My Inbox is Full

Once again I have over-extended myself!  My INBOX is full! 

I realized yesterday that I have a boat load of projects, events, work, trips, etc. that I need to get accomplished within the next two weeks.  Here is my Laundry List of Things to Do....

*participating in a CIGAR BOX SWAP...my first; not sure why I decided to do this since I'm not all that creative!
*participating in a BOOK SWAP...that, at least, got done today
*out-of-town meeting next Tuesday
*observations of my new teachers that I mentor
*two baby showers to attend
*a bridal shower at my house in two weeks and another shower to attend...gotta get this house cleaned up!
*shower invitations...that one's checked off!
*complete a special gift I'm making for the honoree
*a party to attend for a friend's daughter who is getting married
*class reunion next weekend....gotta find SOMETHING to wear!!!!
*get manicure & pedicure before reunion
*pick up grandkids many afternoons & keep them Wed. & Fri. each week
*catch up on email which I'm very behind on
*try to find time to cook a few meals for the hubby
*did I mention S-L-E-E-P????

I'm trying hard not to stress over all this. I know I will get it all done; in fact, I work better with time constraints.  But I hope I remember next time to make sure my OUTBOX is more in balance with my INBOX!  After it's all done, I think I'll have this...

and this...

or maybe I'll just pack my bags and hide for awhile!

But I truly am thankful to have a busy life filled with family & friends and work to do.  As an old principal I used to have would say....

  I'm  too  blessed  to  be  stressed!

Hope all of you have a wonderful, unstressed weekend...forget the INBOX...you can get it done next week!           
P.S.:  One more thing I'm gonna take the time to do is go over to http://www.charmbraceletdiva.blogspot.com/ and register to win an awesome charm bracelet.  Shhh...don't tell anybody cause I don't want a lot of competition.  I LOVE charm bracelets!

A Little FALL Decorating & Photo Op

The weather here just is not cooperating!  It's still in the 90's although we are all wishing for cooler temps with that autumn nip in the air.  The leaves are falling but most are just dry and brown due to lack of rain...not red, yellow, orange, & gold.  To try and "fool" myself into thinking that FALL is really here, I did a little decorating...

                              Our side porch, leading into the kitchen.

          This is where I often sit to talk on the phone...or to read and contemplate.

A not-so-scary scarecrow to greet side-door guests

Another cute Scarecrow on the other side of the door

A cute pair...my first "she" Scarecrow!  Wonder why it took so long for someone to think of this?



A Scarecrow at the front door

Another place to sit and think

The ivy is real but I cheated on the sunflowers...they're silk but I think they add a cheerfulness to the front entrance.

A centerpiece for the table...I'm not a "florist" by any means.  I just threw together what I had along with a ceramic quail made by my daughter for her daddy many years ago.

I'm still playing around with my new camera trying to learn just what all it can do.  If I keep reading the manual, I'll probably work through it in a couple of years!  Why oh why do they make instructions so complicated???  Now if I can just figure out Picasa...(I need "Picasa for Dummies")!

HAPPY  FALL,  YA'LL!!!


Sweet Bee is having a giveaway....if you win can I have the cute little "cherry" creamer???

THANKS, GRANDKIDS, LUCK, & MENTORING

THANK YOU!
I want to thank everyone that commented on my last post.  I've talked to Lois twice since she left for KS and also heard from her granddaughter.  I miss her very much but I've kept busy with work this week and have begun to accept that she's no longer next door.  She's happy and excited to be with her family...and that makes me happy too.

GRANDCHILDREN:
Isn't this a cute picture?  Grandson R. has been on two dove shoots this season with his daddy and Papa.  Here he is enjoying the fruits of their labor.  Believe me...this is something because he is a very picky eater!  He enjoyed 4 doves along with cheese grits....that's some good eating!!!
He is enjoying first grade which started last week and Granddaughter M. is loving PreK.  All of her best little girlfriends are in her class and she has the most awesome teacher and parapro.  Grandson R. has a young, energetic teacher who I've heard wonderful things about.  I am so thankful they both are happy and have great teachers.

ME and MY BAD LUCK!

Earlier this summer I remember remarking to someone what good health I was in.  Shouldn'ta done that!  Since my fall 5 weeks ago my body has gone to pot!  Remember this...

well, last weekend this same foot experienced GOUT in my big toe!!!  At first we couldn't figure out what in the world was going on, but the pain was horrendous!  Our family doctor (who is also a cousin) made a house call and gave me the diagnosis.  I was shocked!  Fortunately, the pain only lasted that day.  The toe is still sore but no real pain.  Women don't often get GOUT plus I didn't fit any of the criteria that usually goes along with it:  male over 30, overweight, diabetes, overuse of alcohol, inactivity, etc. I googled GOUT and found this and it is very appropriate:

 On top of all this I am now having trouble with my legs, probably because of how I've been walking due to my sore ankle and GOUTy toe!  Old age is "the devil"!!!!  Lately, if it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all.  I know it could be worse though so I'll stop complaining now!

MENTORING:

Now that the school year has started I'm back at work with my part time job.  I mentor new teachers at our primary and elementary schools.  I LOVE MY JOB!  This year I have several to work with and so far they are all doing a great job and are very open to my advice and suggestions.  I am passionate about education and thankful that I can still be a part of it.  I love the beginning of a new school year...there's nothing like the smell of a new box of CRAYOLA crayons!

Broken Hearted

I have always known this day would probably come and now it is here and I am heart-broken.  My wonderful and beautiful and dearest friend and next-door neighbor LOIS has moved to Kansas.  Lois has been my neighbor for 28 years and during those years she came to mean more to me than I can find words to express.  She has been my friend, neighbor, the big sister I always wanted, my mother-figure, nurturer, confidant, role model...and so much more.  She was there with me 24 years ago during the most difficult experience of my life, and we were there for her when she lost her beloved husband BILL several years ago. She has told me she loved me more than any person in my life other than my husband.  She has listened to my secrets and shared my joys.  Her spunk, her positive outlook on life, her charitable heart, her courage, her love for God & country, and her strength have shown me what all of us should strive to be.  

       Now it is time for Lois to move closer to one of her sons and his family; our loss is their gain.  Because I love Lois so dearly, I am happy for her that she is going to be close to family, but it will take awhile for my heart to mend.  It will take awhile before I will be able to walk across our little bridge between her house and ours to welcome the new neighbors.  It will take awhile before I will think of her and not cry.  But each day of the rest of my life I will be thankful for the tremendous blessing God gave me when he sent her to me.  And, hopefully, we will see each other again...but until that day, I will hold her in my heart and pray each day that she is happy, healthy, and enjoying time with her new friends and family.       

I love you, Lois!

Special Memories

My sweet cousin Lori sent me this picture today of her parents....and ME.  Dick and Macy have always been my favorite aunt and uncle, although I also had many other aunts and uncles that I loved dearly.  Macy is my mother's youngest (and only living) sibling.  She is definitely a good judge of character because she married my uncle Dick who is truly a man of very high moral character, a wonderful Christian, and just a genuinely nice guy.  They have had the kind of marriage all of us should pray for and they are dedicated to each other more than any couple I've ever known.              

When I was little Dick and Macy often babysat me.  I think they would sometimes just come get me and play with me like a baby doll.  In other words, they spoiled me rotten...and I loved it.  I was the "apple of their eye" for several years until they ruined everything by having their own child...and a boy on top of that!  His name was TIMOTHY and he was an absolutely beautiful baby boy.  I remember many people commenting on how beautiful he was.  I loved him...but I was very jealous!  A few years later Lori was born...thankfully a girl this time!  Lori loved all things creepy and would pick up every lizard, frog, toad, or other creepy-crawly that she saw.  That was definitely not my thing!  My sweet cousin Timothy died a few years ago and it has been hard on my aunt and uncle.  There have also been some health issues with Dick, but together they have made it through.  They are just so dedicated to each other.

I love Macy dearly, but I have to admit that Dick is my "rock."  I was estranged from my real father after my parents' divorce when I was about 12 and Dick has just been sort of my "father figure" for many years.  I have always wished that he could have been my real father but I couldn't love him any more if he was.  I know that both he and Macy love me dearly and that means more to me than I could ever tell them.  I am so very blessed to have them both in my lives.  They are wonderful role models for me personally as well as a model of how I want my own marriage to always be.  Thank you, Macy & Dick...for your love and for being the special people that you are.

Opening Day

Saturday was opening day...of DOVE hunting!  Yes, we are a hunting family...at least my guys are.  I do go deer hunting with my hubby from time to time and sit in the stand with him.  We eat lots of vension (it's healthier for you than beef) and we love dove and quail.  My favorite is doves.  My three guys spent a grand day together along with cousins and friends.  They grilled burgers for lunch, then waited in the field for the doves to come in.  Grandson R. and one of his friends ended up with Papa 'cause his stand was in the shade.  While Papa used his shotgun, R. got in lots of practice with his BB gun.  Evidently he was a rather good shooter because his daddy (our son) was really bragging on him.  If you've never eaten fried doves, you don't know what you are missing.  Although I usually prefer "white meat" I absolutely love the dark-meated doves.  We soak them in salt water a day or two before cooking or freezing them.  I fry them up and serve with homemade biscuits and cheese grits.  As we say in the south:  It just don't get no better than that! 

**While the boys were having their brand of fun, my friend Jean and I went shopping!  We found some really cute things and some rather good bargains and we ate a delicious CAROLINA CHICKEN SALAD from RUBY TUESDAY'S....so the day was good for the whole family!

THIS AND THAT

KITCHEN  SWAP
I recently took part in a PUMPKIN KITCHEN SWAP organized by my friend Cindy @ Rick-Rack & Gingham.  I was partnered with Debbie from Missouri who is an avid Raggedy Ann & Andy collector.  She doesn't have a blog but does enjoy the blogging world.  Today I received my package and it was like Christmas in September.  I especially like the cute tag she made.  And can you believe she found that can...cherries AND a Raggedy???  Thanks, Debbie, for everything.  It makes me know that FALL is on its way! 

VINTAGE  EMBROIDERY
I love vintage embroidery.  I always wonder who made it....who were they, how old were they, why was it created, etc.  I recently was fortunate enough to find these pretties.  I also got this cute pink wire basket.  I'm not a really "pink" kind of girl but this one spoke to me and told me to bring it home...and I did!

PAINTING  FUN
The grands were here recently and wanted something "new" to do so we painted rocks and shells.  They had fun and the results were quite pretty...at least to a grandmother's eyes.

SUMMER's  END
Summer is officially coming to an end in more ways than one...school here begins next week.  My son and DIL took the grands for one last bit of summer fun at BUILD  A  BEAR...or in this case, HELLO KITTY and
"CRUISER" the SOCCER DOG.

FOOT  TROUBLE
Three weeks ago I took a slight rather nasty tumble down our stairs and badly sprained my ankle.  OUCH!!!  I am still limping around.  My doctor (who is also related) basically told me I was no longer a spring chicken and wouldn't bounce back as fast.  Gee thanks!  I can also feel my butt rear end getting wider and wider due to lack of daily exercise.

My  TWO  GUYS
A friend recently took this photo of my two guys...husband & son...and me.  I am very blessed to have them both in my life.  I also think they are quite handsome!

Well, that's all folks.  Hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing Labor Day weekend.