wouldn't love this. I seriously need one of these for myself! And then there was those who set out to find their own adventure. I couldn't help but smile as I watched them slip through the fence.... As Hubby and I made our way back around to the front of the house....The long front porch boasts several huge ever~so green ferns, spaced between each of the tall white columns. Now THAT is pure SOUTHERN and I loved it! The porch is definitely something that needs to be on "Pinterest"! I could just imagine sitting on the swing with a glass of lemonade and a good book. Underneath a huge pine tree they have displays of gorgeous plants and "antique stuff" that looks like something out of a country magazine. LOVE the old toy car and bike! Soon we headed back down the hill to join the rest of the crowd.... Earlier this year a storm came through and destroyed the famous "party shed" and they had to rebuild. Inside the building, there were 2 long tables lined with food and against another wall, a table was set up for all the desserts, which I tried my best to stay away from! The meat and drinks were provided by Linda and John and the guests each brought a dish or 2. (Hubby made scalloped potatoes ...yummy!) Another favorite part were the beautiful chandeliers....they were about the only things Linda and John were able to save out of the old shed when the storm destroyed it. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these!! One of the highlights of the night was the entertainment which was provided by the very talented Jeff Johnson and his band. My biggest regret of the night was that I was too shy and that kept me from going up front to get GOOD, close pics of the band.(I need to work on that!) I'm just not good enough with a camera to take great , far away pics. They were absolutely wonderful, playing a mix of country, bluegrass and gospel. An extremely talented group of guys! We had Oran Bowlds playin' on a beautiful upright [doghouse] bass (pictured below) while Kevin Bowlds was playin' a MEAN fiddle. Then there was Steve Simmons showing us his talent on the mandolin, as Gary Evans was doing some FINE pickin' on the banjo and during all this, was Jeff Johnson, displaying his own brand of magic on the guitar. If you EVER get a chance to hear these guys perform, please do, they were amazing! Jeff Johnson sung the beautiful song, "Beulah Land" at my grandmother's funeral a few years back and I will be a forever fan of his... Y'all will NEVER know how bad I wanted to turn this lil beauty around so I could get a good shot of it, but it was facing the shed and there just wasn't enough room for me to squeeze my lil fat body between it and the shed. All I could think about the whole night was wishing I could get a decent shot of it. It was absolutely beautiful...the gorgeous wood grain just GLEAMED in the sunlight earlier. I WAS however, able to get a close up of the headstock and tuner keys....LOVED it. The lil details is always where the beauty is! I'll post a pic of the band but it's so bad I almost hate to. Music speaks to the soul...and children are no exception. I watched a lil boy, as he sat close to the band, listening to them as they played. He seemed to be in total awe. Such a delight to watch and in the very front was a lil girl, in a long dress, dancing to the music, twirling around and around with her arms spread out in total abandonment as the music spoke to her, her dress flowing in the wind.... It was a wonderful night and I'm SOOOOO glad I went! I thought about all the hard work Linda and John put into this event each year and wondered (and hoped) they could see, what we, the guests see. I hope these pics and blog might show them a little. To let them know that they are indeed greatly appreciated and thanked by us all. Their hard work did NOT go unnoticed! They showed us all the meaning of the words....True Southern Hospitalityღღ Can't wait for next year to hurry up and get here now!! Thank y'all for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed it!
Be good and be pretty and as always..... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ Almost everywhere I look, I see changes in the leaves now that Autumn is almost here. I can't wait! Fall has always been like a breath of fresh air to me. A cool, crisp, glorious breath of fresh air. I've always been fascinated by the process the leaves go through as the seasons begin to change. Here are some of the pics I've taken recently around the homestead. The pics aren't all that great, but I LOVE the beautiful colors. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday!
Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I posted previously that I had decided to make a few changes and I hate that lil 4~letter word, but DIET. I've never been good with diets before, except for Weight Watchers, years ago. I know WHAT to eat. I just don't DO it. One week ago today, I weighed in at 194 lbs....and 194.6 if we're going to get technical. I was amazed at the response I received and all the support from my readers. You'll never know how much it means to me and I'll be here to support those who have also decided to make their own changes. I was so excited this morning to weigh and see if I had lost anything. Trust me when I say, it would have been my luck to "put myself out there" by posting how much I weigh only to end up losing NOTHING the first week! I woke up this morning and pulled my scales out from under an end table where I keep'em handy. What is it able scales though? Almost everyone that comes over, if they see the scales, they HAVE to weigh. I think it shows just how much that little (or big) number means to us all. So, I weighed....drum roll please....... 191.2 lbs I lost 3 lbs ! I know it ain't much and should have been better but it's a start in the right direction, I hope!
A few of the changes I made last week were: 1. Drink more water! I hardly ever drank water before and it's definitely NOT as good as my RC's, but I know the benefits from drinking the water will far outweigh any pleasure I THINK I'm getting from drinking an RC soda. 2. Cut down on my fave foods but not cut them out entirely. For me it's about portion control and I've found that using a smaller plate at meal time helped me tremendously. There's just something about a regular plate and seeing all that empty space where there's no food because of the portion control, so for me, a smaller plate was the answer to that problem. I know, it's all in my mind but whatever works, right?? 3. MOVE...do something..anything. So, I washed walls this week. It kept me busy plus I'm sure a few calories were burned off in the process. Now next week, I'm not sure what it will be, maybe yard work everyday if the weather is gonna be good. 4. DRINK MORE WATER!! All in all, I'm happy with my 3 lb. weight loss for this week but I'm not going to lie, I was hoping for more but I know I need to "step up the game plan" and add exercise to my daily routine. ( I REALLLLYYYYY need a treadmill or bike!!) But just can't afford one right now. My mom has also been on a diet, we both started our diets at the same time. She weighed in this morning and lost 3 lbs. I'm so proud of her!! As for Hubby, he weighed in this morning also and lost 5 lbs...dang his hide!! I knew he'd lose more so I was ready for it...Men alwayssss lose more than women and it's so not fair. But he did good and I'm proud of him. I'm proud of him but I could also wring his neck right now, cuz, you want to know what I'm faced with tonight?? He just HAD to try out a recipe he seen or concocted on his own... A CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE!!! :( OH Lord, please be with me and keep me from temptation because you KNOW how weak I am!...Amen!! Thanks for stopping by and good luck again to all those who said they were making a change also! Let me know your results next week! Be good and be pretty and as always..... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ 194.....ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY~FOUR POUNDS.
There...I've said it. Everyone knows I ain't no skinny thang anyway. But 194 lbs. DANG! Well, 194.6 lbs to be exact. So, now what am I going to do with those numbers, now that I've just admitted to the world how much I weigh?? I'll tell ya what I'm going to do. I'm gonna quit messing around and get serious about that nasty number. For years, I've watched the numbers climb higher and higher and in all those years, the WISHING and WANTING to lose weight hasn't done me a bit of good yet. Time for a change and that time is NOW. Just last week, a relative, someone whom I love dearly, was hospitalized. I won't go into the details for her privacy's sake but it was a wake~up call to us all, I think. I've been hospitalized in that past for extremely high blood pressure, the result of smoking AND my diet. But I didn't take heed. I didn't care enough to MAKE the change. I'm not sure what the difference is now but it's happening and I'm ready to take action. Anytime in the past that I attempted to lose weight, to make any type of life~style change, I was always my biggest "saboteur". I'd be on a diet and see chocolate and have a battle within myself. To eat it or not to eat it. Of course I always ate it. I told myself if I WANT that piece of chocolate or candy bar, then I'M GONNA EAT IT! That's precisely why my scales say 194 lbs too. My daily diet is one of the worse that I've seen of anyone I know. I literally drink almost ONLY RC soda, with a cup or 2 of coffee a day thrown in there too. My soda intake a day?? About 8 a day. Yep...EIGHT!! If I had to take a guess at how many glasses of water I drank in a year, it would probably be about 10...or less. I drink coffee but with THREE spoons of sugar added. I drink nothing else but maybe a lemonade here and there a few times a year. I hate milk, tea, Kool~aid, the flavored waters...I hate it all except for my beloved RC's. My diet, food~wise, consists of potato chips and spoonfuls of peanut butter. I could live on these 2 things! (Come to think of it, I pretty much HAVE). Any type of sandwich meat for sandwiches cuz it's something quick and easy to grab. But it just happens to be one of the WORSE things for me to eat because of my blood pressure. Hubby has tried his best to make me eat veggies...I just can't do it. There's not any I LIKE enough, to have to EAT them. He'd go so far as to even put green beans on my dinner plate and I'd be like "And just WHAT ARE THESE!? You know better then to gimme that stuff". In the trash they'd go...cuz even the dogs won't eat'em, which should tell a body something right there. Hubby LOVES to cook, so he does almost ALL the food preparations and it's not exactly healthy choices either. But I don't blame him because I'd be fat even if he WASN'T the one doing all the cooking. I'm also the guinea pig for all of Hubby's cooking "experiments" some good, some not so good. Anyway, last week I made the decision..again, that I was going to get healthy. It's not going to happen overnight although I wish it would. Last week, I started drinking water. I was quite proud of myself when I'd reach automatically, for a water and NOT an RC. I still drink a few RC's a day cuz I can't go cold turkey and just not drink'em at all. I'm weak, I have no willpower. But instead of the 8 a day that I WAS drinking, I've been drinking 3 or 4 a day, I know it's still too much but, baby steps, ya know?? As a matter of fact, I'm drinking a bottle of water as I type! I've also cut back on the potato chips and other junk foods. When I get them now, I figure out many would make a 100 calories by reading on the back of the label of the bag. I had a major pitfall today though on my "new diet" ....I found a WHOLE BOX of Cheez~Its...oh Lawdy but I love those thangs! On the back of the box, it said 29 crackers were 140 calories. Of course I ate 'em. I'm weak, remember? But I'll get stronger. I hope. I'm still not exercising yet though. I get a walk or 2 daily with the hounds while we're out looking for the perfect photo to shoot. But it's not enough. I need something that REALLY gets me MOVING. I'll think of something though. What is my goal weight?? I'd love to be 120 again but I know for me, that's not going to happen so honestly, at this point, I'll take any kind of a loss right now. I've never been happy at ANY weight I've ever been at. In high school, I became bulimic/anorexic. I threw up every single thing I ate. Everything. I continued to "get rid" of my food even after I first married but I slowly slacked off and stopped purging. When I think about it now, being unhappy at 103 lbs.???...Seriously? To be honest, I've tried purging again, but I KNOW that's not the RIGHT way to do it. So, with small baby steps, I WILL make small changes that will hopefully add up over a year's time. I'd just like to tie my shoes without having to move a belly roll to do it, ya know? And you should see me when I'm trying to take a photo of something, where I need to get down on the ground to get the "right" shot. I've had to call Lucy (my biggest dog) to come over and help me get back up. She stands there and I put my hand on her as a "leverage" to get up with....sad..and it ain't none too pretty either! The Biggest Loser came on last Thursday, for the first time this season. So, Hubby and I weighed in. Yep, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY~FOUR pounds and I have declared war! I know I didn't include a "before" pic of me, at this weight but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I'll think about it some more and maybe I'll add one tomorrow but I ain't promisin' nothing. :) Tomorrow, will be my 1 WEEK "weigh~in". I'll let y'all know what my 1ST week results are...if any! Wish me luck and feel free to "join in" if you're also at a point in YOUR life when you feel like you need to make a change and GOOD LUCK TO YOU! Thanks for stopping by! Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ When I was about 13 or 14 I fell in love with poetry. In my 7th grade English the teacher tried her best to instill in us the "love of words". We learned of ballads, limericks. free verses, elegies and the list goes on. I took the bait and read anything I could get my hands on that contained poetry. I'm not sure how it is in "today's" world but "back when I was in school", all the girls passed around poems and most were poems about loneliness or the "he~done~me~wrong" types of poems that showed their anguish or despair over a break~up. I tried my hand at writing poems like this, which was kind of ironic considering I didn't even HAVE a boyfriend that could "do me wrong" in the first place! So, I watched.... I listened... and I FELT what the other girls were going through. I heard their heartbreak and seen their tears...and God only knows I knew what the loneliness felt like. Not the loneliness of not having a boyfriend but the kind of loneliness that seeps down deep in your soul and decides its not ever leaving. Then I wrote or rather I TRIED to write and I gave the silly, naive poems to my friends who were going through the despair of a break~up or any of the other, now forgotten, reasons that I wrote them. After school, I'd come home, go behind my bed where my yellow bean bag was (remember those??!!)..and I wrote ...and wrote. I had notebooks filled with "stuff" I'd write. I came across all these notebooks filled with poems one day. I had tucked them all away and kept them on a top closet shelf. But I've always been my own biggest critic and always will be. As an adult woman now, I sat down on my bed and read the poems over and CRINGED at what I had written so long ago. Ashamed and surely my face was red from embarrassment, I picked up the folder and put it UNDER all the other trash that was in the Kitchen trash can. Now of course, I wish I had them back again, because as silly as they were and we would all agree that none would have certainly never won any literature awards, much like this lil blog itself! But, I had written them with love... for my friends. In my fit of "self~criticism" , I failed to see that . Anyways, I'm ramblin' again, sorry! So movin' right along here .... I loved reading the poems of Emily Dickinson, Louisa May Alcott, and later, came to love the wisdom that Maya Angelou shared with us all. But my first love of poetry came from Helen Steiner Rice. Maybe it was because it was my first REAL poem I had ever just truly sat down to read and really ABSORBED the words that were in front of me. So for Christmas, Ma got me a book of poetry written by Helen Steiner Rice. I treasure that book even today. ( We all have those precious items we'd grab if there was ever a fire, well, this lil book would be one of my items to grab.) Because inside the book, Ma had underlined THIS phrase in one of the poems and wrote it inside the cover of the book for me, "...And she could melt the hardest heart with the sunshine of her smiles" ღღ Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my lil stories with y'all.
My sincerest apologies to my Facebook friends, who have already "seen" this story but I wanted to put it on my blog, to give it a HOME. :) Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ It's just another lazy day around the homestead today, not that I'm complaining! I can do "lazy" quite well! :) I've been helping Hubby set up a "cooking" blog...he LOVES to cook so it should be good! I'll keep y'all posted on THAT. Anyways, I just thought I'd pop over and add some photos. Hope your Sunday is a good one and spent with the ones you love!
Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I decided after posting about the Island Dairy Freeze on my previous post that every once in a while, I'd share some of my fave local businesses with y'all, in my own lil way, showing my support for local businesses in our area. Today, it's Trunnell's Farm Market on HWY 431 in Utica, Kentucky. Here are the links ...check them out sometime, I REALLY think you'll enjoy it! www.trunnellsfarmmarket.com. www.shop.trunnellsfarmmarket.com. Their market is located on a beautiful, sprawling farm in Utica, Ky. I can remember when it started out as a small "farmer's market stand" and in my own opinion, I think it just became so popular and "in~demand' that they almost HAD to go larger...and beautiful.... I love to see, with each new season, how they decorate the outside...and simply gorgeous is the only way I can describe it. Ma and I love going by and seeing what they have displayed. It's always so pretty. Just look at all those glorious MUMS!!..Oh be still my heart! And the pumpkins!...Just WAITING for a child to come along and find that "special" one to take home and carve into a Jack O'Lantern for Halloween. Inside the market, literally, they have anything you could ask for...everything from beautiful flowers, fresh local fruits (yummy!), honey, sorghum, veggies and Lawd have mercy, the FUDGE is divine! As you look around, you can easily see the family's dedication to giving us the best they can....and they DO. I'm extremely proud of the Trunnell family's commitment to this community...take for instance, today, September 13, 2014, they have a "Hometown Heroes" weekend. All military and 1st responders are free (with a valid ID)...I believe it's free for kids under 36 inches and anyone over 36 inches, it's $9.95. (Check out their links to be sure though, I'd hate to give anyone wrong info :( ) If anyone from Trunnell's Farm Market happens to see this, any info or corrections are appreciated in the comment section! Some of the activities for this weekend (Sept. 13th and 14th) include, a fire engine that kids can climb aboard (what kid doesn't love a fire engine!), search the patrol vehicle, investigate a rescue vehicle, listen to the sirens...it's all about making memories with your family! Here's a couple more displays at the market.... So, If you're ever passing by, stop and enjoy all that this market has to offer and experience a true, family fun adventure!
Thanks for letting me share some of the things I love with y'all...whether it's a local business, pumpkins and flowers or in this case...Trunnell's had it ALL! :) Thanks again for stopping by...I appreciate each and every one of you!ღ Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I LOVE old things! Whether it's antique household items, old farm equipment, old houses, barns, old churches.... or old wooden bridges. My Ma, my Aunt Penny and I decided we wanted a "girl's day". So, they picked me up Tuesday morning and we were off. To anyone else, our little "excursion" would be nothing...but I loved it. Love being able to spend time with them both! We decided we'd check out the old wooden bridge in Island, Kentucky, so I could get a few pics of it. I can remember a long time ago, driving over the old bridge and hearing that familiar "thumpety, thump, thump" sound as I drove over the bridge....oh, the good ole days!! The wooden bridge in Island, Kentucky was built 1872 on KY 85 over the Owensboro-Nashville Railroad. In 1997, it was later replaced with a more "modern" bridge and relocated and rebuilt in its new dedicated spot, The Island Wooden Bridge Park. It's a very small but beautiful park that showcases the old wooden bridge in all its glory. As you walk along the pathway it leads to various places so you can just sit and enjoy the view. Continuing up the path, it led to a gorgeous red caboose. Our next stop of course, The Island Dairy Freeze! I mean really, who can pass through Island and NOT want to stop and get a hamburger! They have THE best burgers ever...and onion rings, and fries, and shakes, and well, you get the picture. We placed our order then walked over to the lil sheltered picnic table area they have provided for people like us, who choose to "dine~in"....it was such a beautiful day for it! As we waited for our number to be called, we exchanged "hellos" and " how ya doings" with the people at the nearby picnic tables. ( You also can't go to the Dairy Freeze without seeing people you know.) I just LOVE this lil town! And while you're sitting there waiting for the food to get done, Lawd have mercy, the aroma would starve a body to death coming from that lil building! A few minutes later, we get our food and it was DELISH! Big Juicy burger...golden onion rings and a LARGE drink...life just doesn't get any better than this. I REALLY wanted an ice cream cone afterwards but, I'm tryin' to watch my figure ya know . I remember "back in the day", Shannon (a friend) and I would go work out at the fitness center, located behind the Dairy Freeze and every time we went, we'd have to stop and get us an ice cream cone ...kinda defeated the purpose of workin' out but what can I say.... we had no willpower. So, if for some reason, you ever find yourself passing through Island, Kentucky...
stop and grab ya a burger, you won't regret it! Thanks for letting me share my day with ya'll and thanks for stopping by! Be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I've never liked homemade ice cream. Even as a kid, when it snowed and Ma would make "snow cream", I hated it. At family get~togethers during the summer, they'd break out the ice cream freezer and I always WANTED to like it, cuz everyone else did. But I hated it. No matter what kind it was or who made it. Until Hubby made THIS...it was as good if not better than "store bought" ice cream. He made a batch of vanilla and a batch of chocolate...mmmm mmmm!!! One of the best things about this recipe is that it doesn't require an ice cream freezer. What you'll need: 1 cup of sugar 1 package of your choice of jello pudding (vanilla, chocolate...etc.) 1 - 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk 1 - 12 oz can of evaporated milk 4 cups of milk Optional fruit, crushed If making vanilla ice cream, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla Instructions: In a large bowl, add sugar, pudding, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk and mix well. Then add milk (and crushed fruit, if using)... stir well. For this batch, hubby decided he wanted banana and peanut butter ice cream so in his little food processor/mixer, he mixed 1 cup of peanut better and 2 bananas. Then added it to the ice cream mixture. Then place the container in the freezer. Every hour or so, take the container of ice cream out and shake it.
This ice cream has 3 stages. At 3~6 hours in the freezer you'll have delicious "frostys"...yummy!! Kids will LOVE this! (adults too of course :) ) At 6~8 hours in the freezer you'll have "soft serve" ice cream, so get those cones ready! At 8~12 hours, you'll have "hard" ice cream. Enjoy!! If you make this I hope you like it! I loved it, it's the ONLY homemade ice cream for ME. With summer coming close to an end, I thought I'd share this recipe with y'all so you and your family can enjoy one last homemade ice cream treat for the summer! So, get ya a bowl or cone and go sit out on the porch...and enjoy!! Thanks for stopping by! Y'all be good and be pretty and as always..... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I went to Ma's yesterday to help her mow (Thursdays are always "mowing day" at her house, weather permitting .) After we finish mowing, we always sit on the front porch and just talk and watch the traffic go by. ( I told ya I liked the simple things in life!) :) I spent 4 hours on that porch trying to get photos of the hummingbirds feeding. So beautiful!! I've never been able to get a good shot of one yet. She has this beautiful hanging planter that my Step~dad, Bobby, made. She got the idea for it after seeing one similar on one of their many "jaunts" across the countryside. (Oh the RIDES we used to take!!) It was her inspiration for the one she wanted Bobby to make. She explained to him exactly what she wanted and he went to work on it. The bottom base is an old tractor wheel. He placed a metal pole in the center of the tractor wheel and welded them together. Old hay rake tines were used as the "hangers" for the flowers. Three more tines were welded near the top and she used those for the hummingbird feeders. Then at the very top, he welded a horse he had made and welded it to a bearing ball. (In this photo the horse doesn't show up very well though.) I can't EVEN begin to tell you how much enjoyment we have all gotten from just sitting on that front porch admiring the pretty flowers and watching the hummingbirds. They're beautiful to watch and it's been a personal challenge for ME to try and take a "decent" photo of one. Bobby put a lot of work into this hanger for Ma. I was always so amazed that he could take a piece of plain, cold, hard steel and turn it into a work of ART... just by welding it. Bobby worked as a welder for YEARS at Green Coal Company in Western Kentucky, until the mines finally shut down. So, he had plenty of years to "practice" . He made trucks, tractors, bulldozers and of course horses. (He LOVED horses.) This photo is of an old red trunk that he used to keep all of his combs, brushes, bridle bits, spurs and just "stuff" for his horses. When you open the trunk, even though it has to be at least 30 years old or older now, it still has a lingering smell of horses and leather. If anyone could bottle up that "scent" and sell it for cologne they could make millions! :) On this trunk is one of the horses he welded. He always wanted to make his "mark " in this world and in his own way, he did, with these pieces he left behind for us. Everyone has a talent. Some you can clearly SEE or hear, such as singing, dancing, photography, acting.... Yet for some, you have to reach down deep inside and search for it, but it IS there. Maybe your talent is being a GOOD friend to those around you. Lord knows, we ALL need one of those! Maybe your talent is a love for cooking ...and you share it with others to enjoy. Or maybe it's something as simple... or as big as this... They were talking one day at church about using your talents for GOOD....and a beautiful, wonderful lady, Helen, who is passed away now and still sadly missed, she once said "I may not can sing like______ and I can't preach like________ , but what I CAN do is pray..., and pray she did. I hope y'all are having a wonderful Friday! (YAY for FRIDAYS!!!) Thanks for letting me share a little of the things I love with you. Y'all be good and be pretty and as always...... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ What is it about a mother~in~law's visit that has you scurrying around in a panic ?? I immediately think of ALL the cleaning I need to do, but truthfully, I do this whenever I know ANYONE is coming over. I consider my house clean, maybe not clean enough for SOME but the older I've gotten, the better I've gotten about KEEPING it clean (well, except for my bedroom which is now basically a storage room for all my Christmas decorations.) Remind me to post a pic of THAT someday....shewwwwwww! Anyway, Hubby mentions on Monday that his mom was coming over today, so I jumped up and got the sheets and comforter off the guest bed and got those all washed up, just in case she stayed over~night. ( I found out she's not but, I got clean sheets now, right?) And armed with THE NOTEBOOK and a cup of coffee, I sat down and I wrote my list of what I wanted to get done before she got here. (I'll have to tell you about my lists someday). For the amount of time it actually takes me to WRITE the list out. I could have had everything already done already, but noooooo, not me....I keep stalling. I was still stalling till about 5 a.m. this morn. So I get started cleaning.... I wash and put the dishes away..again. I swear that Hubby of mine is cooking constantly (NOT that I'm complaining!!) and it seems like I spend most of the time in kitchen cleaning up. He'd beg to differ and tell you that it's spent sitting in front of this computer. (He would be telling the truth). Then I dusted. From the amount of dust around here I'd swear we live in one of the dust bowl states. I dust almost every. single. day. and 2 hours later you literally can't tell it, Am I the only one that has to DO this??!! And the dog hairs!! Gawwww!! SO, I swept. I'm totally ashamed at how much dog hair accumulates IN ONE DAY'S time from those 2 hounds of mine. Sometimes I wonder if they're worth it but...in a heartbeat, I always answer myself, of course they are! I don't even want to THINK of my life without them. They bring me joy that only a "fellow dog or cat lover" could truly understand and appreciate. Then I did laundry. How 2 people can have SO much laundry is beyond me. I rebelled at having to do a load everyday, (like I'm real busy anyway??), so I started doing it about once a week....or less. So, it's a dilemma of doing the "dailies" vs. getting out the" chair and whip" to keep it contained in the laundry room. I think I'll switch back to daily. Then I clean the bathrooms. Thankfully they're never too bad, well, except the master bathroom, I tend to let it go and keep the one for guests CLEAN. I don't like anything on the bathroom sink, at all except the soap. The towel on the towel holder HAS to be even at the bottom and CENTERED on the rod, an even amount on each side of the bar showing and I cringe every time I go in there and it's been knocked off centered...grrrrrr. I'm a tad bit OCD about SOME things, while I can let my bedroom become a storage room, I had to end up getting rid of the place mats on my kitchen table cuz they had to be lined up with the edge of the table and every. single. time. I'd walk by that table, the place mats would be shoved off their "mark"....What the heck!!?? I bet I literally straightened them 20 times a day till finally I wanted to quit stressing over it and threw'em away. My life had been much simpler since... The last stop on my cleaning list is the "office", the main room I live in. I straightened my desk and I was DONE! Why is it that I can get more cleaning accomplished in an hour or so...VS. a couple days of notice?? I must work better in a stressed atmosphere?? Well craps...I forgot to mop the floors!!!.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Now for a few pics I took yesterday.....the salamander has the same look in every single pic with his beady lil eyes and same "pose". He was on top of my concrete angel statue. The nerve of him... but after some hesitation, I started clicking away.
I never did like creepy, crawly things anyway. So...moving right along to less scary things, like FLOWERS! This little beauty is called a Wandering Jew. I hope your Wednesday is a good one! Thanks for stopping by for a visit :)
Y'all be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I've started my "Fall cleaning" and plus my mother~in~law is coming for a visit Wednesday. I'd love to sit here and yak and drink my coffee with y'all but, the homestead's chores are a'calling. So, I'm just gonna post a few pics today. These are the mushrooms Hubby and I found yesterday on our "mushroom hunt". He goes wayyyy back in the woods looking for them but Me?? I stick close to the outer edge of the woods, cuz I ain't never been overly~fond of snakes...or coyotes. I'll have to tell y'all about my "snake visitor" a few years ago (for those who HAVEN'T heard it yet.) All this rain has mushrooms sprouting everywhere you look. I thought this mushroom looked like a potato that had been left in the microwave a little too long. A few pics of rain~drenched leaves and more rain clouds moving in for the night and later I even got a few pics of that moon Hubby's is always threatening to send me too.....one of these days. :) Good night, Moon!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the pics as much as I did taking them. Y'all be good and be pretty and as always.... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ I LOVE flowers.... the more flowers the better. Gardens of flowers, container flowers or wildflowers. A weed with a pretty bloom on it?? A flower! :) Even in the winter, I'm thinking of flowers. That's when I do my "planning". I keep a notebook with my list of all the different kinds of seeds I have or will have by planting time and where I want to plant them. When planting time finally arrived, I went around the homestead and gathered every single pot or container I could find. If it could hold dirt and I could get a few holes in the bottom of it.... it was tossed in the wagon. I gathered all my tools I'd need to avoid all the running back and forth to get this or that. *spade, trowel and fork set....check *rocks (for filler)....check *potting soil....check *fertilizer ....check *watering can....check *containers....CHECK! * RC cola for break~time....DOUBLE CHECK Sitting on the ground, with my containers all around me, I decide which seeds will go in which pots and I begin to plant..and I planted. I took a break and planted some more. Then called it a day. The next morning I wake up ready to finish my planting projects....so I plant some more. I planted seeds of marigolds around every single building on the place. Which is only 3 but seemed like 300 after preparing the soil around all 3 buildings. Then I wait for them to grow. I'm waiting.... Still waiting... Finally everything was growing. Then one day, Hubby hands me this clear spray bottle, "Here, spray all your plants with this"...I look at the nasty brown~colored liquid inside of it, dis-trustingly and tell him, "I ain't using that stuff!" "It's Miracle~Gro" he says....(he bought a used sprayer from this guy and it still had "stuff" in it and the guy SAID it was Miracle~Gro, Hubby transferred it to a smaller spray bottle so he could use the sprayer). All the Miracle~Gro I've ever seen has been BLUE. So, of course...I went on my merry way...and I didn't use it :) A few days later, Hubby seen the bottle..still not used of course, and said "I thought I told ya to use that on your plants" and again, we have the same discussion..."I ain't using it". Nope, not gonna do it. Not using it. I used it..just cuz he says I never listen to him. My instincts screaming at me the whole time...DON'T DO IT!! I didn't spray EVERYTHING...but I did spray most everything. By the end of the day...all my pretty green plants had turned a sickening shade of light brown. I started to worry. The next morning my beautiful,luscious Wild Violets were deader than a door knob. My flowers in the flower garden by the back porch?? yep..those are door knobs. All those seeds I planted in the containers?? yep, door knobs. A few plants I had planted in the ground around the homestead??? DOOR KNOBS! I wailed...I screamed... And I did what any other red~blooded American woman would've done. I went looking for Hubby. Armed with a handful of door kn...I mean, dead flowers. "I toldddddddd you so!!" as I held out the door knobs for his inspection. All that hard work for nothing...my only consolation was that I did NOT spray any of my roses. The stuff I DID spray were JUST seeds or flowers and plants that I could easily replace or just not "worry" TOO much about the loss. Poor Hubby, he honestly thought it was Miracle~Gro cuz that's what the guy told him it was. He had good intentions, he just wanted me to have good, healthy, pretty flowers, ya know?? He's the one that does all the HARD work with the gardens, the hot, sweaty, back~breaking stuff. We just don't have the money to do all the things he wishes he could do to make everything LOOK like the visions we had to begin with. But he tries...and that's all a body can do. He loves the flowers as much as I do, he's constantly bringing home this and that to plant, he keeps his eyes for "specials" or when they go on clearance and buys most of the plants and stuff then. We've found out that while they may not look too great on the store shelves by the end of summer, as long as they still have green to them and you get'em in the ground before the first frost hits..they'll do great next year. Or, he'll be driving down one of these country roads and spot something growing along a ditch, that he thinks is pretty and he'll stop and dig it up and bring it home. (he's learned to keep a shovel in the back of the pick~up) He's a good feller, well..most of the time anyway :) Many mornings, I've gotten up and went into the kitchen and on "my" side of the kitchen table, where I sit and drink my morning coffee, there will be a bouquet of wildflowers in a mason jar. And on HIS birthday last year, he took HIS "birthday money" and headed off to town and came back hours later with a whole truck~load of stuff, for ME. Garden stuff....To build ME an arbor. You can't stay mad at a feller like that... But, I still TEASE him about the Miracle~Gro though. And just HAD to share it with y'all :) Thanks for stopping by! Y'all be good and be pretty and as always... ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻God Bless ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ Last night about 6 pm, the sun was starting to go down so I thought I'd grab my cam and see what shots I could find. Of course "the hounds" heard my cam opening up and here they come running.... They're only allowed out in the back yard cuz it's fenced in. But when I'm taking pics they know they get to come with me wherever I go. So, they take off out the door going 90 miles an hour at a dead run, racing up the road, knowing good and well that I'm just gonna holler at 'em to "Get back down here!" The other neighbors on our road also have dogs and Lucy and Bingo think they have to go visitin' whenever I let'em out. Bingo...wasting no time, he's already at the curve . Ahhh ....but here he comes trotting back to "mommy". He must have suddenly remembered, earlier this year, he got beat up by the neighbor's weinie dog. He was so humiliated..or he SHOULD have been. After their initial excitement of getting to go outside finally winds down a little, I look around and I notice a few more changes taking place. All summer long I've had my eyes on these clump of Black~eyed Susans. But like the Summer, these too are fading away. But I can still see their beauty. I see "seeds of hope" for NEXT year's batch of Black~eyed Susans, promising me they'll be back again next year. The photos doesn't do it justice.... In the fading sunlight, the dried~up petals gleamed with a silvery sheen, still clinging desperately to its dignity, as it knows it will slowly fade and wither away soon.
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HI! My name is Lori and I am a self~ proclaimed agoraphobic and rarely leave my home. My blog is a place for me to come and embrace my Edith Bunker tendencies and to share a few of the things I love. Stories, recipes and crafts, all with a little humor thrown in along the way! ღღ
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June 2023
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